We all have trouble with our kids but they're not hanging out with Hitler

"We have such a polarised world. There are people I don’t speak to now because of their politics; that didn’t happen years and years ago,” says James passionately.

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Bridgerton actress Bessie Carter, 31, (the daughter of actors Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton) plays Nancy, the eldest Mitford sister, Isobel Jesper Jones (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) is Pamela, The Paradise’s Joanna Vanderham, 34, stars as Diana, Shannon Watson (Say Nothing) as Unity, theatre actress Zoe Brough, 22, plays Jessica and Orla Hill (Swallows and Amazons) appears as Deborah, the youngest Mitford sister.

“They all do really beautiful, beautiful jobs. They're utter individuals, but you completely see that they're a family and they're all part of the same unit, and they're all go in these crazy, mad, different ways,” says James of his on-screen progeny.

In real life he is a dad of four and left school with just one O-level, and says there are “soft sides” to Farve.

“He does care very deeply about his children.”

The thing is, though, James adds: “We all have trouble with our kids, but not all of our kids are hanging out with Adolf Hitler.”