“Downton Abbey’s Grand Goodbye: Phyllis Logan Reveals the Bittersweet Truth Behind the Final Curtain — Why the Beloved Mrs Hughes Says Their Last Reunion Was ‘Tinged with Regret’”! For a decade and a half, Downton Abbey gave us elegance, scandal, and unforgettable farewells. But as the cast gathered for one last hurrah, Phyllis Logan (Mrs Hughes) revealed a secret feeling that turned the celebration bittersweet. What really happened behind those grand doors? Fans may not be ready for the truth…
downton Abbey star Phyllis Logan has opened up about the bittersweet farewell to the franchise after 15 years, revealing that whilst it was “lovely to get together for one last hurrah” with the cast, the reunion was “tinged with a slight regret that this would be the last time”. The 69-year-old actress has portrayed Mrs Hughes, the head housekeeper of the Crawley family’s titular Yorkshire stately home, since the very first episode of the ITV series, before going on to appear in all three films.
In a new interview with Prima, Phyllis opened up about saying goodbye to Downton. “I think it was the right time to put the Crawley family to bed,” said the actress. “It was lovely to get together for one last hurrah, but also tinged with a slight regret that this would be the last time. But it’s the right time to close that chapter now. It is called The Grand Finale, after all.”
© Joss BarrattOn what fans can expect from the third and final film, Phyllis continued: “The fans will be very happy with the finale. They have all loved it so much and been great supporters of Downton through all these years. I think the fans get a full return with the finale.”
© Carnival FilmsWhat to expect from Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
The upcoming film, which arrives in cinemas on September 12, will follow the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s. The synopsis continues: “When Mary finds herself at the centre of a public scandal and the family faces financial trouble, the entire household grapples with the threat of social disgrace.”
Many of the franchise’s main stars will reprise their roles one last time, including Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Brendan Coyle, Simon Russell Beale, Phyllis Logan, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Harry Hadden-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol, Alessandro Nivola, Dominic West and Penelope Wilton. The cast will also welcome some new faces, including Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale and Arty Froushan.
© Universal Pictures UKDownton Abbey reunion
The cast will celebrate the third and final film with a new primetime TV special, Downton Abbey Celebrates The Grand Finale. The one-hour telecast, which will air two days before the film’s release on Wednesday, September 10, on NBC, features conversations between the main stars of the franchise as they reunite at The Savoy Hotel in London to share “personal memories and never-before-told secrets from the franchise’s 15-year journey”.
The likes of Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Elizabeth McGovern and Joanne Froggatt will appear in the episode, as well as Michael Fox, Paul Giamatti, Harry Hadden-Paton, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol and Penelope Wilton. Production designer Donal Woods, costume designer Anna Mary Scott Robbins and composer John Lunn will also feature.
The special will be broadcast in the US on Wednesday, September 10, on NBC at 9 p.m. ET/PT and will be available to stream the next day on Peacock. It’s yet to be revealed if the episode will air in the UK.
The October 2025 issue of Prima is now on sale.
