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Downton Abbey writer Julian Fellowes is desperate to cast Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn in the new film version of the hit ITV show – despite the fact he is a Tory Peer.

He describes the Labour leader as a “natural” fit for the movie - which he has already produced the entire script for.

“We will have to see what we can arrange,” he says of Corbyn, adding: “I think Jeremy Corbyn proved to be much, much better than his opponent in the election but better than anyone expected.

“He tapped into this youth market very successfully and that is very powerful.”

(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror) (Image: ITV) (Image: ITV)

Julian adds that he would not consider making another series of the ITV drama, even if the plans for its film fall through, as he admits it will be difficult to juggle the schedules of the show’s Hollywood bound actors.

“We will either make the film or we won't or we will have the musical on stage - we will have an ice ballet or the Downton opera but as a television series it is finished.

“I hope there will be a film. It will be sad if we don’t do one. Most films are a punt and we have a solid audience waiting for it. The difficulty is rounding up the actors who have now gone off to the four corners of the earth, in Hollywood, on Broadway, doing plays, doing series and so on.”

He suggests the film could follow the characters’ stories 30 years prior to where the series started, as a prequel - which allows for a different cast, depicting cook Mrs Patmore - currently played by Lesley Nicol - starting out in the kitchen of the Abbey.

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Speaking at a China Exchange event in London this week, Julian continued: “I think it would be possible to do a prequel that was re-cast and do a love story - so you went right back and had the young cast arriving in the show as footmen and Mrs Patmore being a kitchen maid.”

The Baron admits he is also losing his hearing “after a lifetime of bad behaviour” - and communicates with his wife by lip-reading. “I am extremely deaf,” he revealed.

The 67-year-old’s wife Emma Joy Kitchener, 54, added after his talk: “We do lip read now as it is easier for him. Without any interruptions he is OK. His hearing has got worse as he has got older. It is just noise.

“It is just age. It does not bother him at all but when someone asks him a question he does want to answer it. He has not got a hearing aid. There is nothing they can do.”