EastEnders News & Spoilers Feed

"I had braces and glasses at school!": David Witts interview

2012-09-27T13:58:25+00:00

We caught up with David Witts aka Joey Branning aka Inside Soap Awards' Sexiest Male as voted by YOU the public, to find out how he feels about his new hunk status...

How do you feel about winning Sexiest Male award at the Inside Soap Awards?

Absolutely ridiculous, I disagree entirely with the decision. I definitely think you could have found a better looking male. Maybe my mum voted for me a thousand times. That's probably what it was...

Do you feel uncomfortable being called a soap hunk?
I don't know how to take that term when people say it to me, because I've never been a hunk in any aspect of my life, so when people say it to me, I always question them, make sure they've got the right person!

Were you not considered a hunk at school?
No, not in the slightest, I had braces and glasses and long hair!

Do you often work out, what's your work out regime?
I've been training for about 5 years now, just as a hobby. Everyone says that it's a bit much, as I train 5 times a week, but it's just a hobby, everyone's got a hobby… I do weight lifting, body building. I train with a guy called Chris Jones who is British No. 1. He teaches me a lot, he's very good.

What has the reaction from the girls on the street been?
Sometimes you get the odd screaming girl here or there but I don't know what to do in those situations… I'm just a normal human being - I don't understand when people are screaming at me or hyperventilating...

What's the weirdest thing a girl fan has done?
There's nothing that sticks out, a lot of them say, oh give us a kiss, give us a kiss, that sort of stuff, but other than that they've been generally quite well behaved… so far!

Any marriage proposals?
No, no, not yet.

What would you like to say to the fans that voted for you?
Bless you all for voting, that's really very sweet of you, thank you very much!

Ian's breakdown - tackling mental health issues

2012-05-23T08:43:18+00:00

The past few months have not been easy for Ian - his finances in ruins, his volatile relationship with Mandy... not to mention her war with his daughter Lucy. But more than anything, it's the earth-shattering revelation that Ben killed Heather which has tipped the balance. Not to mention the pressure to keep Ben and Phil's terrible secret...

Suddenly, Ian's behaviour has become manic, volatile. He's a desperate man, who's on the edge, and those around him aren't reading the signs...

We spoke to Time To Change, an anti-stigma campaign, run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, which challenges attitudes and discrimination around mental health. They worked with EastEnders on the storyline and told us:

"1 in 4 of us will at some point have a mental illness, so it's much more common than people think. Lots of different characters in EastEnders have mental health issues - there's been the Stacey storyline and Jean's ongoing mental health issues.

And now it's happened to Ian - a businessman, a pillar of the community. It shows the variety of people and the different situations in which a mental health problem can occur - anyone can fall ill at any time. No one's exempt."

Time To Change worked closely with the show to ensure that the portrayal of Ian's situation was accurate.

"At every step we wanted to include people with actual experience of depression. We put the researchers and scriptwriters in touch with someone who had experience of what Ian was going through and he was really able to advise from a personal level to make sure that it was accurately done.This really helped to shape the character that we are starting to see on our screens."

We hope that an accurate portrayal of what it's like to have a mental health problem, showing that this can happen to any member of society such as a business man or a family man, just like Ian, will break down the barriers and help and eliminate the stigma and taboo around the issue."

Discover more about Time To Change's campaign

Find out more about the early signs of mental health problems

On Set With... Ricky Grover

2012-02-10T17:05:00+00:00

After a little Christmas break, we're back on set! Earlier this week we caught up with the wonderful Ricky Grover, better know as Heather's hubby-to-be Andrew.

All you ever wanted to know about low-flying aircraft, poisoned apples and Walford winter wear are revealed in this fun interview. Enjoy!

"Lauren's growing up!" - Jacqueline Jossa Interview

2012-01-18T10:00:00+00:00

We caught up with Jacqueline Jossa to find out what she thinks of Lauren's changing style, whose 'Enders wardrobe she'd love and the pressure of the red carpet.

Would you wear Lauren's clothes?
I wouldn't wear Lauren's stuff but I like it. When I try to describe my style, it sounds the same, but it's not. Like, sometimes I see something in a shop. And it's only when I try it on that I'm like… "Oh no! That looks too much like Lauren!"

How would you describe YOUR style?
I tend to stick to dark colours - black, grey, brown. Except when I go out. In the evening, I'll wear a red dress. I wear a lot of dark make-up. Dark eye shadows, big eyes, eyelashes.

How has Lauren's style changed since you first joined?
At first she was trying to find her way, she was confused. And she didn't really care. Like jeans, check shirts, whatever. Now she's taking more effort with her hair, make-up, what she wears.

What's inspired her to change?

She's nearly 18 and Whitney's got a boyfriend and everyone seems to be moving on. She's just staying the same. She still hasn't got a boyfriend. I think her relationship with Ryan made her think "Right! I've got to get my look down!"

This morning you saw some of Lauren's new clothes. What's next for her?
I got really excited this morning because I found out that Lauren has some heels! She's never had heels before. Her style has completely changed. She thinks slightly more. Matches more. More colours. I think she cares what she looks like a little bit more. She's growing up!

Are there any characters whose wardrobe you'd like to steal?
Yes! Lucy! Her clothes are really nice. Basically, Hetti prefers Lauren's clothes, and I prefer Lucy's. I have a lot of Lucy's clothes in my own wardrobe. So if there's something Hetti doesn't like , I'm like "Ahem! I have that!"

I love Lucy's shoes as well. She's got these big black heel ones for her nights out. They're really cool. And she's got high heels, which Lauren is just starting to have…

Which celebrities' style do you like?
Pixie Lott, Selena Gomez... I love Selena Gomez's style. She's cool. I like Jessie J, but I wouldn't wear half the stuff she wears. But I like her stuff. If I was brave enough I would…

You're up for Best Newcomer, which Ricky Norwood won last year, so we're dressing you up in Fats' threads. What do you think?

Aiiiiiiiiiight! I love it! I'm gonna take a picture and send it to Ricky! [Assumes street pose and texts it to Mr Norwood, giggling like mad]

How do you feel about being nominated for Best Newcomer at the NTAs?
I think it's an award in itself really because I've never been nominated for anything. I've never won anything in my life... except for races. I used to always come first in my school races. Just want to put that out there...

So assuming you're not going to stea to steal Fats' style, what are you going to wear to the awards? I haven't got a clue. Everyone's telling me I should wear a long dress… I don't know! Shona (Whitney) always has an outfit in mind. Then it worries me and I think "Oh god! I don't know!"

So do you guys talk about this stuff?
Yeah! Shona always knows exactly what to wear. She'll have three in her head and pictures and I'll be like, "Oh no! I need to think about this!" I just don't really think about it. I should though. I'm going to. For this one. Cos it's quite important..."

So you're feeling the pressure, then?
[Laughs] Well , I am now… THANKS!

Will you get dressed together for the NTAs. Will it be like a big night out?
I think it will be, but I'll be more nervous this time. I think we're all going together, all the young ones. There'll be Danielle (Lola), Shona (Whitney), Matt (Anthony), Tony (Tyler), Ricky (Fatboy) might come from here, Himesh (Tamwar), Meryl (Afia) might. I can't wait.