Andrew Davies reflects on Sanditon male nudity

Andrew Davies jokes \'Sanditon\' includes male nudity to "please" his wife.

The \'Pride and Prejudice\' screenwriter - who has been married to Diana Huntley since 1960 - has also penned the script for ITV\'s upcoming adaptation of Jane Austen\'s unfinished final novel, and he has opened up about the way the upcoming ITV drama handles a scene in which male characters strip off on camera.

He said: "As my wife has been saying, something she constantly says is that she has no objection to female nudity but she\'d like to see a great deal more male nudity on the screen so I try to please her.

Anne Reid says there's too much male nudity on TV

"And I never think of the sensitivities of the poor guy. I thought it looked so beautiful, particularly Arthur [Parker, played by Turlough Convery] scrambling out of his clothes."

Actor Leo Suter - who plays Young Stringer in the series - also weighed in and insisted there is a big difference between men and women baring their bodies on screen.

He explained: "I don\'t think it\'s the same thing when a man gets naked and a woman gets naked. For me, I don\'t mind it because it\'s a question of objectification.

Jane Austen's Sanditon adaptation 'is a bit like Love Island'

"I put my face out on telly so I\'ve already lost anonymity so if somebody sees my arse it doesn\'t bother me that much, but a woman\'s arse and a woman\'s breast has far different cultural meaning than a man\'s does so it\'s hard to say."

He also explained how context is key, and insisted there has to be a reason for nudity to be included.

He added: "Done right, I think that\'s the important point...if you\'re going to include it you need to include it well and smartly."