If ever there was a man loved by fans it has to be Dan Stevens. The British actor built up quite the following during his time as Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey, and now he's gone and apologised to them for being killed off on Christmas Day.
You might remember cursing Julian Fellowes when Matthew, still positively giddy after the birth of his baby son, 'unexpectedly' (eh, we could see it coming a mile off lads) lost control of 'the motor', and ended up dead in a ditch. Many a bowl of Christmas trifle was slammed down in disgust.
"I am sorry about that" Stevens told fans via the Radio Times. "I think what emerged is that it's an unwritten rule that you're not supposed to die on British television on Christmas Day, and that, specifically, was not my doing. I didn't have any say in the manner in which he went. Ultimately, it was in the hands of Julian [Fellowes] and the producers."
He's not sorry he left the show though: Sure hasn't he got himself a whole new career and a new look on the other side of the Atlantic? We're personally loving his darker hair, really brings out the eyes, don't you think?
And if you're a really big fan, be sure to catch Dan in The Fifth Estate (the new WikiLeaks movie) opposite Benedict Cumberbatch. The film hits Irish cinemas in October.
