FATHER figure

JAMES PUREFOY on portraying the real-life patriarch of the Mitford clan

- STEVEN PERKINS

When James Purefoy joins TV Times for an exclusive video interview from his Somerset home, he puts us at ease instantly with a warm smile that's a world away from his role as stern patriarch David Freeman-Mitford in U&Drama's Outrageous.

The six-part saga, which begins on Thursday 19 June, takes us to the 1930s to delve into the scandal surrounding the real-life six Mitford sisters: Nancy (played by Bessie Carter), Pamela (Isobel Jesper Jones), Diana (Joanna Vanderham), Unity (Shannon Watson), Jessica (Zoe Brough) and Deborah (Orla Hill).

In this week's episode, David - known to his daughters and their brother Tom (Toby Regbo) as 'Farve' - is appalled that Diana is getting divorced, and bans her from attending the family Christmas celebrations. But her sisters defy their father and visit her in secret.

Here, James, 61, tells us why his character struggles to understand his dynamic brood...

How would you describe Farve?