DOWNTON Abbey star Laura Carmichael has spoken of the "terrifying and upsetting" celebrity scandal of nude images of her col-leagues - and one co-star - being leaked onto the internet.
The fiercely private act-ress who plays Lady Edith in the ITV costume drama, also confirmed she will escape from a fire that engulfs the property as the new series starts next Sunday.
Carmichael was speaking two weeks after explicit images of celebrities, including American Hustle star Jennifer Lawrence and Downton co-star Jessica Brown Findlay, were circulated on the internet by hackers.
The Hampshire-raised actress said: "It's just awful. It's a crime. It makes me really sad that this is the world in which we live.
"Terrifying and upsetting. What's happened to my mate is horrendous. I don't understand why it is anything other than criminality and exploitation."
Carmichael will again have viewers gripped when the fifth series starts as Lady Edith accidentally sets fire to her bedroom - and Downton goes up in smoke.
Lady Edith was last seen weeping in bed over her secret daughter. A book too close to the fireplace goes up in flames, putting the rest of the house and its inhabitants in danger.
Asked if her character survives, Carmichael rep-lied: "Ha! Yeah."
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