The wait is nearly over for Downton Abbey fans, who will be glued to their TV screens on Sunday night when the sixth and final season of the period drama returns. In the lead-up, cast members including Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville and Jim Carter have been dropping hints about what viewers can expect to see.
"Mary is never short of a suitor," said Michelle, who plays Lady Mary Crawley on the show. "There could be one or two more around, you never know! It's so annoying, I want to tell you!"
The 33-year-old actress was speaking to Phillip Schofield on This Morning from the set of Highclere Castle, and said of her character's current love interest: "There's definitely a chemistry between [Henry Talbot] and Lady Mary. At the moment it's looking good but we will have to see."
© Photo: Getty Images"There could be one or two more around, you never know!" said Michelle Dockery of Lady Mary's love interests
Jim Carter, who plays butler Carson, reflected on the most recent series, which saw him pop the question to housekeeper Mrs Hughes after a very long flirtation.
"Finally, Carson get on with it man!" said the actor. "But it was a lovely moment because it had been a slow burner our romance and I think people wanted to see something happen, so to propose quite tenderly and to be accepted was a lovely moment, and those are sort of my favourite bits… those with Mrs Hughes."
"I think people who like Carson and Mrs Hughes will be happy," he added, hinting that it will be a happy ending for the couple.
© Photo: Getty Images"As always there's this word 'change' that is banded around," said Hugh Bonneville of Downton Abbey's final season
Speaking about the "muscle" behind the final series, Elizabeth McGovern, who plays Hugh Bonneville's on-screen wife Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, said: "The chipping away at the lifestyle is continuing to happen. You just feel this great force of history at work just sort of eradicating Downton Abbey and everything that it represents."
"As always there's this word 'change' that is banded around with every season that comes along," said Hugh.
Seasons six is set in 1925, four years before the Wall Street Crash.
