‘Downton’ star Leech’s mother furious over TV death silence

Downton Abbey star Allen Leech has revealed his own mother told him off for failing to warn her about a character’s shocking death on Christmas Day last year.

The Dubliner, who is now one of the show’s biggest stars, isn’t about to see his own character, Tom Branson, killed off as he has signed up for a fifth series.

The new series, which sees Lady Mary and her Irish brother-in-law both bereaved and in sole charge of their children, picks up six months after Matthew Crawley’s death was screened in the final seconds of the series finale, leaving fans reeling.

Allen said in an interview with the Radio Times that he got a scolding from his mother for keeping her in the dark about the death of Crawley, which horrified the show’s 120m viewers.

He said: “I was enjoying a drink with my brother when my mother ran in from the other room looking very angry and said: ‘How dare you? On Christmas Day. You didn’t even warn me and I’m your own mother!’ ”

He said he then texted actor Dan Stevens, who played Crawley, to ask him if he had any idea of how many Christmases he had ruined.

The series has seen the Dublin actor become a celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic.

He told how he got his first taste of stardom in America when he flew into New York in January just after US TV aired the episode where his character leaves his pregnant wife Sybil in Dublin.

“The guy at immigration control looks up from my passport and says in a completely deadpan voice: ‘That was a crappy thing you did to your wife’,” said Allen.

The actor, who has become a household name thanks to his chauffeur character, is set to appear opposite British stars Keira Knightley and Benedict Cumberbatch in an upcoming movie, The Imitation Game.

Allen said he is pretty confident his character will stick around in Downton after the writer, Julian Fellowes, has told him the chauffeur plays an important role in the series.

“Julian Fellowes always told me that Tom, having moved from being the chauffeur to a member of the family, is a symbol of change at Downton Abbey,” said Allen.

“Even in subtle ways, such as his close relationship with his daughter, Tom is a beacon of what is to come.”

He said his character is left trying to continue the legacy of Downton heir Crawley in the new series.

Meanwhile, Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary in the series, said she and Allen now feel like the stalwarts of the series.

lDownton Abbey returns on UTV this Sunday at 9pm.