Aidan Turner: I had to take my top off for Poldark

Poldark is a period drama set in the Cornish countryside. It's not a "stripper show".

That's what lead actor Aidan Turner says, after the show's producers released a photograph of the Hobbit actor standing in a field topless.

The 31-year-old told Newsbeat: "Apparently it was common law at the time that when you were scything you had to take your top off. So I did.

"I don't know why the BBC are releasing photos of it. It's a bit strange."

While the term period drama may be a turn-off for some, Aidan insists the show is "fresh and exciting".

He plays the lead, Ross Poldark, who returns from the American War of Independence to find that the woman he's in love with is engaged to someone else.

Aidan Turner and Poldark co-star Eleanor Tomlinson

Ross then employs a kitchen maid. A relationship starts to blossom, but he never gets over his first love. Thus a classic love triangle is formed.

Aidan says: "The themes that we cover are still relevant today and people want to hear about them. There's some semi-nakedness in the show, there are a couple of bedroom scenes, but it isn't gratuitous."

Aidan worked out for the role. He says he felt it was important he looked a certain way.

"It wasn't a vanity thing. I just imagined Ross would look like this. He's a strong guy. He works a lot in the fields. He wouldn't have eaten a lot at the time.

"I hate the gym. Working all day and then doing 90 minutes in the gym is a pain, but it's part of the job."

Aidan Turner starred in Being Human alongside Russell Tovey and Lenora Crichlow

Aidan, who also appeared in The Hobbit trilogy, told Newsbeat he has a potential project in the pipeline, but he doesn't seem too keen on returning to the BBC drama Being Human.

"Sometimes it's nice to leave things as they are," he says. "I would hate to tamper with it and ruin it.

"If we did a movie and it wasn't that good and the fans weren't happy, I would feel gutted. I would hate to ruin it because we had such a lovely thing."

Poldark is on BBC One on 8 March at 21:00 GMT

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