In The Press

When Dr Anthony Trueman fell for the charms of Kat Slater, he knew their romance would be exciting, if not foolhardy. This fortnight, the couple continue to sneak around behind their relatives' backs when Kat smuggles the handsome medic into her bedroom. But as Anthony attempts to creep away from the Slater home in the early hours, he's horrified when he is mistaken for a burglar!

"Kat invites Anthony back to her house, because the rest of the family have gone over to The Vic. He thinks he has the all-clear because Kat assures him they won't be home before closing time," reveals Nick Bailey, who plays the Walford medic.

"The pair of them retire to Kat's bedroom and get all 'biological'. However, the rest of the Slaters return while the two lovers are lying there, and Anthony panics. As a result, he spends the whole evening trying to get out without being spotted."

But the doctor's escape plan fails horribly when he bumps into Kat's illegitimate daughter, Zoe, on the landing.

"Zoe lets out a scream which brings Kat's dad, Charlie, rushing out," continues Nick. "He thinks Anthony's an intruder, so gets him in an armlock. He's caught, literally, with his pants down!"

Despite Anthony's embarrassing scrape, nick is happily settling into his Albert Square role. "I don't feel like the new boy as much as I did when I first arrived. But then some of the regular cast members came up to me and had a few words in my ear, which helped a lot. I'm really busy at the moment, and things are starting to rock!"

Soaplife issue 20

Kat's out of the bag

Kat Slater doesn't look like the motherly type. But it seems that, underneath all that leather and lip gloss, a maternal heart is stirring. Eastenders fans now share the Slaters' secret - revealed at Zoe's 17th birthday party - that Kat is not Zoe's big sister, she's her mum.

And at the moment it's all Kat can do not to let this scandalous secret out of the bag. But for how much longer will she be able to keep the truth from Zoe?

"Obviously Mo knows about Zoe, and Charlie and Lynne. But no-one else in the family knows. Kat was just 13 when Zoe was born - she maintains she is only 29 but she lies about her age!" explains Jessie Wallace, who plays Kat.

"It's becoming harder and harder to keep the truth hidden," admits Jessie. "She's done it for years so she's used to the pretence, but it was very hard for Kat when her mother died. Kat had to watch Zoe's pain as she mourned the woman she thought was her mum, when she was really her grandmother.

"That was probably when a light went on in Kat's head. She desperately wanted to comfort Zoe and tell her that her real mum was alive and well and still there for her."

The dilemma now is whether to come clean and tell Zoe the truth-or run the risk that she will find out anyway.

"It was a close thing when Zoe wanted her passport but they managed to get away with that," explains Jessie. "But Kat knows it's inevitable the truth will come out one day when Zoe needs her birth certificate for something. The there will be no hiding the truth."

Fans will now understand why the Slaters were specially sympathetic to Sonia's plight when baby Chloe was born.

"Maybe it's because she's turned 30 that Kat wants to start playing more of a part in Zoe's life. She's always loved Zoe but she's definitely feeling more maternal at the moment. She feels she could handle being a mum now.

"In the past, Kat has always run away from responsibility. She's enjoyed playing the part of a sister. Now she's getting older she's facing up to things and she doesn't want to run away from this relationship."

Already Kat has tried to 'mother' Zoe but her 'little sister' is having none of it. "She's been desperately trying to bond with Zoe-she's been sympathetic when she was grounded for going away with Kerry. But it's not getting her anywhere, which isn't surprising. Zoe just sees her as an interfering big sister, poking her nose in where it's not wanted."

Now she's 17, Zoe is keen to start driving lessons, but Kat tells her she's too young. Behind Kat's back, Zoe charms Charlie into letting her go ahead with the lessons.

"Kat is furious when Zoe defies her and persuades Charlie to fork out for driving lessons. They row and Zoe shouts at her "You're not my mum!" which really wounds Kat. It makes her worry how Zoe would react if it came out into the open. Kat would like Zoe to know the truth but she feels the family have had enough trauma recently, what with the death of their mum last year. So she's going to continue to keep quiet-for the time being."

Jessie's delighted with the new storyline. "It's a great challenge for me and a chance to show the other side of Kat. Everyone just sees her as a lazy selfish cow. And that's how she is a lot of the time."

However, according to Jessie, we're not seeing the real Kat and now it's clear a lot of her character faults are due to the difficult secret she's had to keep for so long.

"She wears a very hard mask," says Jessie. "But deep down she's as soft as butter."

All about soap issue 18

Music to the ears.

She may be a fantastic actress, but it seems Eastenders' Jessie Wallace hasn't quite got the same talents when it comes to singing! "My friend has her own personal karaoke machine, which is stuck to my hand whenever I'm round at her home visiting," laughs the actress, who plays Walford's Kat Slater. "No-one else gets a look-in! My all-time greatest karaoke song is Cher's Believe. It always sounds terrible, but I still do it! I get really over excited when I sing, I start off really quiet and then I just get carried away and start screaming down the mic! I can't control my voice and people sit there with their fingers in their ears going, 'would someone plesae just get her off!' "

Coming on Strong

When Albert Square acquired a good looking, educated and well off doctor as it's newest resident, the last person anyone would have pictured him settling down with was feisty Kat Slater. But it seems that the pair of them have a surprise in store, not only for Walford, but for themselves too, as a romance begins to blossom.

"Anthony is totally blown away by Kat," smiles Nicholas Bailey, who plays the gorgeous medic. "I don't think he's had too many liaisons with women in the past, I think they tend to scare him a bit if we're going to be honest! There is a huge physical attraction between him and Kat and the fact that she has a totally different attitude to most of the women he knows is a huge turn on. She has this vital energy and she's grabbed him in a way no other woman has before."

As everyone knows only too well, when Kat decides she wants something, you've got a job on your hands to stop her getting it. And after being knocked back by Steve Owen, it looks like she isn't going to take no for an answer from the doctor.

"Anthony is really flattered when Kat pursues him," laughs Nicholas. "I think any man would be gratified by finding out that an attractive woman is in to him. At the same time though, he finds the fact that Kat is coming on strong slightly daunting-it's normally the men who are expected to do the chasing. but saying that, if it had been left to Anthony, it probably would have taken him about three years to get round to asking her out for a drink!"

However, can a relationship between such an unlikely couple work? Perhaps it's just a case of physical attraction for Anthony? "At first, I think the fact that Kat is a sexual predator intrigues him," smiles Nicholas. "but pretty soon he finds himself feeling a very special affection for her, even though they are like chalk and cheese. Yes, they are quite different but I think you will also find a little bit of Kat in Anthony and vice versa. A lot of people are only looking at the relationship in a superficial light and only the two of them really know how deeply they feel for each other. He's on a roller-coaster ride with Kat and part of him is really enjoying it because his life is normally so regimented. He could definitely get serious about her."

But even though Anthony and Kat are floating on air, Audrey (the doctor's mum) and Mo (the Slater's grandmother) are unhappy about the match. And. on February 22, Mo decides to take matters into her own hands and visit Audrey to let her know what her son has been up to.

"Audrey is really angry when she finds out about her son and Kat," explains Nicholas. "The bottom line is that she doesn't think the Slater sister is good enough for Anthony, even though she makes him happy. She wants him to settle down with another doctor, or a lawyer, someone she can brag about to her friends. There is also the small point that Audrey wants her son to be with someone she can control-and there's no chance of that with Kat."

It's pretty clear that Audrey has a strong hold over her son, but it remains to be seen as to whether it is strong enough to split the pair up. "Anthony is basically tied to his mum's apron strings," says Nicholas. "Most men are mummy's boys at heart, but he feels indebted to Audrey because she has made so many sacrifices for him in the past to get him the best education. She paid for him to go to public school and university and he is always conscious of the debt that he can never repay to his mum. Because she has done so much for him, Anthony is happy to do whatever his mum asks if it means that she is happy. But it's tough for him because he basically wants to start doing things for himself."

And it's not only Anthony who is starting to rebel against Audrey's wishes, Kat certainly isn't going to let anyone come in the way of her and her man. "Kat knows that no-one can play a man like his mother, but she's prepared to fight Audrey all the way," reveals Nicholas. "I think even if she wasn't that into Anthony, she would still fight Audrey over this one. They are both desperate to get one up on each other and poor Anthony finds himself stuck in the middle!"

So, will the happy couple stick it out or will Audrey get her way? "I think the relationship has got a lot of potential," smiles Nicholas. "And I really hope that they stay together, but then again you never know what may happen in Walford. I suppose it really depends on what the next guy who comes along has to offer!"

February 21st

The Sun - Beastenders by Harry Hill

Doctor Anthony and Kat Slater - what a disgraceful breach of the time-honoured doctor- patient relationship.

Don't you think Dr Legge was similarly tempted by Lou Beale, Dot Cotton and Ethel (but not at the same time obviously?)

Have another look at your Hippocratic oath, you pervert.

The question we're all asking about Eastenders is - did he keep his scarf on?

What's happened to all the animals on the square? The strong tradition started by Roly the poodle, Ethel's Willy, then Wellard. Here's some pets I'd like to see on the square: a guinea pig for Sonia - take her mind off Chloe.

Pigeons for naughty Kat - they're great companions, they will teach her to be less self centred, she could race them to raise some extra cash for the designer clothes she loves and if she gets psittacosis her new boyfriend knows the cure. Then there's the possible spin off show, Kat among the Pigeons.

Nick Cotton - how about a husky? Little Mo - two shire horses - they really are beautiful creatures. Dot, "the Squat" Cotton - a couple of rescued donkeys - and if she gets fed up with them she can have them put down like she did with Ethel.

What about the kiss between Roy and Peggy? More please! By the way Roy, it's "Barry", not "Bowie".

Kerry - isn't she a breath of fresh air on the square? So what if she's been in more beds than Alan Titchmarsh, one day I can see her name over the door of that pub.

Let's hope Steve Owen's wedding doesn't coincide with one of sister Jacqui's PMT attacks, it'll be black eyes all round. OK Lisa, you've worked out that Phil is a rat, now get your roots done, love.

Charlie Slater - he may have the knowledge but he still hasn't worked out that driving up and down the Square all day and parking outside a mini-cab rank is not the best way to pick up a fare.

Did you see Pat's suede boots when she finally made her return? Were they an old pair of Martin Kemps from his Spandau Ballet days? Fortunately, they're still the height of fashion in New Zealand.

Saturday March 10th

The Mirror - Look Magazine comic relief special.

Who shot Phil Mitchell? Its the soap storyline everyone is talking about, including the cast the cast of Eastenders who don't know whodunit either. It's true. Thanks to the kind of secrecy you'd expect from MI5, executive producer John Yorke has kept the gunman's identity top secret.

Scriptwriter Tony Jordan knew that not knowing would drive the cast crazy, so when Comic Relief asked him to write a sketch he came up with the idea of having the Eastenders cast play themselves trying to find out who the culprit is.

The man who holds the secret in the spoof sketch, which will be shown on Comic Relief night on Friday, is executive producer Colin Salmon, played by comedian Mel Smith with Smack the Pony star Sally Phillips at his side as a tight-lipped PA.

Lisa, Kat and even Dot all lure him into bed in a bid to find out the name of Phil's would be assassin, but it doesn't work. So, led by Peggy Mitchell, the cast don a variety of silly disguises to enable them to eavesdrop on Colin. Robbie, Roy and Charlie dress as waitresses to infiltrate a storyline meeting, and Pat and Peggy pretend to be newshounds when he calls a press conference. Barry appears as a window cleaner, and Janine, Mel, Roy and Charlie huddle behind office plants dressed in combat gear.

They're not the only people who want to get to Colin. Harry Enfield, playing himself, is desperate for a part in the soap, but security guards Nick Hancock and Junior Simpson keep evicting him from the studios. And Jerry Hall has a bone to pick with Colin. Is that a gun in her handbag or is she just pleased to see him? The Look went to Walford for one day to watch the cast filming the soap spoof...

7:30am: It's an early start for Eastenders stars Dean Gaffney, Tony Caunter and Derek Martin - better known as, respectively, Robbie, Roy and cabbie Charlie Slater - who arrive in make-up ready to be transformed into waitresses. The results are hilarious. After one look in the mirror Tony declares, "Have you ever seen such an ugly looking bird?" er, no, Tony. Meanwhile, Derek is in stitches. "Dean looks like he's borrowed the legs off a sparrow," he laughs.

8:30am: In Albert Square they're filming the end of Thursdays episode when Mel Smith strides onto the set and shouts, "cut!". He's in character as Colin Salmon who calls a storyline meeting to work out who shot Phil. Of course, on the other side of the camera is the shows real director, Phillip Casson. Meanwhile, Pam St Clement and Barbara Windsor, who are normally at each others throats as Pat and Peggy, are hiding in the bushes eavesdropping. "It's funny, we're playing the cast desperately trying to find out who shot Phil - and that's just what it's like in real life. Nobody knows a thing, although my money is on Dan," reveals Barbara.

Lucy Benjamin, who plays put-upon Lisa, adds, "Normally, Adam Woodyat (Ian Beale) is the first to find things out and even he doesn't know who shot Phil."

10:30am: A press conference is being rehearsed with Eastenders extras dressed as Journalists. While Mel Smith pretends to be shot at one end of the corridor, away from the filming Tamzin Outhwaite, who plays gorgeous barmaid Mel, and Charlie Brooks, the hard faced Janine, are chatting.

Charlie is filing her nails and showing off her new blonde locks, while Tamzin is telling her how excited she is at the prospect of working with Smack the Pony's Sally Phillips. "She's brilliant," says Tamzin. "She steals every scene. I'mf riends with Doon MacKichan who is also in it and I watched the first episode at her house. It's one of my favourite shows."

11am: Harry Enfield is on the hunt for a cup of tea. He's been standing around in the corridor for an hour now waiting to play himself. The idea is that Harry longs to join the Eastenders cast, and keeps getting carted off by the security guards - Nick Hancock and comedian Junior Simpson.

11:30am: Barbara and Pam reappear this time dressed as men "Your moustache is crooked, Barbara," calls out a crew member. "Of course it is. This is Comic Relief, it's supposed to be funny. The number of people who have said that to me this morning," she says rolling her eyeballs.

She and Pam, whose posh voice is a far cry from Pat's more cockney rasp, are larking around. They may have differences in Albert Square, but in real life they make a great double act and it's clear they are good friends.

Noon: Derek Martin and Tony Caunter have now swapped their waitress wigs for combat gear, although they actually look more like pest controllers. "It's not real combat stuff, they're over trousers. They're bloody hot. They're made of polyester and I'm sweltering," says Derek.

Lunchtime: Still in his uniform, Nick Hancock is pacing around the foyer of the BBC canteen looking so much like a real security guard it's scary. "As soon as I put this on, I felt different," he reveals. "I've been having such fun. This morning, I made Anneka Rice's driver take her round the block again, and I've been checking people's passes. Everybody's been fooled so far."

After 20 minutes of method acting in the foyer, he decides it's time for lunch. "I'm a bit nervous about going into the canteen because there is nobody in there I know," he confesses. There's another problem - Nick hasn't got any money on him. "Can you lend us a fiver?" he asks, turning to Michael Greco, Albert Square's resident hunk, Beppe, who duly obliges.

"It works every time," laughs Nick.

A fiver lighter, Michael heads off to his dressing room where he is leapt upon by Elaine Lordan, who plays Lynne Slater. "Of course, women are always trying it on with me... Not!" He jokes. "We couldn't stop giggling filming that bit."

2pm: News has just come in that model Jerry Hall, who was due to turn up to film her part as a mysterious villain at 3pm, is ill in bed with flu. She can't make it today so there's a last minute change to the schedules.

3pm: It's over to the studio which houses the inside of Steve Owen's flat, the B&B, Barry and Roy's car-lot portacabin and the Jackson house. They all look much smaller than they appear on TV. First there's a sketch in the portacabin to do and for the first time today Phil Mitchell, the subject of all the speculation as to who used him for target practice, appears. Steve McFadden, who plays the brutish Phil, is wearing a blue dressing gown and has a drip in tow. Everybody laughs. "This is my first scene today. I don't know what's been going on here as I've been filming a new series for the BBC called Murder In Mind," he says. "I haven't got to say much, I'm just wheeling this drip around. But everyone enjoying themselves. I think it's a great idea. It's very generous of them to do this for Comic Relief and I'm glad I can help in a small way."

3:30pm: Everybody is patiently waiting for Tamzin who has, somewhat confusingly, been in another studio filming a real episode of Eastenders. Now that all the cast are gathered, the cameras roll. We see Barbara telling the gang that she has planned a way of getting hold of the storylines to find out who indeed did shoot Phil. Everyone clusters around her. As soon as the director shouts cut, Tamzin rushes off to carry on filming the real thing next door.

5pm: The next scene is being shot in the T bar, the cafe used by the Eastenders cast and crew. Here, Hannah Waterman, more familiar as nanny Laura Dunn, has a fit of the giggles. She turns to Adam Woodyat and says "It's like one of those special days at school. You know, when you do nothing but PE, a bit like sports day?"
The cast all have to run out of the T bar after Barbara. The last to go through the door is Steve McFadden who accidentally gets his drip stuck. "I like that, let's keep it in," says the director, who then makes them do it all again - only faster. They're like a classroom full of excitable kids as they dash out and thunder down the corridor laughing.

5:30pm: Natalie Cassidy, who plays Sonia Jackson, nips into a side room to check on her mum.

6pm: By now, they're all running out of the T bar so fast they're spilling coffee and tripping over one another. The director likes it. It's a wrap.

6:30pm: Some of the cast can go home, but others will be hard at work filming real episodes of the soap for another couple of hours. "Your life revolves around the schedule when you're in Eastenders," says Adam. "We all love the job, but it's nice to be doing something a bit different like today. We still don't know who shot Phil, though. Personally, I wouldn't put it past Dot!"

Saturday March 10th

All about soap issue 19 - Jiggle it

You would think that Jessie Wallace would be too tired to party after all the hours she puts in at Eastenders, but she can't stop dancing the night away! "I tend to go out every weekend and I just dance and dance until the next day my bum is killing me! I'll dance to anything, from forties jazz to chart tunes." We're exhausted just thinking about it!

Sunday March 11th

Sunady Mirror - rearender

When your sister runs a greasy spoon cafe, all those free fry-ups can take their toll - especially on the hips. Jessie Wallace, who plays Kat Slater in Eastenders, was spotted last week struggling to prise herself out of a sports car before walking off to go shopping in Loughton, Essex. Kat's got the whole of Walford talking about her affair with Dr. Anthony Tureman, played by Nick Bailey. But the doctor could soon be prescribing that she steers clear of the Square's cafe if she wants to get back into shape.

Tuesday 13th March

Inside soap issue 175 - Kat's out of the bag 2

When Dr Anthony Trueman arrived in Albert Square, local man-eater Kat Slater didn't waste any time getting her claws into him, and the couple have enjoyed a clandestine relationship ever since.

"Kat has adored all the sneaking around, she basically loves doing anything she isn't supposed to do!" laughs Jessie Wallace, who plays the bolshie barmaid. "She became determined to seduce Anthony as soon as she saw him and the secret meetings are the next part of the game for her."

All the secrecy is over this fortnight however, as the couple finally go public with their relationship.

"It is really Anthony's decision. He panics when Kat walks into the surgery and starts seducing him and they have a bit of a falling-out about it," explains Jessie. "On top of that, his mum Audrey, has a go at him about the gossip surrounding them. - and he just decides enough is enough. He ends up walking into the Vic and making it very clear that they are a couple by having a chauffer driven limo for Kat waiting outside!"

Needless to say, there are a few surprised looks from the regulars in The Queen Vic.

"Kat loves being the centre of attention so at this point she is quite enjoying it," explains Jessie. "I think she is quite pleased it is out in the open, but the element of secrecy that she loves is gone. On the other hand, it does mean that she can snog him in public now! Anthony is certainly relieved he doesn't have to pretend anymore. He has high hopes for the future and he is clearly besotted with her."

So will it be happy ever after? Jessie reckons not. "I don't think Kat is ready to settle down just yet," she grins. "There are so many men out there!"

Sunday March 18th

Sunday mirror - Harry Slater

TV star Michael Elphick as back... as the new boyfirend of TV's best known landlady, Peggy Butcher.

Elphick, 52, Joins the cast of Eastenders in May as Harry Slater, brother of Albert Square cabbie Charlie. Viewers will see Harry and Peggy, played by Barbara Windsor, enjoy a romance.

The former Boon star, pictured this week looking decidedly heavier than his 80's hard-nosed character Harry, has already started filming at the soaps Borehamwood Studios.

His real-life love Julia Alexander died in 1996 aged 52. He is now dating again - but apart from revealing that she works in the theatre he has kept her identity secret.

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