Actress Anjli Mohindra has said that playing a ruthless jihadi in smash hit BBC series Bodyguard was “empowering” as it challenged stereotypes.

The British actress was first seen in episode one of Jed Mecurio’s drama as meek and submissive terrorist’s wife Nadia, who appeared to have been strapped into a suicide vest against her will.

But Sunday’s finale revealed her to be a ruthless and committed jihadi engineer, who had built the bombs which had killed numerous people, including the Home Secretary, Julia Montague.

Speaking to the Telegraph, she said: “Women are constantly undermined. We have this idea that women who wear hijabs are oppressed and do so not of their own will, and that is something we need to think about and take stock of because that is absolutely not the case.”

Mohindra said that she originally had doubts about playing the role but eventually found the part “empowering from a feminine perspective”.

The shocking last episode of the BBC show, which attracted 10 million viewers, saw Nadia admit that she was the bomb maker, having played up to the stereotype of the submissive wife to throw police off track.

“You all saw me as a poor, oppressed Muslim woman,” she told officers. “I am an engineer. I am a jihadi.”

BBC's The Bodyguard - In pictures 11 show all BBC's The Bodyguard - In pictures 1/11 BBC/World Productions/Sophie Mutevelian 2/11 A security adviser has said the depictions of the police operation surround the Home Secretary in Bodyguard are extremely accurate BBC 3/11 Keely Hawes as Julia Montague with Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC 4/11 Keely Hawes as Julia Montague with Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC 5/11 Line of Duty’s Gina McKee starring as Anne Sampson in The Bodyguard BBC 6/11 Keely Hawes as Julia Montague with Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC 7/11 Julia Montague in The Bodyguard BBC 8/11 BBC/World Productions/Sophie Mutevelian 9/11 Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC 10/11 A scene from the first episode of The Bodyguard BBC 11/11 Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC 1/11 BBC/World Productions/Sophie Mutevelian 2/11 A security adviser has said the depictions of the police operation surround the Home Secretary in Bodyguard are extremely accurate BBC 3/11 Keely Hawes as Julia Montague with Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC 4/11 Keely Hawes as Julia Montague with Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC 5/11 Line of Duty’s Gina McKee starring as Anne Sampson in The Bodyguard BBC 6/11 Keely Hawes as Julia Montague with Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC 7/11 Julia Montague in The Bodyguard BBC 8/11 BBC/World Productions/Sophie Mutevelian 9/11 Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC 10/11 A scene from the first episode of The Bodyguard BBC 11/11 Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC

After six nail-biting episodes of the thriller, starring Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes, the people behind the attack on the Home Secretary were revealed to be criminal Luke Aitkens and corrupt police boss CSI Lorraine Craddock.

Thanks to the huge success of the show, which saw lead star Hawes killed off just a few episodes in, Mercurio has revealed plans for three more seasons.

“It’s probably fair to say we would probably approach any thoughts of a second series with the idea that it would create an opportunity for a third or fourth,” he told The Sun.