Poldark star Heida Reed has said she is tired of her character taking the blame for the actions of the show's titular hero, played by Aidan Turner.
Reed has received plenty of brickbats online from fans of the BBC period drama over the complicated relationship between her character, Elizabeth Chynoweth, and childhood sweetheart Ross Poldark.
Elizabeth married Ross' cousin while he was away fighting in the American War of Independence and is now married to Ross' sworn enemy, George Warleggan. Ross could be the father of her newborn son, following a controversial storyline in season two.
"Everyone thinks Ross Poldark is so perfect and nothing is his fault," Reed told the Radio Times.
"When it comes to Ross and Elizabeth, everybody blames the woman."
"I said to my manager one time, 'I want to be an actress in the 90s, before broadband'. And he's like, 'Well, tough. You're not'," Reed added.
However, Reed isn't holding out any hope that critics of her character will change their opinion, telling the magazine: "If people felt bad about me before, I predict they're going to feel even worse about me this season."
"I don't think Elizabeth has a very clear feeling about the paternity of her child, because it's so terrifying to her that it might not be George's," she continued.
"If it isn't and it gets found out, she is in so much trouble. I mean, her life is over."
"So I really don't see Ross' fans warming up to her, but I hope that, once she's gone through her journey, they see the beautiful sadness in her life," Reed concluded.
Poldark, Sundays, BBC One, 9pm
