'Downton Abbey' final season spoilers, cast news & update: Maggie Smith relieved series is ending

Dame Maggie Smith revealed that she is "relieved" that "Downton Abbey" is finally ending during an interview during "The Graham Norton Show."

In an interview with Graham Norton, Smith, 80, also reveals that she never watched a single episode of "Downton Abbey" but has stated that she owns the box set of the series. It was also revealed that it was her first chat show appearance in 42 years to promote her newest movie "Lady In The Van."

"I'm glad it's over, I really am. By the time we finished she (Countess of Grantham) must have been about 110. It couldn't go on and on, it just didn't make sense," the actress said, as reported by Daily Mail.

During the interview, Norton asked Smith if she would like to be in a potential spin-off film, the actress replied: "I can't. What age would she be?"

She also revealed that she may have asked the series crew to disable her from being revived for good.

"I pleaded for something to happen to me," Vanity Fair reports, implying that Smith, who plays The Dowager Countess, referred to the Christmas special episode to be aired later this year.

Smith adds that she abhorred wearing the show's period-appropriate clothing.

"It's not riotously funny to be in corsets and a wig," the actress said. "[T]o tell you the truth, the corsets are agony. God knows how they lived in the days when they had to wear them all the time."

As for the spin-off film, drama creator Julian Fellowes and exective producer Gareth Neame are very into the idea of a spin-off movie based on the drama series.

Speaking to Deadline, Neame revealed that he is open to having a movie: "It would be a wonderful extension... Julian and I would be very interested if we could get our ducks in a row."

As to why the series was coming to end, Neame said in a press conference that it is "good to quit while you're ahead."

"The show is so popular globally, that there's a danger to let them go for eight, nine, 10 years. It's more important to us to make a perfectly formed show that is brought to end when the time is right. We don't feel we've outstayed our welcome," he said, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

He further explained that the family setting made it difficult let actors come and go.

"One of the difficulties in a show about a family as opposed to a show set in a police station or hospital is that employees can come and go, but family members can only leave through death or divorce," Neame explained. "So it was very important that we retained the family ensemble together, and I think if we'd gone on for years and some people had gone and some people hadn't, it wouldn't have felt right."

The "Downton Abbey" finale will end with season 6 on Jan. 3 and will have a Christmas special that will be aired later this year.