Downton Abbey stars told: ‘Lay off the sandwiches’

The cast of Downton Abbey have apparently been told to cut down on snacking between takes so they don’t put on weight.

The show’s creator, Julian Fellowes, admitted he too is “addicted” to the food served on set – and warned that the actors need to watch what they eat so they can still get into their tight-fitting period costumes.

“The feeling is there’s not a better egg sandwich in England,” he told The Sun. “But the cast have been asked to cut down on supplies so they can’t be tempted. Between takes and reshoots some actors were munching through a loaf’s worth of sarnies.”

Rob James-Collier, who plays gay butler Thomas Barrow in the show, recently admitted that staying trim is “the biggest challenge” when shooting the new episodes.

Downton Abbey is set to return for a fifth series in the autumn, followed by a Christmas special at the end of the year.

Richard E Grant, Sue Johnston and Anna Chancellor have all signed up for the new series, with all of the principal cast set to reprise their roles. ITV has recently released a teaser clip for the new series and you can watch it here.

The show was nominated for 12 Emmys last week, including a Best Supporting Actress nod for Dame Maggie Smith.