The Insider.com

Downton Abbey fans were thrown for a loop when actress Siobhan Finneran, who plays the duplicitous O'Brien, showed up to London's National Television Awards looking like a red hot hottie. Something the internet quickly took notice of!

• January 27, 2012The Stylish Stars of 'Smash'
• January 26, 2012SAG Awards Fashion Time Warp
• January 26, 2012Last Night's Greatest Looks
• January 26, 2012Amy Winehouse's High Fashion Tribute
• January 26, 2012Rihanna Gets Her Own Fashion Show
• January 26, 2012Kate Beckinsale Fashion Time Warp

Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens Teases Series Two

"Oh that makes me really happy," Siobhan laughed when I brought up her new look during our chat this morning. "I can just barely use my laptop and don't understand Twitter or anything like that, so I had no idea people noticed. Usually Sophie [McShera] who plays Daisy will ring me with anything exciting, but she hasn't rung me to say that I look smokin' hot yet, so…"

I asked Siobhan if this very anti-O'Brien look means fans fail to recognize her on the street, to which she replied, "That doesn’t happen very often actually. People don't think it's me, which is really a compliment. That's what I've always wanted to do – play different parts and get paid for dressing up."

As for season three, you can expect the black ringlets to return, much to Siobhan's chagrin. "My dream is for O'Brien to get a makeover – blonde hair and red lipstick. But I'm the only one who wants that," she laughs.