Slimming Aid
Poldark star diets to squeeze into costume
POLDARK hunk Aidan Turner has told how he was forced to shed the pounds after he struggled to squeeze into his costume for the new series.
The Dubliner, who plays British army officer Ross Poldark in the BBC period drama, had fans swooning at his ripped torso in the first two series. The 33-year-old took time off after becoming “a little bit burnt out” so visited friends in Ukraine and Helsinki. But on his return to the Cornish set for the third series, the star struggled to fit into the outfits. He told the Radio Times: “I showed up a few pounds too heavy and they had to split the back of the waistcoat.” Pointing to his stomach he added: “It was too tight around here.” But Aidan worked hard to get back into shape to ensure fans won’t be disappointed when the series returns later this month. He said: “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.” Turner became a heartthrob after a scene where he appears topless in series one. He bared his chiselled torso while cutting grass in a field and Twitter went into overdrive when he stripped off for a nude swimming scene. Neither he nor his family see him as a sex symbol. Aidan added: “It’s never mentioned [at home], 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 around the house.” The actor, who shot to fame for his roles in The Hobbit and Being Human, shuns the limelight. He added: “If I go to an event or a screening, yeah, you’re naturally going to attract a load of fans and then it can be more intense. “But walking around, I get the odd thing. You keep the head down and you walk fast. I don’t tend to loiter.”