COOKING ON GAS

Downton Abbey's Lesley Nicol opens up about the kindness of Highclere Castle's owners, learning to enjoy time in the kitchen and why she's excited about her own new chapter

- NICKY MORRIS

For the past 15 years, she has played the kindhearted, no-nonsense cook Mrs Patmore in Downton Abbey.

In reality, Lesley Nicol is just as endearing as her much-loved character, although she bears little resemblance to the matronly figure at the heart of the bustling downstairs kitchen.

When HELLO! catches up with her for an exclusive interview, this time “above stairs” in a luxury Mayfair hotel, the petite actress rocks a stylish turquoise shirt and a sleek auburn hairdo, teamed with bold drop earrings and makeup.

“I don't mind looking terrible [for a role], I really don’t,” says Lesley, who later slipped into a sequinned black trouser suit to join her costars for the premiere of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale in London's Leicester Square.

“If the part's good, I'm on board with it. But it's fun if you do a job where you have a bit of glamour attached to it, and I love that I'm allowed to have the variety.”

Now, as Downton closes its doors for the last time, she's looking forward to swapping Mrs Patmore's kitchen for London's South Bank, having landed her first ever role at the National Theatre in an adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's beloved children's novel, Ballet Shoes.