Henry VIII to stay slim in 'The Tudors'
1 Sep 2008, 1402 Hrs

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London, Sept 1 (ANI): The producers of the hit TV series 'The Tudors' have revealed that Henry VIII will not get fat in the show.

The show bosses said that Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who plays Henry in the show, would not be required to put on weight so that he retains his sex appeal.

England's famous monarch was believed to be more than 20st, with a waist of 54in. He even needed a hoist to life him on to his horse towards the end of his life.

"We still want him to be appealing," the Telegraph quoted executive producer Morgan O'Sullivan, as saying.

"We don't want to destroy his good looks. An exact portrayal of Henry is not a factor that we think is important.

"We are not in the business of making Johnny look like Henry VIII. We have accepted that from day one.

"We have been criticised for not casting someone with red hair. But you either cast him exactly like Henry VIII, or you choose to deal with it differently," he added.

The second series of the show is attracting about two million viewers a week.

The third is currently being filmed at Ardmore Studios in Co Wicklow, Ireland, taking the saga up to Henry's divorce from Anne of Cleves, who is played by singer Joss Stone. (ANI)