Young people are so often dissed by the media.

I've had people come up to me in the past and say they enjoyed whatever show I've been in.

After World War II, the major estates really did collapse.

Julian Fellowes doesn't come to the set, except maybe once every six weeks, for whatever reason. He's not a producer, in that sense. But if you write him a one-line question, he'll write you a three-page answer.

It's never happened to me before, in my career, and never will again. It's a one-off experience. It's a rare treat to have a cast together for six years. Crews come and go, and a few of them have been there throughout, but not many. It's rare, in my experience, after 26 years, to have had a proper company in a show that enjoys each other's company, and who is such a fine bunch of people and actors. To have struck a chord with people, and to have had that combination, is extremely rare.

Young people are so often dissed by the media.

A typical Christmas is me shucking oysters. I love them and I always get them in at Christmas.