Francesca shillcock
The BBC drama with Claire Foy and Paul Bettany began on Boxing Day – but some viewers had a very similar reaction when watching revealing scenes from episode one…
A very British scandal is the only TV show everyone is talking about right now. The first episode aired Boxing Day on BBC One and delivered on its promise of shocking scandals and drama – but it looks like many viewers all had a similar reaction to the racy scenes from the period drama.
MORE: Very British Scandal Star Claire Foy Says She Feels ‘Exploited’ While Filming BBC Drama
One person summed it up on Twitter, writing: “Watching A Very British Scandal in front of my parents wasn’t the best idea. Even at 37, seeing sex on TV with them in the room is very embarrassing. Thank you @PhelpsieSarah! “
WATCH: The official trailer for A Very British Scandal
Another echoed this, commenting: “Watching a very British scandal with my stepmom and the other half – didn’t know there would be so much sex in it – embarrassing.” Meanwhile, a third said: “Ooooh er missus! It wasn’t the best thing to watch with parents. But wonderful to watch.”
It seems the intimate scenes weren’t only a bit difficult for the home audience to watch, but difficult for actress Claire Foy to film. The star opened up about her role as Duchess of Argyll to BBC Radio Four Woman’s hour, admitting that she felt “exploited” while filming the sex scenes.
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Claire Foy: The Duchess of Argyll
“It’s a very hard line because basically you feel exploited when you’re female and have to perform fake sex onscreen. You can’t help but feel exploited.
“It’s sinister – it’s the most sinister thing you can do. You feel exposed. Anyone can make you try not to feel this, but unfortunately it is the reality.”
However, Claire went on to say that despite her discomfort, she knew the scenes were compelling for the story. “But my thing was, I felt very strongly that it had to be in there, but I wanted it to be a woman. I didn’t want it to be that kind of horrible climactic sexual experience that you often see on the cinema screen. “
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