Downton Abbey: Matthew Crawley was originally going to be with Sybil, not Lady Mary

The show’s most famous couple were never meant to be together in Julian Fellowes’ original plan
Star-crossed: Matthew Crawley and Lady Mary weren't originally going to be together in Downton Abbey
ITV
Ben Travis12 April 2016

A Downton Abbey cast member has revealed a significant change in the show’s plot from creator Julian Fellowes’ original draft of the series.

Allen Leech, who portrayed Tom Branson, revealed that Matthew Crawley and Lady Mary were never meant to be together.

Speaking at Deadline’s The Contenders Emmys, Leech claimed that Matthew was originally meant to end up with Lady Mary’s sister Sybil – and that Tom was initially going to be in the show for just three episodes.

“Matthew Crawley was supposed to end up with Sybil,” he said, adding that Fellowes’ initial Downton “bible” differed considerably to the finished show.

As those who have watched the series will know – SPOILER ALERT – Tom and Sybil became a couple and had a baby, with Sybil dying shortly after giving birth, while Matthew Crawley’s marriage to Lady Mary came to an abrupt end when he died in a car crash.

Despite fan rumours that Tom Branson would end up with Lady Mary after Sybil and Matthew’s deaths, Leech wasn’t so convinced.

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“I think it was always just a friendship, and people saw it as more,” he said. “Branson would want to cast the net a little further than the next sister. If something happens to her, [would it be] Edith, how you doing?”

Juicy. Now, where’s that Downton Abbey film at?

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