Keeley Hawes was on location in Greece filming 'The Durrells (2016)', during which time 'Bodyguard' opened to rave reviews on TV back home in the UK. It wasn't until she returned to London and brought her children to nearby Thorpe Amusement Park--where fans instantly recognized her on the park rides--that she fully realized the popularity of the series She had not anticipated that 'Bodyguard' would become arguably the biggest hit of her career.
The series began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 August 2018, achieving the highest viewing figures for a new BBC drama in the multichannel era and the highest BBC viewing figures since 2008.
In preparation for her role as Julia Montague MP, Keeley Hawes watched a lot of media coverage of then British Home Secretary Amber Rudd (2016-2018), whom she later met in a restaurant and was pleased to hear that she'd enjoyed the show.
Sophie Rundle (Vicky) and Matt Stokoe (Luke) are a couple in real-life. They are now engaged as of May 2019.
Viewing figures for the series were high, with 10.4 million people watching the final episode live.