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Downton Abbey star shocks TV presenter by urging action on Gaza in impassioned plea
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<span class="field field-title">Downton Abbey star shocks TV presenter by urging action on Gaza in impassioned plea</span>
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<div class="field field-field-text"><p>Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville surprised an ITV News presenter at the premiere of his new film by using an interview to urge the world to intervene against Israel's operations in Gaza.</p>
<p>Bonneville, 61, was appearing <a href="https://metro.co.uk/video/hugh-bonneville-breaks-character-demand-action-gaza-downton-abbey-film-premiere-3503859/" target="_blank">live</a> on ITV News on Wednesday night to speak about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/03/downton-abbey-the-grand-finale-review-this-silly-enjoyable-nonsense-should-go-on-for-ever" target="_blank"><em>Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale</em>,</a> the final instalment in the hugely popular franchise, which began as a television period drama.</p>
<p><a href="https://metro.co.uk/video/hugh-bonneville-breaks-character-demand-action-gaza-downton-abbey-film-premiere-3503859/" target="_blank">Asked</a> by the reporter to speak about the film, he looked into the camera and issued an unexpected plea for action on Gaza.</p>
<p>"Before I talk about the fluff and loveliness of our wonderful film, what’s about to happen in Gaza City is indefensible and the international community must do more to bring it to an end," Bonneville declared, to the reporter's visible surprise.</p>
<p>Without pausing, he then went on to say that "Downton Abbey is a lovely film and we are going to celebrate 15 glorious years of it tonight."</p>
<h3>Read more: <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/downton-abbey-star-shocks-tv-presenter-urging-action-gaza-impassioned-plea">Downton Abbey star shocks TV presenter by urging action on Gaza in impassioned plea</a></h3>
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<div alt="British actor Hugh Bonneville at the world premiere of the film 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' in London on 3 September (AFP/Justin Tallis)" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b136e8dc-3ea7-4832-a050-241ff45e6843" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/IMG_6048.jpeg" width="1400" height="787" alt="British actor Hugh Bonneville at the world premiere of the film 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' in London on 3 September (AFP/Justin Tallis)" typeof="foaf:Image" fetchpriority="high">
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<figcaption>British actor Hugh Bonneville at the world premiere of the film 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' in London on 3 September (AFP/Justin Tallis)</figcaption>
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