Heartbeat has welcomed some huge guest stars over the years (Benedict Cumberbatch, anyone?), but did you know that not one but two of our favourite Downton Abbey stars have made appearances in the hit drama? Find out more here...
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Lesley Nicol, who is perhaps best known for playing the lovable yet stern Mrs Patmore in the kitchens of the Crawley household, starred in five episodes from 1994 to 2008 in various roles, including a three-episode arc as Rita Stirling, a village local who helps Kate with her baby before Kate dies.
Lesley is best known for playing Mrs Patmore in Downton Abbey
Lesley has gone on to have a hugely successful TV and film career, and revealed that she had enjoyed decluttering her life after throwing out the old tapes of the show that she had been storing. She told the Mirror: "When I moved to California, I threw out so many things like newspaper cuttings, photos and bazillions of VHS tapes of me guest-starring on an episode of Heartbeat in 1994. I felt better for getting rid of it."
Do you remember her starring in the series?
Michelle Dockery also appeared on the show when she was 27-years-old as an anti-fur protester, Sue Padgett in Take Three Girls. She finds herself in trouble after her protestor boyfriend starts a fire at a haulier's depot.
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Michelle Dockery also starred on the popular show
Before her appearance in Heartbeat and finding fame on Downton, Michelle was known for her success in the theatre world. She made her debut for the Royal National Theatre in 2004 in His Dark Materials and has gone on to star in Anna Karenina, The Gentlemen, Hanna and Out of Time.