Top shot ... Matthew Crawley and Lady Mary with other Downton Abbey characters
Published: Today at 00:16
The on-off romance has kept viewers on tenterhooks, and Michelle says she is just as anxious as everyone else about their future.
Posh Lady Mary was about to marry newspaper baron Sir Richard Carlisle when the second series of the drama wound up last month — despite loving Matthew.
But Michelle says of Mary and her dashing cousin Matthew, played by Dan Stevens: "They were meant to be together. But maybe they can't be, maybe it is too late."
Meanwhile of mega-rich fiancé Sir Richard, played by Iain Glen, the Essex actress moans: "She is with this person who she is going to spend the rest of her life with but she doesn't love him."
But series writer and creator Julian Fellowes hints in a behind-the-scenes documentary screening tonight that Matthew will never let himself give into his feelings for Mary.
He says: "Matthew is a man in hell and the only thing to do is punish himself. Sin must not be rewarded in his mind."
Commoner Matthew blames himself for the death of his fiancée Lavinia Swire, who succumbed to the Spanish flu soon after twigging that he secretly still loved Mary.
But Michelle says of Mary and her dashing cousin Matthew, played by Dan Stevens: "They were meant to be together. But maybe they can't be, maybe it is too late."
Meanwhile of mega-rich fiancé Sir Richard, played by Iain Glen, the Essex actress moans: "She is with this person who she is going to spend the rest of her life with but she doesn't love him."
But series writer and creator Julian Fellowes hints in a behind-the-scenes documentary screening tonight that Matthew will never let himself give into his feelings for Mary.
He says: "Matthew is a man in hell and the only thing to do is punish himself. Sin must not be rewarded in his mind."
Dame fine ... Maggie Smith plays Lady Violet Crawley
Commoner Matthew blames himself for the death of his fiancée Lavinia Swire, who succumbed to the Spanish flu soon after twigging that he secretly still loved Mary.
Meek Lavinia was played by Zoe Boyle — who admits in tonight's show that she is heartbroken at leaving the sumptuous ITV1 hit.
Zoe says: "I knew it was going to come to this dramatic end.
"I was quite excited by it but now I am quite gutted because I loved doing this job."
As well catching up with the latest in Mary and Matthew's tangled affairs, the two-hour Christmas Day episode will follow Mr Bates as he goes on trial accused of the murder of his estranged wife.
But Brendan Coyle, who plays the stoic valet to the Earl of Grantham, reveals that things do not go well for him.
He explains: "It does get worse and worse for Bates. He has a pretty rum time."
The love between Bates and maid Anna, which finally saw them wed last series, has been one of the show's most enduring storylines.
"Mr Bates has the most amount of baggage of any man in the world.
"She is the real trouper to stick by him but that is because they are so in love.
"But I think they will come good in the end. Everyone wants them to."
Northamptonshire-born Brendan adds: "He doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, he keeps it buried to reveal it when necessary."
Writer Julian explains of Bates's predicament: "He makes this admirable and unmodern decision not to burden everyone else with his own troubles but of course it plays against him. It means people can believe anything of him."
Also on the boiler in the Christmas special is the ongoing romance between rebel Lady Sybil and chauffeur Branson.
Actor Allen Leech, who plays the Irish driver, was thrilled when the pair finally kissed.
He says: "It is the scene everyone wanted to see." And Jessica Brown-Findlay, who plays Lady Sybil, insists: "I think she and Branson are truly in love. They would have to be to make that leap."
The sibling rivalry between the three Grantham sisters — Mary, Edith and Sybil — is a central part of the series.
Elizabeth McGovern, who plays their mother Lady Cora, says: "We have three grown-up girls who are bored out of their skulls and all their energy is trained into this sibling rivalry and fighting and bitterness and jealousy."
"But by the end she said, 'She is rather a bitch.' Edith behaves quite badly."
Dan Stevens says he is often quite shocked at how the siblings behave.
He says: "The sisters are really wicked with each other."
The Christmas special was filmed on location at Highclere Castle near Newbury, Berks — the seat of the Earls of Carnarvon for three centuries — and at Ealing Studios in West London in July.
It is the latest instalment of what has become an international sensation — which Julian credits to developing both the upstairs and the downstairs characters in depth.
"They would go through different traumas but equal traumas."
Lesley Nicol, who plays cook Mrs Patmore, reveals that the upstairs actors and the downstairs cast rarely mix because they are usually in different scene.
And she jokes that she was only ever going to play one of the servants.
She laughs: "When I first got the job, people would ask me, 'Are you above stairs or below stairs?' and I would say, 'What do you think?'"
Meanwhile, Sophie McShera, who plays Mrs Patmore's kitchen sidekick Daisy, has high hopes for her own character.
She smiles: "I would like Daisy to have a new dress and promotion and a new love interest."
The women of the cast do have one thing in common whether they are servants or bosses — the corsets that are the bane of their lives.
Elizabeth McGovern says: "I sometimes have personal run-ins with my corsets. I am not a big fan of them."
Lesley adds: "We all have corsets. They can get a bit cheeky after 12 hours."
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/4011858/Mary-Christmas-and-an-Abbey-New-Year.html
Zoe says: "I knew it was going to come to this dramatic end.
"I was quite excited by it but now I am quite gutted because I loved doing this job."
As well catching up with the latest in Mary and Matthew's tangled affairs, the two-hour Christmas Day episode will follow Mr Bates as he goes on trial accused of the murder of his estranged wife.
But Brendan Coyle, who plays the stoic valet to the Earl of Grantham, reveals that things do not go well for him.
He explains: "It does get worse and worse for Bates. He has a pretty rum time."
The love between Bates and maid Anna, which finally saw them wed last series, has been one of the show's most enduring storylines.
A fun period ... drama
Joanne Froggatt, who plays Anna, say: "Before Mr Bates comes along, she is happy with her lot. But she feels for this man.
"Mr Bates has the most amount of baggage of any man in the world.
"She is the real trouper to stick by him but that is because they are so in love.
"But I think they will come good in the end. Everyone wants them to."
Northamptonshire-born Brendan adds: "He doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, he keeps it buried to reveal it when necessary."
Writer Julian explains of Bates's predicament: "He makes this admirable and unmodern decision not to burden everyone else with his own troubles but of course it plays against him. It means people can believe anything of him."
Also on the boiler in the Christmas special is the ongoing romance between rebel Lady Sybil and chauffeur Branson.
Actor Allen Leech, who plays the Irish driver, was thrilled when the pair finally kissed.
He says: "It is the scene everyone wanted to see." And Jessica Brown-Findlay, who plays Lady Sybil, insists: "I think she and Branson are truly in love. They would have to be to make that leap."
The sibling rivalry between the three Grantham sisters — Mary, Edith and Sybil — is a central part of the series.
Elizabeth McGovern, who plays their mother Lady Cora, says: "We have three grown-up girls who are bored out of their skulls and all their energy is trained into this sibling rivalry and fighting and bitterness and jealousy."
Dance would be a fine thing ... Downton dinner party
Michelle is more direct, admitting of snooty and status-obsessed Mary: "She was a cow at the beginning." And Laura Carmichael, who plays catty Edith, says of her character: "She is not very nice. I told my mum she was a bitch but at the start she said she was just misunderstood.
"But by the end she said, 'She is rather a bitch.' Edith behaves quite badly."
Dan Stevens says he is often quite shocked at how the siblings behave.
He says: "The sisters are really wicked with each other."
The Christmas special was filmed on location at Highclere Castle near Newbury, Berks — the seat of the Earls of Carnarvon for three centuries — and at Ealing Studios in West London in July.
It is the latest instalment of what has become an international sensation — which Julian credits to developing both the upstairs and the downstairs characters in depth.
Christmas clacker ... director's board shows takes on Downton Abbey
He says: "When we were designing Downton, it was very important to treat everyone equally.
"They would go through different traumas but equal traumas."
Lesley Nicol, who plays cook Mrs Patmore, reveals that the upstairs actors and the downstairs cast rarely mix because they are usually in different scene.
And she jokes that she was only ever going to play one of the servants.
She laughs: "When I first got the job, people would ask me, 'Are you above stairs or below stairs?' and I would say, 'What do you think?'"
Meanwhile, Sophie McShera, who plays Mrs Patmore's kitchen sidekick Daisy, has high hopes for her own character.
She smiles: "I would like Daisy to have a new dress and promotion and a new love interest."
The women of the cast do have one thing in common whether they are servants or bosses — the corsets that are the bane of their lives.
Elizabeth McGovern says: "I sometimes have personal run-ins with my corsets. I am not a big fan of them."
Lesley adds: "We all have corsets. They can get a bit cheeky after 12 hours."
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/4011858/Mary-Christmas-and-an-Abbey-New-Year.html
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