Dan Stevens showed Downton Abbey is well and truly behind him when he was quizzed on Good Morning Britain.

The ex-Downton star, 35, was asked to identify opening lines from books by Charles Dickens – the author he plays in new film The Man Who Invented Christmas – on the ITV show.

But when Ben Shephard slipped in a line from Downton, saying: “You lived your life and I lived mine. Now it’s time we lived them together?” Stevens replied: “Frank Sinatra.”

“Downton Abbey,” co-hosts Shephard and Kate Garraway exclaimed.

Earlier in the show Stevens, who played Matthew Crawley in hit period drama Downton, watched Andi Peters announce a competition with Edd the Duck, the puppet from his time as a children’s TV presenter.

“This is exactly the colour scheme that I remember you from. It’s like being in a time machine,” Stevens said.

Peters joked: “I’ve always been this colour Dan,” to which Shephard responded: “That’s awkward.”