Downton Abbey is, on screen, a place of decorum, good manners and impeccable behaviour. But it seems that things are completely different when the cameras stop rolling...
The cast are back in their finery at Highclere Castle for the third series of hit ITV drama Downton Abbey; with rumours it could be the last ever stint for the period family, we're lapping up as much gossip as possible.
So excuse us for revelling in this domestic drama...
The cast are staying at Berkshire's The Carnarvon Arms, gastropub and hotel of Marco Pierre White. You know, the celebrity chef with the buccaneer hairstyle? It's perfect for the well-to-do actors and actresses, as it sits just moments away from the set, giving them a chance to work on their lines after hours.
But one sneaky smoker has caused as much drama off-screen as the family endures on-screen. A source came forward to the Daily Mail to explain how, in the wee hours of the morning, the hotel smoke alarms went off:
"It was about 4.30am and everyone filed out of their rooms and into the car park looking very sleepy-eyed and rather annoyed... It seems someone was having a cheeky cigarette in their room, which set off the alarm."
Was it naughty Sybil, the youngest Grantham sister with a taste for the servants? Or was it Mary, the serious-faced seducer of Turkish diplomats?
In fact, it was none other than the Earl of Grantham himself! Bless Hugh Bonneville; he clearly couldn't resist a sneaky after-hours puff...
Until the new series starts, we'll just have to content ourselves with memories of the wonderful Downton Abbey Christmas Special
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