Toby Jones says Alan Bates turned down chance to launch Glastonbury Festival

Toby Jones recently revealed that the former sub-postmaster Alan Bates turned down an offer to open Glastonbury Festival.

The actor, who portrays the role of Bates in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, opened up about his role in the series.

During an appearance at the Hay Festival, the 57-year-old actor made the following revelation, “I get to play a hero. Really, someone who I think of as a hero. Someone in the culture who just doesn’t seem to be subject to the same forces that we all are.”

Speaking exclusively to his audience in Powys, Wales, Jones added, “He can’t be bought. He’s asked to open Glastonbury. ‘No, thank you.’ He’s asked to do these things, he doesn’t want to do any of that. He says, ‘I’ve got work to do,’ which is to get that stuff done.

“[Bates is] a hero and he doesn’t want any honours until he’s finished the job. And these are values that, I’m not going to say I grew up with, but I sort of remember being lectured about. About duty and about following things through.”

For the unversed, the drama details how numerous sub-postmasters were accused of theft and fraud as a result of failed IT system during the years 1999 and 2015.