Nigel Harman & Julian Ovenden in Downton Abbey

The fourth series of Downton Abbey returns to ITV at 9:00 pm on Sunday 22nd September.

Broadway and West End star Julian Ovenden is joining the cast (in episode 6) playing dishy Charles Blake who becomes a potential love interest for the widowed Lady Mary. He works for the Government and stays at the Abbey while conducting a study into how estates like Downton are struggling in their changing society.

His extensive TV and theatre credits include Merrily We Roll Along, Grand Hotel, Marguerite,Death Takes A Holiday, Finding Neverland, Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War. 

Nigel Harman is well known as the deceased Dennis Rickman in EastEnders. He recently appeared as the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad in Shrek at Drury Lane and is bravely taking on the Simon Cowell role in I Can't Sing - The X Factor Musical when it opens at the Palladium next March.

Harman is playing Lord Gillingham's valet Green who very charming but ready to stir things up and likely to cause trouble in Anna and Bates' marriage. Sounds like its something he can get his teeth into being too good to be true with no redeeming qualities. He first appears in the third episode on Sunday 6th October.