Maggie was wonderful... to us she was still there

Stars on filming series' last instalment without their much-loved colleague

- LUCY NEEDHAM

The cast of Downton Abbey admit losing Dame Maggie Smith left a void in the series, but she will be with them in spirit for the final instalment.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale - the third film based on the hit ITV drama is out next month.

Dame Maggie's character, the feared and fiercely opinionated Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley, died in the 2022 movie, A New Era.

And the Oscar-winning actress herself passed away last September at the age of 89.

Elizabeth McGovern, who plays Violet's daughter-in-law Cora, admits it was not easy to get back into character after Dame Maggie's death. She said: "Everybody definitely had mixed feelings about doing Downton again, especially without Maggie.

"Maybe the audience will see it differently but to us, during filming she was still there, and all she represented. I didn't expect that, and I was so proud."

Creator Julian Fellowes has promised there will be a special credit to Dame Maggie at the end of the film, with references to her character throughout. "She's in the film in spirit," he said.