Actress Eleanor Tomlinson – who plays Demelza on Poldark – has revealed that she originally tried out for a role on Peaky Blinders, but was turned down on the spot.
Eleanor made the admission on The Jonathan Ross Show, which will air this weekend, blaming her failure to land a part on the BBC show because of her attempt at a Birmingham accent.
"I auditioned for Peaky Blinders when it was first starting, but they said, 'You need to be able to do a Birmingham accent'," she explained. "I tried and they said, 'You just can't do it can you love?' I was like, 'Oh, okay!'"
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Unfortunately for Eleanor, that wasn't even the most embarrassing moment of the audition, as she ended up bleeding all over the casting team before leaving.
"As I was leaving, I put my hand out to say goodbye, and then I had an enormous nose bleed all over my hand," she admitted, "and all over their hand."
Clearly, it wasn't meant to be. And while she has established her position as Demelza in Poldark, she was almost offered another role entirely when she first put herself forward for the period drama.
Related: Poldark leaves viewers scratching their heads after out-of-the-blue cliffhanger
Last year, the actress revealed that she didn't get the chance to audition for Demelza, and that the show initially had her down "as an Elizabeth".
"They told me they couldn't see me as a Demelza at all – they wouldn't even let me audition," she said. "So, it was quite a shock when they eventually offered me the role."
Guess a Cornish accent is easier to get right.
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