Downton Abbey accused of using sex to steal spotlight from other dramas by Call the Midwife's Judy Parfitt

'There are no hunks and no cleavage and no sex on our show'

Michelle Dockery plays Lady Mary in Downton Abbey (ITV)

BBC’s Call the Midwife – the critically acclaimed drama about a group of nurses in the 60s and 70s – doesn’t quite have the worldwide recognition Dowton Abbey commands.

The ITV show, which will air its final episode this Christmas, has attracted huge audiences from across the world, particularly America, leading to Hollywood star George Clooney to feature in a Downton Abbey charity short.

Call the Midwife’s Judy Parfitt has now slammed the rival show for apparently using sex to attract viewers, telling the Daily Star Sunday (via The Mirror) her show did not have the same recognition because “there are no hunks and no cleavage and no sex on our show”.

The 80-year-old actress plays Sister Monica Joan on the show, siad: "I think people who do publicity just think 'Oh, it's nuns and midwives but on that show she's got big titties and he's taking his shirt off' and focus on them instead."

She did admit that "Downton was very enjoyable but when he (Matthew Crawley) got up to walk after being paralysed all that time, I thought 'What?'”

Parfitt added the BBC was just as guilty of allowing sex appeal to woo viewers: "I get very irritated because it's always all about Poldark and Downton and Strictly.

"And I'm sorry but I don't think any of them burn a candle against what we do on Call The Midwife. That's not out of arrogance. It's about the quality."

She shouldn’t worry too much: Call the Midwife is one of the most watched shows on UK television, attracting over 10 million viewers per episode and set to run for at least another two series.

The Christmas special will air 25 December at 7.30pm on BBC One.