Sue Johnston has admitted her disappointment after being cut out of the upcoming Downton Abbey film.

The British actress is potentially best known for her roles in Brookside and The Royle Family, but joined Downton Abbey in 2014, playing Gladys Denker, the maid of Dame Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess.

Speaking to Radio Times, Sue has revealed that her character had originally been written into the upcoming film adaptation, but has ended up being cut from the final product.

“Denker was the first in the script and then the script disappeared. Imagine how I felt!” she joked.

Sharing her best memories of working on Downton Abbey, Sue said: “Maggie and I were doing a scene. Maggie comes in from dinner and sits on the chair and I get down to do her boots, then we have to cross to the dressing room.

“And we’re talking, talking. We go to get up and neither of us can move. She can’t get off the chair and I can’t get off the floor! And I think that broke the back of shyness.

“I think she’s had her knee done since then and I’ve had my back op.”

While Sue will be nowhere to seen in the new Downton Abbey film, the rest of the show’s main cast will all be back, including Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery and Joanne Froggatt.

The film will centre around a royal visit to Downton Abbey, with Geraldine James, Simon Jones and Imelda Staunton joining the cast for the new story.