Victoria’s nude footman scene was for authenticity, not titillation, writer says
WHEN whispers emerged of a nude footman striding from the sea in ITV’S Victoria, it was christened the “new Poldark” scene by hopeful fans.
But last night’s episode, which featured a naked swim, was not mere titillation but instead devotion to historical accuracy, the show’s writer said.
Daisy Goodwin said the scene reflected a “moment of freedom” for the Queen’s footman Joseph Weld, played by David Burnett.
It showed Burnett stripping and diving into the waves, and is TV’S latest memorable celebration of the male form in a canon that includes Poldark’s topless scything and Mr Darcy’s wet shirt in Pride and Prejudice.
“He’s got a certain rugged charm, it has to be said,” said Goodwin.
“But the artistic justification is that Joseph is trussed up in this ridiculous livery and awful wig all day and it’s his moment of freedom – to remind us that he’s a man underneath all the lead and the goose paint. I have to say, it’s historically correct for him to be swimming naked. Men in the 19th century didn’t have bathing suits.”
Andrew Davies, the screenwriter behind the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, has previously spoken of how he tried to persuade executives that Colin Firth should swim nude, instead settling on him wearing a wet white shirt. “I thought he would strip completely off and dive down into that other element, and just become a creature or animal just for once,” he said, admitting he did not know the reason it had not been allowed.
Nearly 25 years on, the team behind Victoria took a different view, allowing Burnett to do “a lot of blankets and brandy” for his swim in the sea at Bridlington. “There is no more naked stuff,” adds Goodwin.
Explaining the inspiration behind the plot, in which the footman catches the eye of Victoria’s Mistress of the Robes, she added: “Footmen were objectified by their mistresses. They didn’t so much serve a use about the house but were there to show how rich and fashionable their mistresses were.”
She told The Daily Telegraph that, contrary to reports, she did not write in Joseph to “sex up” the show as a request from on high.
“God no,” she said. “I wanted this storyline … but I’m not particularly interested in nudity on screen.”