It was less fun, but more healthy this time, says Christian
Poldark star Christian Brassington has revealed the amazing lengths he went to so he could once again play the appalling Reverend Osborne Whitworth in the new series of the BBC1 hit.
The 34-year-old actor says that putting on the weight – he plumped up for the part for the last series too before losing the weight – was much healthier this time, but less fun!
“It wasn’t just chips and Mars bars this time, so it was much less fun! Lucy [the nutritionist] wanted me to eat a lot of oily fish and vegetables in olive oil and quinoa. Inevitably there was a lot of red meat and potato in there, and protein shakes,” said Christian to Digital Spy and others.
“I was putting on three pounds a week, and I ate 28,000 calories a week. And I was working with a personal trainer, so we did a lot of weights to build up muscle.”
It all sounds a lot healthier than the approach Christian took last year. Speaking to us at the time, he said: “I should have done it in a healthier way, but it was ice cream, lager, red meat and potatoes.
"I also drank lots of protein shakes and did big weights in the gym. Putting it on was easy; it’s the losing it that’s the problem. I have worked it out with a nutritionist and personal trainer, but it’s much easier to sit here eating a burger than go for a run.”
For fans of the original 1970s Poldark series, the Reverend Osborne Whitworth (played then by Christopher Biggins) was the man they loved to hate. And Christian previously told us he wouldn’t mind being named the most hated man on TV, like Christopher was.
“It’s much more fun playing a baddie, and if I’m bestowed with that accolade, it’ll be lovely. But no one can compete with Biggins!”
The awful Reverend will continue to oppress poor Morwenna (Ellise Chappell) in the new series, which will start next month.
Meanwhile, leading man Aidan Turner has revealed that while a fifth series of Poldark for 2019 has been commissioned, he believes that will be the “last one” for the foreseeable future.
