Scottish actress Simone Lahbib played Lady Flintshire’s maid, Wilkins.
Simone said: “There is so much care taken over everything, especially the costumes. Everything is authentic, including the shoes and undergarments, and that applies to the way you play it too."
“They have a historian on set who you consult about everything."
“The servants have their own etiquette – obviously influenced by life upstairs. They have their own table manners and the pecking order, who sits where at the table. I found that fascinating."
“I had read that the production company deliberately keep the upstairs and downstairs separate. They even film weeks apart – one week is upstairs, the next is down and they only occasionally cross over. It is like two different jobs and two different casts.”