Downton Abbey cast poke fun at 'water bottle-gate'

The cast of Downton Abbey has poked fun at the show's water bottle publicity gaffe by posing for a picture to promote the charity WaterAid.

An image for the fifth series of the period drama mistakenly showing a water bottle in the background appeared online earlier this week.

The image was quickly shared across social media. Credit: Downton Abbey

The bottle with the blue top can be clearly seen behind Lady Edith Crawley, played by Laura Carmichael, and the Earl of Grantham, played by Huge Bonneville.

But stars for the show seemed to see the funny side.

"After seeing the reaction the picture caused earlier this week, the cast and crew came up with the idea of turning some of this attention towards an issue around water that really matters," an ITV spokesperson said.

" They hope that by posing for this picture they will be able to raise awareness and amplify the work of international charity - WaterAid."

Barbara Frost, Chief Executive of WaterAid, said:“It brought a really big smile to my face when the cast of Downton Abbey said that they wanted to support WaterAid’s work.

" How fantastic that the attention created over one water bottle ends up benefiting some of the world’s poorest communities through access to safe, clean water today."

The fifth series of Downton Abbey will air this Autumn.