Florence 'also a very good actress'

Chart star Florence Welch has revealed a hidden talent for acting – playing Abbey families in a show written by her uncle, satirist Craig Brown.

The redheaded singer, who records as Florence + the Machine, appeared in the festive family spoof of hit country house show 'Downton Abbe'y.

Brown, who writes for Private Eye and is famous for his celebrity spoof diaries, said she was “a very good actress”.

Speaking on today’s episode of Desert Island Discs, the journalist told host Kirsty Young: “She stayed with us at Christmas … she acted in my spoof of 'Downton Abbey', we did 'Brownton Abbe'y and she’s a very good actress, she joins in.”

Brown said the show, written by Julian Fellowes, was “almost pathetically easy to spoof, it is a spoof”.