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In the Press |
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April 22nd Quit Drinking or you're fired .. Shy Jessie is nothing like soap vamp An interview with Hannah Waterman The Ender slim days for Elphick
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Sunday 22nd April
The Sunday Mirror - Quit Drinking or you're fired from Eastenders
Alcoholic Michael Elphick has been warned to "clean up his act" or face the sack from Eastenders because he's started drinking again. Officially soap bosses claim his drinking binges are not affecting filming but senior BBC sources are very concerned. A source said: "It's very difficult to combine heavy drinking with a demanding acting schedule. "We're told he's arriving on time and doing the business as far as his acting is concerned but at the same time we know he's drinking a lot. "Basically we don't want the adverse publicity so if he doesn't sort himself out he'll be out on his ear." The 55-year old actor, who plays Peggy Mitchell's new boyfriend Harry Slater, has been seen drinking heavily at the bar of the Eastenders' studio. He drinks vodka, followed by Guinness chasers during breaks in filming and during after work sessions. He has also been spotted drinking at a bar near his home in North West London where he lives with his daughter Kate, 25 - and was back there again yesterday for four hours. During one session he downed 18 shots of vodka and four halves of Guinness. The source added: "Michael has been drinking heavily for years. I've seen him downing half pints of vodka. "It's not clear how much he's drinking at the moment, but if he carries on it will surely affect his ability to perform." The actor was left devastated by the death from cancer of his long term girlfriend Julia Alexander, 52, in 1996. He admitted turning to cocaine and alcohol and at one time was downing two litres of spirits a day. But after treatment at the Priory Clinic in Roehampton, South-West London, he claimed to have beaten his problems. The actor is best known for his role as TV Private eye Ken Boon, which he played from 1986 until the series was axed in 1993. He was once thrown off the set for being too drunk to read his lines. Elphick, who began filming his Eastenders scenes several weeks ago, is not due to appear until next month.
the Sun - Jealous Eastender Jack dumped by lover EASTENDERS heart-throb Jack Ryder has been ditched by his childhood sweetheart. Sixth-former Carol Heather ended her three-year romance with the actor - who plays Jamie Mitchell - telling him she was fed up with his jealousy. A friend tells me: "She decided to end it because Jack didn't like her talking to other boys. "He got furious if he heard male voices in the background when he called Carol on her mobile. She'd have to run off into a corner to take the call where it was quiet. "He kept a really close eye on her whenever they were out to make sure no one chatted her up. "She got sick of being told she couldn't go out with her friends while he was getting sackloads of fan mail every day. That pushed her over the edge. "Carol finished with him on the phone last week because she'd just had enough of it." Three weeks ago Jack, 19, was pictured holding hands with co-star Michelle Ryan on location in Brighton AFTER the cameras stopped rolling. One of Carol's pals says: "She told everyone she didn't care about the picture because it was just filming. "But deep down I think she was very hurt. "It's not very nice to have people talking about your boyfriend being with another girl." Carol, 18, who lives near Jack in Shooters Hill, South London, had been pushing him to quit his £100,000-a-year EastEnders role so they could go travelling round the world together - but he refused.
Sunday People - Shy Jessie is nothing like soap vamp
Stunning Eastenders star Jessie Wallace has some bad news for her army of male admirers- she is right off men. Jessie, who plays man-eater Kat Slater, says she has been hurt too many times to let a fella get his claws into her again. And unlike Kat- who has flirted with almost every bloke in Albert Square- Jessie is perfectly happy being single. The 29-year old beauty says: "I've come to the conclusion that boyfriends are bad news. I've had some real rotters in my time. Now I want to be on my for a while. My head is stuck in work and I don't want to be sidetracked. I know what I want from life and I'm determined to get it." Jessie may be an Essex girl from Loughton but she is completely different from vampish Kat, who has been leading doctor Anthony Trueman a merry dance in her four inch stilettos. She says: "Kat is a bit of an old goer, a bit cheap- well, all right, really cheap. She is nothing like me. I could never go up to a fella and ask him out the way Kat does. I'm far too shy. I've never asked a man out in my life." but Jessie does have a definite idea of what she likes in a man and rates Nasty Nick Cotton- played by John Altman- as her sexiest Albert Square colleague. She says: "I love the black leather, the Brylcreem and the cross in his ear. He's got a style of his own. He doesn't give a s**t." And a little bit of Kat surfaces in Jessie as she reveals her favourite sexual fantasy. "I'd love to have sex as thunder roared overhead in a field thick with mud- with a man in a top hat!" she says. Jessie has gone from strength to strength since she arrived in Eastenders last year and has been hotly tipped to win the sexiest female category at the British Soap Awards on May 26. She says that being in a soap is fantastic and she really does feel like the Kat that's got the cream. "It's great to be playing the champion floozy in the Square. I want Kat to reach the same tarty hieghts as Cindy Beale."
Sunday People - Love is oil you need for Hannah's real life romance
Eastenders star Hannah Waterman is having a better love life off-screen than she is in Albert Square. Inreal life Hannah - Ian Beale's dowdy fiancee and nanny Laura- has fallen for Ricky Groves, who plays oily jack-the-lad mechanic Garry Hobbs in the soap. And things are certainly looking brighter for the actress than her character, who suspects Ian only wants to marry her for her 20,000 inheritance. Sources on the soap say Ricky and Hannah have been renting a flat for just over a month and are blissfully happy. A friend of the couple said; "They tried to keep their relationship secret because they didn't want the added pressure of everyone knowing when they were in the early stages. But things are obviously moving fast for them- and they are now sharing a flat after only going out together for a few months." It's Hannah's first proper romance since she split with TV cameraman Phil Asprey last year and moved back in with her actor dad Dennis of Minder fame. But there seems little chance of an on-screen romance. Ricky's character Garry is in a long term relationship with Lynne Slater but lusts after her sexy sister Kat.
E-Mail from Emma Kennedy - Soap Fever
Hello
My name is Emma Kennedy and I host a show on ITV2
called SoapFever. I am writing an article for the Daily Express and
wonder if you can help. I am doing a piece on superfans and the
lengths they will go to to either see the show or meet the stars or do
anything related to their love of the show. If you or the people who
visit your site have any funny anecdotes or sad tales relating to your
love of Eastenders I would love to hear from you. Either email me back
or contact me via the soapfever website which is soapfever@itv2.co.uk
Your website is excellent by the way. The Slaters are my favourite
characters. If its on our doorstep-it is our business. Superb.
If you could help - that would be great. Many thanks.
Emma Kennedy
All Abut Soap - Issue 21 - bullseye
Ever since Zoe Slater first laid eyes on Jamie Mitchell, the pretty teenager has had a huge crush on him. And after she kissed the luscious lad at her 17th birthday bash back in February, Zoe's been determined to get her man one day. So has that time finally arrived? Well it certainly looks that way! When the square's darts team win yet another match, and set out on a trip to Brighton, Zoe can't believe her luck to be part of the posse, especially since Jamie is one of the players. Then when Sonia announces she will have to dedicate her time to Robbie while the group are away from home, Zoe is ecstatic. With Sonia out of the picture, will the minx be able to win Jamie over? Or is he too dedicated toi his long term girlfriend to have eyes for anyone else? Michelle Ryan, who plays Zoe, makes her predictions... "Zoe is completely infatuated with Jamie," she smiles. 'She thinks he's really good looking, fun and a nice guy all round, and she has fallen for him in a big way. Because of that, Zoe hasn't seen the recent changes in him. She doesn't know about his new hard man image and what's been going on with Phil as it's only those close to Jamie who know. As a result, Zoe has had no reason to think any different of him. "Despite Sonia being Jamie's girlfriend, Zoe has always held the hope that she has a chance with him. She has always felt that there has been a bit of electricity between them and although she reckons that Jamie has tried to conceal it, Zoe has made no secret of how she feels. She is really envious of what Jamie and Sonia have and wishes she was the one who was happy with him. Zoe actually feels a bit sad whenever she sees them together." She soon cheers up however when she discovers that Jamie will be joining her on a trip to the seaside and she begins to see it as the perfect opportunity for something to happen. "Zoe starts to realise it might be her best chance for them to get to know each other and maybe for it to lead on to something more," explains Michelle. "But when Sonia says she has to go off with Robbie, Zoe feels nervous. She has been waiting so long to try again with Jamie and she worries whether it will all go her way. At first there's a bit of a barrier between Zoe and Jamie because they both try to pretend they don't care about each other, but eventually Jamie says he can't hide his feelings for Zoe any longer." The crunch comes on 15th May when Zoe and Jamie spend the entire day together. They get along great, and Jamie admits he fancies Zoe, but he doesn't know what to do about his feelings. "This makes Zoe more upset and frustrated," reveals Michelle. "She can't understand why they can't be together, and she's very confused by everything that Jamie has said to her." But it's that evening which is the most nerve wrecking for Zoe. Sonia ends up having to stay the night at Portsmouth, which means Jamie and Zoe have an even better opportunity to get to know each other. "Sitting in Zoe's bedroom, Jamie tells the Slater girl that he'd like to kiss her but he's trying hard not to, and then he runs off. Zoe can't believe it. Every time something nearly happens, Jamie lets her down at the last minute. "Zoe is not setting out to ruin Jamie and Sonia's relationship, it's just that she's so blinded by her feelings for Jamie she doesn't think about anyone else. Zoe has never slept with a lad before and she has it in her mind that Jamie is the right person to be her first lover. After spending the day with Jamie, Zoe is under the impression that Jamie is feeling the same way." As Zoe lies awake in the darkness of her room, she hears a knock on her door and Jamie walks in. But is he just paying her a friendly visit or has he had second thoughts? "I'm not telling," laughs Michelle. "They have become very close and it would be her dream if they do get together. But as afar as Jamie is concerned, he has so much on his mind at the moment and doesn't need any more complications in his life. If Jamie was to finish with Sonia to be with Zoe, it night work out and they could make a brilliant couple. But realistically, with Sonia living in the square, their relationship would get off to an awkward start. "Zoe would be gutted if Jamie doesn't want to pursue things, but she'll bounce back. In her eyes he can do no wrong- no matter how he treats her. I don't think Zoe will ever stop liking him, regardless of how much she hates herself for it."
All about soap - issue 21 - ordinary mo
Since she landed the role of Little Mo Morgan in Eastenders, Kacey Ainsworth has won a place in viewers hearts and has become one of the nations favourite soap stars. But despite all the public attention, she has managed to keep her feet firmly on the ground. So how does she do it? Well, according to Kacey, her boyfriend plays quite a major part! "He has known me for years and has always supported me," she says. "As far as he's concerned, this is just another job. He's a plumber and finds it all quite funny when we go to celebrity parties. People talk to him and when he tells them what he does for a living, they really relax because they don't have to talk shop. The other night we were out and ended up talking to Ian Brodie from the Lightning Seeds, which was kind of weird. We didn't even talk about music or TV, we were just chatting away. If it wasn't for Eastenders, I wouldn't get the opportunity to meet all these people." All About soap issue 21 -Brighton rocks
Although Zoe might not return from Brighton with a smile on her face, Michelle certainly did despite being tired. "We had long days filming, but we still had a good laugh and a bit of spare time to make the most of the resort," she reveals. "All the cast get on brilliantly so we went out for a meal one night, explored the area and did some shopping. We were in Brighton for eight days but didn't get bored of each other once! What made the experience extra special were all the people who waited on the pier to watch us film."
The Mirror - Extract from 'An interview with Hannah Waterman'
"... I'm having such a good time. Adam is wonderful to work with, but of course, I've got another relationship in real life. My naughty Ricky! Ricky Groves. He plays Garry the greasy mechanic. We just get on great, he's fantastic. Tall and fair. Tall's good when you're little. He's got a fantastic sense of humour, which ,makes him a pleasure to be with. He's such fun, makes me laugh a lot. It's still quite early days, just a few months. It was a very gradual thing. I didn't jump into anything. I'd been living with a guy for four years- not an actor- and we split up last year. I moved out, and moved in with Dad and his girlfriend Pam for six months. Even if you make the decision, it's not an easy time, and you need to grieve for it. Ricky and I talked about it before anything happened, because it would have been a nightmare to work together if it had gone rat-shit. But once we decided, that was it. It took ages for people to catch on, we were really subtle. I'd meet him on the set just to catch up, but there'd always be some ridiculous excuse. And character-wise it was a very unlikely coupling. Me and Ricky have a laugh about it. He calls me "The Frumpy Nanny" and I call him "The Greasy Mechanic". If we were ourselves in an office situation, I think people would have caught on quicker. But Adam knew. Guessed straight away. He made me blush, really badly. He used to wind me up. Sing "Ricky" at me, so no-one else would know. I'd be like: "God don't tell anyone or I'll kill you." He was a real Bugger. But people have been pleased for us, genuinely happy. Ricky's everything, we're both completely soppy and sentimental. We look after each other. There's an easiness, you don't have to explain... "
The Mirror - The Ender slim days for Elphick.
To say Michael Elphick made a big impression in Eastenders is an understatement. He was so huge, he had difficulty getting out of the cab when he made his debut as Harry Slater. He had more trouble squeezing through the door of the Queen Vic, and when he hugged Mighty Mo Harris, it registered around 9 on the Richter scale. Elphick, a famous hell-raiser, was twice he Harry he was when he played a seedy journalist in the drama series of the same name back in the early nineties. Mo explained that Harry was the big surprise for his brother Charlie's 60th birthday bash. "He's got one of the biggest bars in Menorca" she said. She failed to mention that he also had one of the biggest beer bellies. Harry immediately started flirting with Peggy. "You're still full of yourself," said Mo. "He's full of something." said Peggy. It was bullshit and best bitter to be exact. Charlie got a shock when he found his brother in the pub.. "I flew in this morning and you know me, I made straight for the boozer." said Harry. No wonder the casting director thought of Elphick. He is tailor made for the part, even if wardrobe had great difficulty finding trousers to fit him. Harry ended up telling Peggy dirty jokes and offered her moonlight, candles and dinner for two. Charlie, who had the hots for her too, overheard and was gutted. Little Mo's cheating husband turned up uninvited- and she socked him in the mouth. A party would not be a party at the Queen Vic if it did not end in a fight.
Inside Soap issue 179 - Brighton shock Despite some difficult times, Jamie Mitchell and Sonia Jackson have stuck together against the odds. The couple eventually reconciled following the birth of Sonia's baby, Chloe over Christmas- but a new year brought little in the way of luck for the pair. Since the attempted murder of Jamie's godfather Phil, Jamie has found himself under increasing pressure, and Sonia has found his brooding silences a difficult challenge. But this fortnight brings problems of a different kind for the young lovers, when the Queen Vic darts team heads for Brighton, and Jamie finds himself in the arms of Zoe Slater! "Sonia warns Jamie on the first day of their trip that she's going to have to spend a lot of time helping her brother Robbie, who's searching for his real dad in Portsmouth, explains Jack Ryder, who plays the young mechanic. "He's a bit miffed because Sonia is off with Robbie, Lynne and Garry are together, Kat's off somewhere else- which means he's landed with Zoe, and he's a bit uncomfortable about that.." Zoe Slater has carried a torch for Jamie ever since arriving in Albert Square, and her crush intensified when the pair kissed at he 17th birthday party. The prospect of spending time alone with her clearly makes Jamie nervous- but not for the reasons you might expect. "Zoe's a very attractive girl and Jamie doesn't really trust himself," says Jack. "They've always got on well as mates- but he's with Sonia." Faced with an awkward situation, Jamie ends up taking things out on Zoe. "Jamie and Zoe have no choice but to spend the day together," says Jack. "He's quite horrible to her, but eventually they decide to make the most of things, and go down to Brighton pier. They have a really nice time, but their is still tension between them." Eventually the stress becomes too much and Jamie shocks Zoe with a confession. "Jamie just comes out and says it- he tells Zoe he likes her," Jack reveals. "But he also says he loves Sonia and that's it. They end up having a big row and Zoe storms off." The sensitive subject rears it's head again later on while the pair share a take-away in Zoe's room at the B&B. "Things get very tense, and Jamie ends up running out," says Jack. "But he can't stay away and ends up going back. One thing leads to another and they end up spending the night together." The following morning Jamie is horrified at what he's done. 'It's a big mistake which he regrets immediately," Jack reflects. 'It was a snap decision, and he can't believe he's done this to Sonia." Zoe on the other hand, is upset for different reasons. "Zoe wakes up thinking that this could be the start of something special- the Jamie asks her to keep it quiet because he doesn't want to ruin things with Sonia," says Jack. "Zoe is mortified that she has given her virginity to this guy." Jack isn't sure the matter will be swept under the carpet as easily as Jamie is hoping. "Jamie wants to forget it happened and he has no plans to confess anything to Sonia. As only the two of them know about it he thinks it wont come out, but he doesn't realise how hurt Zoe is," considers the 19-year old actor. "He thinks things with Zoe are over and done with but he can't be sure she won't tell Sonia."
The News of the World EASTENDERS pin-up Jack Ryder was dumped by his childhood sweetheart because of his close friendship with co-star Michelle Ryan. Girlfriend Carol Heather was distraught after Jack, who plays Jamie Mitchell, banned her from an outing to Brighton to film outside scenes for the soap. Then he was photographed holding hands with Michelle, who plays sexy Zoe Slater. This weekend stunning Carol told the News of the World, “I wanted to hit him because of the way they were holding hands. Their fingers interlocked just the way they are if you’re holding your boyfriend’s hands. I was so hurt. “He didn’t say anything about the pictures until my friends rang to see if I was OK. They’d seen them, all right. “First Jack tried to wriggle out of it by telling me a Michelle had been knocked over by a wave and he was helping her, but they weren’t even on the beach! "Then he said she was upset because everyone had been having a go at her...but she didn’t look unhappy to me. “When I challenged him over it he said I was being ridiculous and denied a relationship with Michelle.” Trust Just days later, a week before Carol dumped Jack, Michelle came round to his flat. “She’s quite a sweet girl and I couldn’t see her doing anything like that,” said Carol. “But I must admit I didn’t know what to make of it - now I’ll never know. Maybe I was too trusting.” EastEnders bosses insist the picture was part of a scene. But Carol added: “Jack told me that the picture of him and Michelle had been taken after filming stopped. I could tell because he was wearing his own sunglasses.” Last Friday night Jack was out on the town with Michelle. The couple spent an hour talking intimately at the Attica nightclub in London’s Regent Street. Among other pals with them was Dean Gaffney who plays Robbie Jackson. They all left the club in the early hours of yesterday morning laughing and joking. One onlooker said: “They seemed very cosy together. It looks as if Michelle is helping him get over the break-up with Carol.” Carol only has her memories — not all of them good. She revealed that Jack was a control freak who banned her from wearing makeup. Holiday He also, never allowed her to drink alcohol, refused to take her to showbiz events and even took his co-star Natalie Cassidy, who plays his on-screen girlfriend Sonia Jackson, on holiday with him. “In the end it was too much,” said Carol. “EastEnders changed him, he wasn’t the Jack I fell in love with.” The couple had met when they she was 10 and he was 11. They lived in Shooter’s Hill, South London. Jack was 16 before he asked her out. In 1998 he won his part in EastEnders. “I didn’t realise at the time what a big thing it was, I didn’t think about how his fame would affect me,” said Carol. By the time Carol’s 16th birthday came along, Jack was beginning to change. She said “He didn’t even turn up at my birthday party, he said he was too busy at work and I was really upset.” But the pair stuck together and it was at co-star Dean Gaffney’s 21st party in February 1999 that everyone on EastEnders first knew they were an item. But as Jack became more famous they drifted apart and it was on Carol’s 17th birthday that he dumped her. When he delivered the devastating blow telling her the relationship was over she was stunned. “It came from nowhere,” she added. “No one knew what to do with me I was so upset. I had to have sleeping tablets to help me rest. And just when Carol thought she had lost her man for good he swept her off her feet again. She said: “I was working at a clothes store when I got a call from him saying he wanted to pick me up from work. He gave me a big hug and told me he’d missed me.” But they couldn’t recapture their early love. “He was going to Barbados in June last year with his family and could take another person,” she sighed, “but he told me if I went away with my friends I couldn’t come. Upset “I couldn’t cancel my own trip because it was all planned but because he didn’t want me to have one more holiday than him he insisted on taking his screen girlfriend Natalie Cassidy. “That really upset me, they shared a bedroom and she asked me if I minded, but I felt as if I couldn’t say anything. "I was really upset about it, but I didn’t think there was anything going on between them.” When Carol ended the relationship a month ago, she admitted: “I was crying but I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.” Saturday May 12th MEET 'ENDERS CABBIE CHARLIE
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