Annabelle Neilson on Her History with Julie Montagu

Bravotv.com: Can you tell us how you know Luke and first meeting Julie and becoming close. Were you fast friends?
Annabelle Neilson: I have known Luke since my 20s and his brother Orlando. I used to stay down at Mapperton during the shooting season, and have been lucky enough to have had the Montagu family, and particularly John and Caroline, look after me as a young girl. I first met Jules, as I recall, on one such shoot and was introduced to her by Luke. I knew he'd fallen in love with her pretty much the moment I saw them together; it was very clear how smitten they both were with each other. I guess because of the show and Luke you could say we were faster friends than maybe I would normally be, but also Jules really was around for me when I had my accident. If you mean because of my past history as a friend of the Montagu family, no, I'd say our friendship has really grown over the past three years.

Bravotv.com: Tell us about the pep talk with Julie about Caroline and then finding out Julie was giving her a gift.
AN: I wanted Jules to realize that she could stand up for herself and not be worried in telling Caroline that her feelings had been hurt. Taking back an apology is no apology at all -- you might as well have never given it! My pep talk seemed to have fallen on deaf ears though, as she decided not only not to confront Caroline but give her a gift, which makes zero sense to me. One thing that does piss me of though is if you are going to keep asking me for my advice, it might be an idea to at some point take a bit of it, otherwise what's the point?!

Bravotv.com: Considering her “olive branch” to Caroline, what do you think of the confrontation between Julie and Juliet?
AN: Olive branch, shallow branch, swivel my branch (kale branch haha, please), I’m so confused... I now have no idea what these two are up too, and I quite honestly am not sure they know now either! The confrontation -- what is the point? They are now confronting each other, one for not confronting Caroline, the other for not telling the truth about a conversation at a yoga class and then telling me, and by now, who f----ing cares? They’re lost in a squabble and got their shoe laces mixed up and fallen over, yet they don't seem to have a clue how they got there... I do! "Silver Tongue Sllther-a-Lot."

Bravotv.com: You said that Caroline “slithered away” as Jules and Juliet were clashing – what do you think about these two having a confrontation and Caroline escaping the drama?
AN: Are these girls blind? Slither-a-Lot... Stand by Caroline who then gives you all a good thrashing in interviews. Depends who's got the keys to the bus and who is being thrown under it!