Jessica Brown Findlay shocked by onslaught of grief after Lady Sybil died in Downton Abbey (LONDON EVENING STANDARD)

The death of Lady Sybil in Downton Abbey left actress Jessica Brown Findlay facing an "onslaught" of grief from devastated friends, she revealed.

Jessica, 23, admits she wasn't prepared for the outpouring after her character died from eclampsia during childbirth in the last series.

Speaking to HuffPostUK, Jessica said: "The day Sybil died I was flying out to film in New York. Normally when you land somewhere, you get a couple of messages, but I had an onslaught from people saying, 'You could have warned me.'

"Even my parents knew I was dying, but they didn't know how, so my mum was in bits. My dad had to tell her, 'You can call her on the phone.' "

Despite being part of the successful show, Jessica was "desperate" to hang up her corset in favour of exploring other roles.

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