Downton Abbey's Sophie McShera as you've never seen her before
WE'RE more used to seeing her busily working away downstairs in the kitchens of Downton Abbey as Daisy Mason, but now actress Sophie McShera has swapped the corset for the tracksuit in her latest role in the ITV2 comedy The Job Lot.
Sophie McShera as Daisy Mason and Bryony West
The 30-year-old actress plays "job avoider" Bryony West in the sitcom alongside Russell Tovey and Miranda star Sarah Hadland.
Appearing on today's edition of Good Morning Britain, the Bradford-born star talked about working on the period drama at the same time as the comedy series set in a job centre.
She explained that she went off to film The Job Lot midway through Downton's shoot during its hiatus week. "It's really fun to get to do both," she told GMB presenters Charlotte Hawkins and Ranvir Singh.
The actress continued: "Sometimes I do one day at Downton and one day at the Job Lot. I love doing both, I'm so lucky to get to do those different jobs and different roles."
Sophie McShera as Bryony West in The Job Lot with her grandmother's baby
Rose Leslie and Sophie McShera in Downton Abbey
Sophie has described the character as a 'job avoider'
Daisy Mason in Downton Abbey
Speaking about Bryony, the star said: "She's a job avoider, she's always got a reason for why she doesn't want to go to work. She always wants to do something inappropriate, she once wanted to be an exotic dancer."
Sophie said she was "so sad" that Downton was coming to an end this year, she revealed that she would be watching the finale at home this Christmas with her family and "everyone asleep" around her.
"It's sort of a weird thing not to have it there, it's like a security blanket," she explained, before going on to say that it would really hit her in February when the show usually starts filming.
Downton Abbey trailer
The cast of The Job Lot
Sophie has swapped the corset for the tracksuit
Sophie McShera looks almost unrecognisable as Bryony West in The Job Lot
The star said she was proud of her character, who has become something of a firebrand in the period drama: "It's so cool to think where she started six years ago."
On the subject of a possible Downton Abbey film, Sophie admitted she was in the dark: "I have no idea. I'm like Daisy, I'd be the last to know."
Downton Abbey continues on ITV1 on Sundays at 9pm and The Job Lot is on ITV2 tonight at 10.30pm