TV & Satellite Week – 30 September 2014

Richard E Grant has admitted that he loved sniffing the walls at Highclere Castle when he filmed his four-episode guest role in Downton Abbey as suave art historian Simon Bricker.

The actor has a famously strong sense of smell and even launched his own unisex perfume Jack earlier this year, and he confesses that he is very fond of smelling everything he can, however strange!

“The walls at Highclere have a very distinct smell of wood, varnish, furniture polish, leather and fresh flowers!” Richard tells TV & Satellite Week.

“I’ve compulsively ‘nosed’ everything in sight ever since I can remember, so it was an olfactory delight to be at Highclere. And there was the added bonus of finding new customers in the cast for my perfume!”