Quotes of the day

“I’m not a great political animal but the fact is if you are in the creative arts, you’re not allowed an opinion. A person who lives on my street might say something and not be noticed, but if you happen to be on the telly then you get stick for it. We are vacuous idiots with no thoughts of our own.” Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville.

“The mistake that a lot of television executives made was thinking that to sustain interest in a show you had to have, first and foremost, compelling plotlines. That is incorrect. First and foremost, you need interesting, compelling characters. We’re human beings and that’s the gateway into a story. People need to invest in people.” Actor Bryan Cranston.

“I looked like a baby elephant.” TV’s Ruth Langsford on her preparations for Strictly.

“Only people from up north think I’m posh because I’m from the south. And sometimes I play posh people. But I’m not posh at all. Nor am I bossy. I’m nothing like Doc Martin.” Actor Martin Clunes.