'WE HAVE A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF FUN WE'RE LIKE FAMILY'

DOWNTON ABBEY STARS LAURA CARMICHAEL, TUPPENCE MIDDLETON, JOANNE FROGGATT AND MICHELLE DOCKERY LIFT THE LID ON THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED FILM SEQUEL

- GEMMA MCCARTNEY

Michelle dazzles on the red carpet in a Jenny Packham gown

TO THE MANOR BORN

Downton Abbey fans rejoice the sequel to the first flick has hit the silver screen and promises to bring more extravagant costumes, plot twists and heart-warming moments than ever.

Leaving their residence of Downton behind them, the latest addition to the franchise sends the Crawley aristocrats to the South of France to uncover the mysterious past of the Dowager Countess of Grantham (played by Maggie Smith] when she reveals she's inherited a villa from a man in her past. It's certainly a step away from the manor house antics we are used to!

With the long-awaited movie set to be just as popular as the first, we're asking what is the secret to the posh period drama's success?

Now that Downton Abbey: A New Era is airing in cinemas, some of the film's leading ladies Laura Carmichael, Tuppence Middleton, Joanne Froggatt and Michelle Dockery explain.

"I think one of the things I love about this film is that it's true escapism," Laura, 35, who plays Lady Edith Crawley, tells us. "It takes you into a world where people are fundamentally good and trying to do their best by people."

And Joanne, 41, who plays lady's maid Anna Bates, says watching the movie back felt "like a warm hug to me".

"I felt very nostalgic," she says. "It made me laugh out loud, I shed a tear! I just thought it really hit all the points that it needs to hit. And I think anyone who loves the show is really going to enjoy checking in with these characters in this second film."

Michelle and fiancé Jasper Waller-Bridge

Michelle, 40, adds, "We're like a family and it's been nearly 12 years now since we started the show, so it's a great feeling to all come back together.