‘Downton Abbey’ season 6: Will Tom Branson be gone? Allen Leech explains

While we have spent some time lately sitting around and worrying about just what could be coming up with Tom Branson on “Downton Abbey,” the man behind the part has stayed for the most part silent. Allen Leech has opted to not do many interviews about the show, largely because there’s not much he could say. Basically, were he to tip his cap one way or another, he’d almost surely find himself out of a job altogether.

With all of this being said, Leech did speak to the Independent at the premiere for the recent movie “The Imitation Game,” and expressed some of what some of the factors weighing on both Tom and himself are:

“I think if he does leave, Tom will be leaving under his own steam and he won’t be dead so it doesn’t mean that he’s leaving forever. I think if he does leave, there’s always a chance that he will come back. Will I be sad? It’s been the most incredible journey doing that show so I would be sad.

“But like I said, ‘Never say never’. I’d like to finish that story out with all those people whenever that is. If he does leave it will be a nice break lately.”

We would not be surprised if Tom decided, even if it was just temporarily, that he would want to leave the Abbey. After all, we’ve heard him talking about moving on for a while now, and there would not be much value in him continuing to go back and forth on this issue every episode.

With this being said, Tom could move somewhere and still have a big role in the story … or decide over time that he really does not like being away. Either option is possible.