The spy who got burned

Charlie Cox, co-star of the BBC’s new Cold War espionage thriller Legacy alongside Romola Garai, admits he wouldn’t make much of a spy after setting himself on fire during rehearsals. “A friend was helping me with the script before we shot the film,” said the Boardwalk Empire actor. “He sent me a text message saying ‘Highbury Park, 2nd bin. Find the note, remember the number’.

“He was setting up a dead letter drop. I went there, found the letter and tried to burn it. But the bit of plastic he stuck it down with came off and burnt me.

“My cuffs caught on fire and a gentleman asked me if I was okay. When I got home I found my friend had secretly taken 18 pictures and a video of me.”