Ulrika Jonsson relates to Andrew Buchan’s ‘affair’ after her own on-set flings

Ulrika Jonsson has admitted she can relate to Andrew Buchan’s reported affair after having her own on-set flings.

On Tuesday, it was said that Broadchurch star Buchan, 44, reportedly moved out of the home he shared with his wife Downton Abbey actress Amy Nuttall, 40.

The pair have been married for more than a decade and share a son, however, he allegedly ‘fell’ for his Better co-star Leila Farzad, 39, while filming the new BBC thriller, which came out last month.

Buchan and Farzad are now said to be ‘living together’, much to the ‘shock’ of those around him.

But Jonsson has said she can relate to the ‘sexual tension’ on set and the ‘undeniable’ chemistry between actors.

She said: ‘I wouldn’t be hypocritical enough to criticise actors who stray, because in fairness, many of us meet people at work. It just so happens this type of work is more than a little unusual.’

The 55-year-old continued in The Sun: ‘While I was filming Gladiators on location for a month 27 years ago, I fell for someone who, awkwardly and inappropriately, wasn’t my then-husband.

‘For me, certainly, it came down to escapism. I’d had a chance to get away from everything – husband and young child.’

She added that her second husband, Lance Gerrard-Wright, she married after meeting on an ITV reality show in 2002, echoing that on-set relationships are ‘probably a common thing’.

‘In the case of actors, of course, it’s also about becoming someone else, often with the spice of being asked to snog, flirt or have a rumble under the covers with their fellow actor.

‘If that doesn’t light their internal and emotional fire, I don’t know what will. It’s a wonder some are able to resist all that temptation,’ she continued.

Talking about Buchan and Farzad’s reported affair, Jonsson clarified that she ‘would never want to be in a relationship with an actor’, pointing out the stress of ‘them disappearing for months on end on location in a hot and sweaty Mexico with some sexy actress who he might invite into his trailer’.

This comes after a source said, of the alleged affair: ‘It was a huge shock. Amy is heartbroken. Whatever has gone on, it seems to have been enough for him to re-evaluate his whole life and rip up their marriage.’

They added to The Sun: ‘For Andrew to walk away from his family was a huge shock to us all. Everyone who knows them thought they were going to be together forever. But he’s packed his bags and left with his new co-star.’

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