It was "terribly easy" to convince Dame Maggie Smith that her 'Downton Abbey' character should be killed off

Producer Gareth Neame told the Daily Mail newspaper: "This was a terribly easy one, because she used to find the whole thing so draining at times.

"Every year, when another series would come round, she'd say: 'Oh can't you just kill me off?' So when we eventually did, I think part of her might have been quite relieved."

And, Neame admitted it is no longer sustainable to make the 'Downton Abbey' TV series, because the actors all want to take on other roles.

He explained: "We'd spend a third to half a year in production. I knew that wasn't going to be sustainable for ever. The actors wanted to do other things."

Meanwhile, Maggie, 89, previously admitted she never found her work in 'Downton' or the 'Harry Potter' franchise "satisfying".

She told ES Magazine: "I am deeply grateful for the work in 'Potter' and indeed 'Downton' but it wasn't what you'd call satisfying. I didn't really feel I was acting in those things."

And, she also revealed she had never watched 'Downton'.

When asked by US TV show '60 Minutes' if she was proud of the show, she said: "I was just pausing because I've never actually seen it. I don't sit down and watch it. No, I've never watched it.

"I will look at it when it's all over, maybe, because it's frustrating - I always see things that I would like to do differently, and think 'why in the name of God did I do that?'"