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Russell Tovey admits Imelda Staunton’s The Crown role may be ‘problem’ for Flesh and Blood

Russell Tovey has hinted a second series of ‘Flesh and Blood’ is dependent on Imelda Staunton’s ‘The Crown’ schedule.

The 38-year-old star would love to appear in a second season of the ITV drama, but admitted the show is yet to be recommissioned and it all depends on "availability", with Imelda’s role as Queen Elizabeth potentially being a "bit of a problem".

He said: "I’m hoping something is on the cards for ‘Flesh and Blood’ next year, but there’s nothing official.

"It’s about availability.

"Imelda is playing the Queen in ‘The Crown’, so that’s a bit of a problem!

"But I’d love to do more!"

While Russell isn’t sure if ‘Flesh and Blood’ – in which the lives of three siblings, of which he played one, were disrupted when their widowed mother hooked up with a new guy – will be back, he has recently shot a new show during lockdown.

He will star in one-off Sky Arts programme ‘No Masks’, which is based on real stories of some of London’s key workers during the coronavirus pandemic, and he was delighted to be working during lockdown.

When asked how he felt filming the series, he told What’s On TV: "I was giddy! I couldn’t believe I was in front of a crew.

"Everyone was in PPE, socially distanced and using hand gel all the time.

"It’s the only proper filming I’ve done since being in lockdown, so I was like, ‘Yes. Whatever you need me to do, whatever forms you need me to sign, I’ll do it.’

"It was a challenge to learn all that material and perform it in a day. The pressure was on. But it felt really good, it felt buzzy."