Tom Ellis will not star in 'Downton Abbey' despite reports

Miranda actor Tom Ellis recently auditioned for the role of Lady Mary's love interest in the fourth season of Downton Abbey and was reportedly shortlisted for the part.

According to the Mirror, the 33-year old, who has earned heartthrob status with his role on BBC's Miranda, was shortlisted by producers for the role.

The Mirror also reported that an an ITV source stated, “We know that Tom’s got a lot of other options at the moment but if he does get the role it will be an incredible opportunity for him. A lot of the ­current cast have become global superstars. And it is always a bit of a coup for us to attract a ­major BBC star to a flagship ITV show like Downton ­Abbey.”

In the last season of Downton Abbey, Lady Mary, played by Michelle Dockery, lost her husband Matthew in a car crash, leaving the role of her new love interest open.

However, Masterpiece publicist Olivia Wong tells Entertainment Weekly that this is “Not true at all.”

But Lady Mary may still receive a new love interest next season. Executive producer Gareth Neame told EW, “Next year very much the spine of it is Mary rebuilding her life. Inevitably that means she’s got to, at some point, [find a] new man. She’s an eligible young widow.”

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