The Irish actor, who played chauffeur Tom Branson in the hit period drama, began dating Charlotte 'Charlie' Webster in 2014 after they met at a charity bash.

However, Webster has now revealed they split earlier this year (15) as they both chose to put their careers first.

She tells Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper, "We had an amazing time. There is no bad feeling at all. We are both very career minded... Downton Abbey has just finished and he is going to go on to a huge career. And my career is really exciting. It was the wrong time for either of us to be in a long-term relationship."

Downton Abbey ended with a two-hour special which aired in the U.K. on Christmas Day (25Dec15). Following the broadcast, Leech wrote in a post on Twitter.com, "So that's it! Thank you to all who watched, cheered, jeered and invested in Downton Abbey over the last few years! I was blessed to be in it."