Michelle Keegan has been spotted filming alongside Douglas Booth for the first time for their thrilling new ITV drama The Blame.

Returning to work for the first time since giving birth to her baby daughter Palma, the actress, 38, suffered a drenching in the pouring rain as she filmed the tense scenes outside an off-license in Hertford. 

Battling the elements to film the tense drama, Michelle was dressed in a brown blouse and a matching skirt as she and Douglas filmed the late-night scenes.

The pair were seen in the middle of a tense exchange, before a visibly upset Michelle returned to her car.

Michelle will play DI Emma Crane in the six-part series, which is written and produced by Megan Gallagher.

The new series is based on the debut novel of the same name by Charlotte Langley.  

The Blame centres around the discovery of the body of a teenage figure skater, sending shockwaves through the town of Wakestead. 

The official synopsis of the show reads: 'The drama dives into secrets, suspicion and systemic corruption - all under the surface of this seemingly quiet town.

'The series begins when the body of teenage figure skater Sophie Madsen is discovered, sending shockwaves through the town of Wakestead.

'As DI Crane (Keegan) and DI Radley (Douglas Booth) dig deeper, what starts as a tragic death, spirals into a tangled web of lies, institutional cover-ups, and moral compromise.

'As the clock ticks and trust fractures, Crane must navigate both a murder investigation and the treacherous politics inside her own team.'

Alongside Michelle and Douglas, Line of Duty legend Nigel Boyle is set to star as a forensic technician called Brett Shergill.

Robin Hood star Joe Armstrong, who previously starred opposite Michelle in Fool Me Once, has landed the role of an ice-skating coach called Kyle Fraiser.

They will be joined by the likes of The Last Kingdom's Ian Hart, Nathan Mensah, Passenger's Matilda Freeman, House of the Dragon's Gavin Spokes, Last Tango in Halifax's Josh Bolt and White Lines star Ceallach Spellman.

ITV's Director of Drama, Polly Hill, commissioned the six-part series, which has been written and executively produced by the woman behind All Her Fault and Wolf, Megan Gallagher.

Speaking about the project, Polly said: 'The Blame is a brilliant new crime thriller full of surprising twists and a compelling investigation that also cleverly tackles police corruption, exploitation and misogyny as the thriller unravels.

'Megan is such a wonderful and clever writer, and with Michelle Keegan in the lead and Nicola Shindler at the helm, this is going to be an unmissable drama and one I'm very proud to have on ITV.'

While Mary added: 'The Blame is such an important and urgent story to tell; I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to bring Charlotte Langley's world and characters to life on screen.

'It's my second collaboration with Quay Street Productions, and it's great to be working with the team again - I'm truly in the best hands.'

While the executive producer for Quay Street Productions, Nicola Schindler and Richard Fee, said: 'We are so delighted to be working with Megan again.

'She is an exceptional writer who has written a compelling series taking viewers on a twisty journey to discover what really happened through the lens of a contemporary police station brimming with secrets, corruption, and betrayal.

'We are also thrilled at the brilliant cast led by Michelle and Douglas, who will keep viewers on the edge of their seats, wondering who to trust at a time when the themes explored in The Blame are more relevant than ever.'

Michelle's work on the series comes as the seventh and final series of her Sky comedy Brassic is due to hit screens later this month.

The show, which first aired in 2019, will come to an end on September 25, with Michelle wrapping filming on the series back in May.

Brassic's sixth series ended on a jaw-dropping, and literal, cliffhanger, with the entire Hawley gang's lives in jeopardy as their bus hung precariously over a ravine.