Poldark finally returned for its fifth and final series with a gripping first episode on Sunday and viewers were left with plenty of questions over the introduction of Catherine “Kitty” Despard (played by Kerri McLean) and Ned Despard (Vincent Regan) on the BBC period drama.
Kitty takes the show in a new direction for the first time as a former slave turned Ned’s wife on the show, and she delves into topics not often tread on the hit series.
The arrival of Ned also brings a completely different dynamic for Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) and the pair will enter into some sparring matches – including sword fighting – before the final episodes are over.
In a new interview, actress Kerri has now revealed she believes the addition of a person of colour in the series should have happened earlier, and teases what her character will bring to the table.
Speaking to Radio Times, the star said “it was a shame” given the time period, as Poldark is also about “the lower classes”.
“It’s a shame it’s taken until series five because Poldark isn’t just about the middle and upper classes,” she told the magazine.
“It’s about the lower classes in a coastal town where they would have had black people.”
“But I’m very grateful that Kitty’s there now,” the actress went on. “There just aren’t many period dramas that have a character like Kitty.
“But it is changing, and certainly from when I first started my career, it’s getting better.”
READ MORE: Poldark season 5 episode 1 recap: What happened on Poldark this week?
It’s a shame it’s taken until series five because Poldark isn’t just about the middle and upper classes
Kerri McLean
“There are more roles being written and these unheard voices are finding a way through. And that’s great,” the star continued.
Kerri then went on to tease that her character could be the perfect centrepiece for a potential Poldark spin-off, which will undoubtedly delight fans upset to see the series end.
She said Catherine feels like an “unheard voice” and that for her it’s about writing black roles, and “finding the real voices of a period”.
“I’ve said to [screenwriter] Debbie [Horsfield] that she has more to say – the Kitty spin-off,” the star added.
Shedding light on the characters herself, Debbie told Express.co.uk and other media recently she couldn’t believe how similar the characters were to Ross and Demelza in their fiery dynamic.
“When I was looking at those characters I was thinking about the similarity between Edward Despard, his personality, beliefs and the things he was passionate about and his wife Catherine and Demelza – it was almost like they were the same I was sure.
“I thought maybe Winston Graham had heard of these characters but he hadn’t.
“I asked his son Andrew and he said as far as he was aware he wasn’t aware of them but I just thought it was extraordinary that there were so many crossovers, so I just thought it was a gift to use those two characters,” the writer added.
Elsewhere in the series, Ross could suffer a huge loss after his old friend Dwight Enys (Luke Norris) betrays him in the series.
Poldark continues Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.
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