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Playing Demelza has definitely given me the strength of character to challenge myself in many ways. Now is the time for strong female roles and that is what I am interested in playing.

"As a gift from the props department I was given a small collection of the hand-written letters Demelza has written or received throughout the show’s run. One of which was the love poem Hugh Armitage (Josh Whitehouse) wrote to Demelza, which is so beautiful."

Eleanor discusses what is in store for Demelza in the eventful final series of Poldark.

"As we go into this series the Cornish people are struggling to survive, there are food shortages, lack of pay and mine closures and Demelza is often at the forefront trying to help people where she can. This time she tries to set up a school with Morwenna (Ellise Chappell) at the helm as teacher. Demelza is always thinking about enriching the lives of the people in Cornwall, and she realises the importance of reading and writing and of an education, so she takes on that challenge within the community and whilst she is met with great hostility, in the end she triumphs.

We are also dealing with the children being slightly older this series, and there's more interaction with Valentine as we realise he isn’t happy with George, and in his family. Ross (Aidan Turner) feels a sense of guilt when it comes to Valentine and so he tries to take him under his wing at moments, but that has an impact on both families."

Eleanor finds herself challenged by a new adversary this series...

"There is a new character called Tess Tregidden (Sofia Oxenham) who comes into this series, who Demelza has an interesting relationship with as they come from similar backgrounds. However, Demelza has made something of herself and Tess is very jealous about that and competitive with her, and so she tries to unseat her within her own house, starting with Ross…

Other new characters this series are Ned Despard (Vincent Regan), Ross’s ranking officer in the American Revolutionary War, and his wife, Kitty (Kerri McLean) whose arrival sets the series off to an explosive start.

Early on in this series Ross decides to help Kitty on her dangerous mission of getting Ned out of prison, and in doing that he invites them to live with us. Suddenly Nampara is taken over by this Ned character who, in many ways, is a bad influence on Ross. Demelza has worked hard to tame Ross, and enable him to think more about his family and his life before making rash decisions, and Ned comes along and upturns that.

So it leaves Kitty, his wife, for Demelza to form a relationship with, and they bond over the fact that they were both servants who fell in love with, and married, their masters. Kitty is a former slave, and for someone in her position to marry her master was extraordinary, so we deal with adjusting Kitty to life in Cornwall and in London. Demelza and Kitty soon become firm friends and have a great bond.’

Eleanor talks about Demelza and Ross’s relationship and what it has been like to work alongside Aidan for five years.

"Ross and Demelza come up against problems this series because Ross becomes a spy and Demelza is excluded from that, as he doesn’t tell her what is going on in order to protect her. This drives a wedge between them and there comes a moment in the series where Demelza has had enough and is thinking of leaving, something she has thought of before, and it is up to Ross to convince her of his love for her and persuade her to stay.

‘Ross and Demelza’s relationship is a very modern one and I believe that is why people have loved them as a couple, because they are relatable. Their lives aren’t perfect, Ross has cheated, as has Demelza, there is dishonesty in the relationship but there is also a lot of love and passion. Their relationship is very honest and it has been wonderful portraying that.

I love Aidan - we have a very fun relationship. We work very differently which actually works really well when we are filming, and is part of the reason we have such great chemistry on screen. We are fiery with each other, staying true to our characters, and I will really miss working alongside him. He has been a huge part of my life and a great friend."

But what will Eleanor miss the most…?

"I will definitely miss the fans; their support has been amazing and without them we wouldn’t have this show. It's very sad it is coming to an end but we have taken these characters on the best journey they could have gone on, so it seems right to take a break now.

And I will really miss Cornwall, it has been a huge part of this show, it is the heartbeat of Poldark and getting to go there every year for a few weeks has been incredible. It is so beautiful and I will miss it dearly. I will miss the support there from the fans and seeing how much it means to them in Cornwall, it has been a wonderful journey to all have gone on together. I will also miss our incredible crew and the wonderful cast. You become a family when you work on something like this for so long and I am looking forward to seeing where everyone goes and getting together for reunions."

Playing a strong female character has empowered Eleanor for her future.
"I now look at scripts and think, who is this character, what does she offer this project? Playing Demelza has definitely given me the strength of character to challenge myself in many ways. Now is the time for strong female roles and that is what I am interested in playing, and making my mark as a strong, independent woman."

Foreword by Debbie Horsfield

"When I first picked up the novel Ross Poldark in 2012 I had no idea that seven years later I’d have adapted seven books and completed five series (43 hours!) of Winston Graham’s extraordinary Poldark saga.

In 2015, with great trepidation, we awaited the response to series one - knowing that the 1970s adaptation had been massively popular, and praying that we’d done justice to these amazing stories, characters and Cornwall. Fortunately the casting - Aidan (Turner), Eleanor (Tomlinson), Jack (Farthing), Heida (Reed), Luke (Norris), Kyle (Soller) and Ruby (Bentall) - found favour with audiences, and to our great delight we were asked for more.

Although none of us ever dared to look more than one series ahead, we found ourselves approaching the end of series four (and book seven, The Angry Tide) with something of a dilemma. Our cast was optioned for five series - so what to do with an 11-year time jump and five more books? We knew we’d never be able to wrap up five books in a single series, but no-one wanted to call time just yet, so we looked at another option.

In book eight (The Stranger From The Sea), 11 years down the line, we meet Ross abroad on a special mission for the government. How did he go from restless, sometimes reckless, and somewhat disillusioned MP, who despaired of ever really 'making a difference' in the world, to Special Agent Poldark, sent by the Crown to report from Portugal on the Peninsula War against Napoleon?

Winston Graham had left plenty of hints in book eight about events which had happened in those intervening years, but he gives little away about how Ross achieved that transformation. So for me it was the starting point, the way to navigate through series five. Winston Graham’s son Andrew endorsed my wish to continue his father’s methodology: looking at the historical context (Napoleonic Wars, Act of Union, fast-approaching Abolition of Slavery) and using real events and real people to drive the narrative.

So what would be our events and who would be our new characters? It seemed to me that one thing we had never met so far was a character to whom Ross really looked up to, even to the extent of hero-worship. So when I was researching the early 1800s I came across Colonel Edward Despard. Reading about him I was so reminded of Ross himself that I felt sure Winston Graham knew of him (though Andrew Graham thinks not).

Ned Despard was a war hero who, like Ross believed in justice, compassion, equality and liberty for all. His wife Catherine was a former slave from Jamaica. And her rise to be his equal, her determination in the face of prejudice and scorn was uncannily reminiscent of Demelza’s own journey. As was the love and devotion both couples felt for each other. I wanted Ned to be part of Ross’ journey towards greater maturity, to be the salutary lesson, his 'there but for the grace of God'.

Tracing Despard and Catherine’s real life story, intertwining it with Ross and Demelza’s and seeing them deal with the consequences of that entanglement, forms the spine of series five and introduces on the way other real-life characters such as James Hadfield (would-be assassin of George III), William Wickham (founder of the British foreign secret service) and Joseph Merceron (the 'Godfather' of East London). Inextricably involved with Ross and Demelza’s journey are Ross’s nemesis George Warleggan, as well as friends and allies Dwight and Caroline Enys, Sam, Drake and Morwenna Carne.

It feels strange, and a little sad, to be approaching the transmission of series five knowing that we won’t be returning to Cornwall, but it’s been an extraordinary journey for all of us and we feel truly fortunate to have lived with these characters and stories for so long. What’s next for me? A contemporary series. Watch this space. Not a tricorn in sight. I’m excited for the next project - but I’ll miss that Cornish surf!"

Character Descriptions

Ross
Ross hoped to put London behind him to focus on peaceful, family life, but a plea from his old Army Colonel, Ned Despard, compels him to the capital to help. As Ross’ world becomes entangled with the Despards', new alliances and old enemies threaten his loved ones and the nation itself, testing our hero’s resolve like never before.

Demelza
As she grows into her role of Cornwall’s beloved defender, Demelza is still looking out for the less fortunate of her world. But when the Despards enter her life, Demelza finds there are repercussions to getting involved: Cornwall needs her own help now more than ever, and new forces threaten all she holds dear.

Drake
Although he has finally married and settled down with Morwenna, Drake yearns to mend the wounds of her past. As the journey to wedded bliss proves uncertain, Drake’s love is tested. How far is he truly willing to go?

Sam
Sam is rising in the community and is admired as a leader. When Tess Tregidden makes it her mission to cause trouble, Sam makes it his to convert her wayward soul. As he helps Demelza in the community, an unexpected romance blossoms for him too.

Morwenna
Though reconciled with Drake in marriage, Morwenna struggles with intimacy, in the wake of her life with her brutish former husband. With the loss of John Conan still haunting her, Morwenna finds her old life overlapping with her new, but as the community come to rely on her she grows into a new role with a hope she had not foreseen.

Geoffrey Charles
Following his mother’s death, Geoffrey takes his future into his own hands and follows in Ross’ footsteps by joining the military. His path takes him to the capital, where an unlikely attraction finds him in the dangerous waters of forbidden love... 

George
Haunted by the loss of Elizabeth, George looks for his missing spark as he forges onward. His journey sees him entering into an alliance with merchant Ralph Hanson, whose business in the mahogany trade and influence in London promises to expand the Warleggan empire around the world.

Dwight
The future holds great promise for Dwight, who has finally gained recognition in his field. However, the arrival of the Despards comes to drive an ever-growing wedge between him and Ross, testing Dwight’s loyalty to his closest friend and the strength of his bond with Caroline.

Caroline
Caroline finds a new distraction in championing the Despards, but old insecurities arise as she joins her friends against their common enemy and finds she must battle with her demons once again.

Prudie
Having settled into her role in the Poldark family, Prudie is trusted to run the home and family in their stead. With new enemies emerging, Prudie‘s role as Nampara’s guardian becomes more important than ever and she must employ all her cunning to help save their world from being upturned.

Ned
An ex-army colonel and Ross and Dwight’s’ ranking officer in American Revolutionary War, Ned was made the governor of British Honduras, where he took a former slave as his wife and tried to implement policies ahead of his time. But when he locked horns with corrupt forces in his posting, Ned was recalled to London and locked away in Coldbath Fields prison, without a fair hearing, leaving him hungry for liberty, vindication and revenge.

Kitty
A former slave, Kitty fell in love with her master, Edward 'Ned' Despard, whom she married. In her fight to exonerate her husband, Kitty finds allies in our heroes and her resilience gains their admiration, as she carves a determined path through the moral corruption that surrounds them.

Tess
A former employee of Trenwith, when Tess suddenly finds herself without the means for an honest life, she harbours revenge against the upper classes. Bitter in her quest for a better life, Tess becomes a persistent thorn in our heroes’ sides, and her machinations threaten the stability of their homes.

Cecily
The daughter of Ralph Hanson, Cecily is a staunch supporter of the abolitionist movement, putting her at odds with her family and peers. Educated and independent, Cecily is ahead of her time. In pursuit of her own brand of happiness Cecily falls in love with a man in league with her father’s rivals, testing family loyalties as she tries to make her future her own.

Ralph Hanson
Father of Cecily and a wealthy mahogany merchant, Ralph Hanson seeks a new backer to fund his enterprise abroad. To this end he enters an alliance with the Warleggans, and crosses swords with our heroes when his dealings come to impact upon their lives.

Joseph Merceron
Joseph is a powerful and enterprising magistrate with connections and influence throughout the social and political tiers of London.

Related Programme Information

• Episode one
• Episode two