Robert Lindsay, 74, admits he learned to speak with a posh accent in a bid to seek approval, before using his own Derbyshire accent on screen for the first time.

Actor Robert Lindsay admitted that he developed a well-spoken RP accent in part because he sought approval from his class.

The actor, who has starred in shows including My Family and GBH, said he learned the so-called Received Pronunciation because he wanted to be “a little bit better than where I come from.”

Mr Lindsay added that while learning the Queen’s English, as it is also known, helped him get roles, it was also because he wanted to be “approved”.

The 74-year-old, who rose to fame in the late 1970s for his role as Wolfie Smith in Citizen Smith, added that he had wanted to “elevate my position”.

In an interview, he said his upcoming role in BBC1’s new series of Sherwood is the first time he has used his own accent in a role. He grew up in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.

The actor said he learned the so-called Received Pronunciation because he wanted to be “a little better than where I come from” (pictured in the 1977 comedy Citizen Smith)

Talking with The observerIn The New Review magazine, he was asked about his RP accent.

He told the interviewer: “You made me say it,” adding: “If I’m honest, yes, it was a class issue.”

He added: “I wanted to be a little bit better than where I came from.”

The actor, who also starred in the 1980s revival of the musical Me and My Girl, told the magazine: ‘I was told I could be other people[with RP]- that the world would be my oyster, that I could play a thousand characters, and that’s what I’ve always said about it, that it was just for acting.

“But you’ve opened my eyes to something. Yes, I wanted to be approved, I think, to elevate my position.”

He will join the likes of David Morrissey and Lesley Manville in the second series of BBC1 crime drama Sherwood, written by leading playwright James Graham.

The first season saw a series of murders take place in a Nottinghamshire mining community still dealing with the legacy of the miners’ strikes of the 1980s.

Monica Dolan and David Harewood will also join the cast for the second outing which begins Sunday.

Mr Lindsay added that while learning the Queen’s English, as it is also known, helped him get roles, it was also because he wanted to be “approved”.

The 74-year-old actor, who rose to fame in the late 1970s for his role in Citizen Smith, added that he had wanted to “elevate my status” (pictured in My Family with Zoe Wanamaker).

In an interview, he said his upcoming role in BBC1’s new series of Sherwood is the first time he has used his own accent in a role. He grew up in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.

Mr Lindsay said that when he visited home in Ilkeston during the miners’ dispute there were “terrible clashes between parents and children” in the local pub, adding that “it is still painful”.

In the interview, Lindsay admitted he was trying to be more careful on social media after becoming embroiled in a “clash” with former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman on Twitter over Jeremy Corbyn.

The actor told the magazine: “I’ve realised I can’t get involved in some issues. I had a falling out with Tracy-Ann Oberman (who is Jewish) on Twitter about Corbyn and his support for Palestinians. I think with some issues it’s easier to walk away.”