Peaky Blinders is one of the most notoriously violent TV shows around, and its fifth season is set to be its most bloody and chilling yet.
To put it into context, actress Helen McCrory, who plays the Shelby Brothers' Aunt Polly, said in a recent interview with the Metro that she struggled to watch the series back.
"I've only seen episode one, and there's a whole bit… We saw the screening in Birmingham, for fans who managed to get lottery tickets," she said.
"I look away from the screen, I, as Helen, can't watch it. I think it's disgusting, gratuitous violence. It is… no, not gratuitous - disgustingly violent."
This is the trailer for season five of Peaky Blinders:"But it is. And it should be," she continued. "I think it's much more disturbing than somebody slashes somebody's face or somebody shoots somebody and it's all just the end of it."
McCrory then used the interview as an opportunity to condone the violence in the show, saying that no one should be inspired by it. This comes in the wake of President Trump blaming violent video games for the recent mass shootings in the US.
She added: "It is not a natural state of affairs. And anybody who looks at the violence of Peaky Blinders and thinks: 'That exactly is what I want to do'. I mean, sick."
The actress also admitted that she did consider leaving Peaky Blinders when she got another offer, but chose to return for this reason:
"I have had a weekend of considering just this, with a wonderful, wonderful offer of another thing, with someone I think is one of the most talented people," she said.
"I said no, and came back to this, because I feel it's given me so much, and I think that you behave well in some things and see it through to the end if somebody wants you to."
"You don't just go 'thank you' [and leave]," she added. "Also I want to see it through to the end."
McCrory explained how she thinks the Shelby brothers would fare without her, telling the Metro: "I think Tommy would just snort himself to death and Arthur would be found in some opium den."
