'The Go-Between's Ben Batt, With Naked Swimming And Topless Scything, Was Like The Lovechild Of Mr Darcy And Poldark
We Bring You The Bare Bones On BBC's New Chest-Baring (And More!) Hottie
Caroline Frost— The Huffington Post UK
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Good news! Those missing Poldark and his scythe from Sunday night's schedules, and even those who still pine for Mr Darcy and his white-shirted dips in the lake, can all relax… there's a new period drama hottie in town.
As estate farmer Ted Burgess, Ben Batt easily stole the show last night in the excellent adaptation of LP Hartley's 'The Go-Between', indulging in a spot of chest-bared scything, glowering at his ruling classes on the cricket pitch and then taking on all comers with a naked swim strangely close to where the ladies might be fanning themselves.
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Ben Batt gets himself all clean with a spot of naked swimming in 'The Go-Between'
No wonder Miss Marian up at the big house had more than her head turned, and was having trouble getting betrothed to the deeply-pursed but war-wounded Viscount Trimingham, as opposed to Gillingham. (All these class-crossed love stories are starting to morph, I admit.)
All this was made understandable by the catwalk-ready glistenings of Ben Batt as he shrugged off all class deference to teach young Leo, the go-between of the title, another life lesson that long hot summer - that, in matters of spooning as in all else, we may be born equal, but some are more equal than others.
Who is this Ben Batt, and what do we know about him? Well…
Ben Batt: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds
Ben Batt in 'The Go-Between'(01 of09)
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29-year-old Ben was born in Wigan, the middle brother between two girls.
Ben Batt with Joanna Vanderham in 'The Go-Between'(02 of09)
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Smaller, previous roles for 29-year-old Ben include 'Wire in the Blood', 'Casualty', 'Death in Paradise' and 'Lewis'.
Ben Batt in 'The Go-Between'(03 of09)
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He had a small role in blockbuster 'Captain America: The First Avenger' as an Enlistment Office MP.
Ben Batt with Joanna Vanderham in 'The Go-Between'(04 of09)
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He is best known for his role of Joe Pritchard in 'Shameless'. The set of the Channel 4 show is also where he met his girlfriend of seven years, actress Rebecca Atkinson.
Ben Batt with Joanna Vanderham in 'The Go-Between'(05 of09)
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He left his acting studies when he obtained the role in 'The Edge of Love' in 2008, starring alongside Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller.
Ben Batt in 'The Go-Between'(06 of09)
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He nearly caught hypothermia during the filming of his naked swimming scene for 'The Go-Between', with a doctor on set refusing to let him continue filming until he'd warmed up.
Ben Batt in 'The Go-Between'(07 of09)
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Ben played for Orrell, Lancashire and for England Schoolboys rugby teams as a child. He only swapped serious rugby for acting following a tackle that accidentally broke his leg in three places. He later enrolled at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Ben Batt in 'The Go-Between'(08 of09)
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Ben Batt loves puppies - particularly the breed of blue roan cocker spaniel.
Ben Batt in 'The Go-Between'(09 of09)
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Humbly, he calls himself a "little ginger northerner" (5'10) compared with the bodice-ripping Aidan Turner of Poldark fame. "His [scything scene] looks better than mine, I have to be honest," he told the Telegraph.