Sam Heughan hailed Caitriona Balfe an "honorary Scot" thanks to the time she's spent here filming for Outlander.
The Scots actor never shies away from complementing his co-star and pal and their close friendship, which has grown over the 10 years they've been playing Jamie and Claire Fraser in the hit time-travelling historical drama, is well known to fans.
But this is the first time we think he's gone so far as to declare his Irish colleague as an honorary Scot, and Cait was left visibly delighted by the fond compliment.
The pair were being interviewed for BAFTA just after the launch of the latest season, bringing to an end the recent Droughtlander faced by fans when the Starz drama finally hit screens on Friday.
The smash-hit success of Outlander has catapulted Balmaclellan born Sam to international stardom, along with the rest of his co-stars. And the 43-year-old reckons it's had a huge impact on Scotland's global identity as a whole, with a massive tourism industry popping up around the show and armies of die-hard Outlander fans making their way to these shores every year for a glimpse of a location - or face - they might recognise.
Sam said: “Obviously, Scotland has a great identity anyway around the rest of the world. “But I think Outlander’s now probably up there with the thing that people think about the most when they think of Scotland. “I’m really proud of it. It feels like we're ambassadors."
In the interview, Sam then turned to former model Caitriona, 43, as she asked him “Am I an honorary Scot?”
Sam then reassured her she was as she replied in a light-hearted manner: "Oh okay, good," as Sam added: “You’re a MacBalfe.”
Last week we reported Caitriona had delivered a crushing blow to Outlander fans as she admitted the eighth and final season is 'on hold' due to the writer's strike in Hollywood. Outlander will end after the eighth season, as Starz is now set to focus on the series prequel Blood of my Blood which tells the love story of Jamie's parents.
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