IT’S the murder mystery that has millions intrigued.

And the Huddersfield actress at the centre of it admits she had no clues as to whodunnit.

Jodie Whittaker, of Skelmanthorpe, is one of the stars of the drama series Broadchurch, which reaches its climax next week.

Usually, the resolution of a whodunit is guessable, especially one that has lasted several weeks in which each suspect has been examined and dismissed or otherwise throughout the run.

But not Broadchurch – it has thankfully been a different breed altogether.

Too many dramas these days have been made to appeal to viewers with short attention spans; they’re smart, snappy and scenes last about 30 seconds.

However, this eight-part series from acclaimed writer Chris Chibnall has been a slow-burner, with the patience of audience members rewarded with one of the most gripping of plots.

So far we’ve learned that Danny Latimer has been murdered and that most of the people in the town of Broadchurch, where he lived, have something to hide and so could, possibly, have bumped him off in an attempt to keep their secret under wraps for ever.

But no matter how intriguing the storyline, the programme just wouldn’t be worth tuning in for if it wasn’t for the acting, which has been of a uniformly high standard.

At the centre of it all is Jodie as Beth, Danny’s grief-stricken mother.

The 30-year-old Huddersfield-born actress is making a habit of playing young mums – in BBC Two’s Royal Wedding she was a woman who’d had a baby at 15 and she’s in the same situation here.

No doubt her next role will be very different, but there’s no denying she’s the heart and soul of this series. And what’s particularly interesting is that during filming, neither she nor the rest of the cast knew who the killer was.

“I only got the first episode for the audition and I found that quite nerve-wracking, not knowing where it was going,” she said.

“But that’s a really great thing to do because it keeps you anxious the whole way through.

“It keeps you guessing and makes you not trust any of the other characters; which you wouldn’t do in that environment.

“That first episode was heart-breaking to read, but you met so many interesting characters.

“When I came on board, David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Vicky McClure and Andrew Buchan were already attached. Every week, new names were signed to it which was really exciting to think you would be working with them on an ensemble piece.

“Not a lot of dramas are ensemble and there are about 20 of us.”

But it hasn’t just been the human cast that Jodie has enjoyed being around – the Dorset scenery has almost been a character itself.

She said: “I always enjoy filming on location as there is that feeling that you can be in it the whole time – you are staying away, you don’t have to deal with normal life when you get home from work, so it’s been a great experience.”

Broadchurch, Monday, ITV1, 9pm