Downton Abbey cast ‘stinked’ on set as bosses banned washing of costumes | Television and radio | Showbiz and TV

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A Downton Abbey star revealed the cast sometimes “smelled” because their costumes were not allowed to be washed.

Set in post-Edwardian Britain, the beloved historical drama aired from 2010 to 2015 and followed the lives of the Crawley family, a British aristocratic clan, and their servants.

Sophie McShera, who played Daisy Mason in Downton Abbey and also played Ros McCain in Waterloo Road, shared some surprising behind-the-scenes details of the hit series.

She revealed that the wardrobe team has a strict ‘no wash’ rule to ensure the outfits look true to the time period.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2013, the 39-year-old actress explained: “We stink because they don’t wash our costumes. They have these strange patches that are sewn into the armpits and they wash them separately.”

After the success of the TV series, the story was expanded into two feature films. The first, Downton Abbey (2019), picked up where the show left off, while Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) took the family on a new adventure, including a storyline set in the south of France.

Now Downton Abbey 3 is in production, and filming is taking place in Hampshire, England. The film is scheduled for release on September 12, 2025.

The cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt, Allen Leech and Penelope Wilton.

Lesley Nicol, Michael Fox, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sophie McShera and Douglas Reith also returned to their roles, alongside Dominic West, who played Guy Dexter in the second film, and Paul Giamatti, who played Cora Grantham’s brother Harold Levinson in an earlier Christmas special.

Dockery previously said filming the third movie was “emotional.”

In a YouTube video, Dockery said: “It feels amazing and emotional. It’s wonderful to be together again.

“You get back together and it’s like no time has passed at all. We are so happy to announce that we are in production on the third Downton Abbey film. We can’t wait to see you.”