My DIY expert father is a real man, says Poldark star

AIDAN TURNER has become one of the country’s most desirable leading men due to his famous shirtless scything scene in the BBC drama Poldark.

But the actor said that despite Ross Poldark’s rugged reputation, he does not think of himself as a “real man” compared with his father.

“My dad is one of the old stock. He can do anything – fix a vintage car, do plumbing, lay flooring,” he said. “He’s one of those real men, you know? They’re a dying breed.”

The 33-year-old told Radio Times that his sex symbol status was of little interest in his family home.

“It’s never mentioned, strangely enough. They don’t say anything. We don’t keep photographs or posters of my jobs in the house.

“I mean, we watch the shows. My mum’s obviously a big fan, but there’s no shrines to Aidan Turner,” he said.

Turner has previously described how he put on weight after filming the second series of the Cornish-based saga. On returning to film the third series, he said: “I showed up a few pounds too heavy and I think they had to split the back of the waistcoat.

“His [Poldark’s] physicality is very much a part of who he is. It’s something I can’t get too lazy about. It’s boring but I have to do it.”

However, he said he has no desire to reveal his toned physique on Strictly Come Dancing, saying he “can’t stand” the programme.

The Irish actor took up ballroom and Latin American dancing at the age of six and represented his country for 10 years. Asked if he watched Strictly, he replied: “No. I hate it. God, I hate watching it now, I can’t stand it really.”

Asked whether producers had ever asked him to join, he replied: “I don’t know if I’m eligible because I used to compete at an amateur level.

“They haven’t asked me, no. And just for the record, I wouldn’t do it.”