HOW DID IT FEEL WALKING ONTO THE EASTENDERS SET?
MUCH more nerve-wracking than I thought! My second day was in The Queen Vic – what an honour to be standing there. I was nervous because it's a big scene with a lot of the characters from the show. But I just looked over – I get emotional talking about it now – and on the shelf, there's a little cab. And I knew that was my dad because my dad was a cab driver. He's gone – he went 20 years ago – and it was just this sign saying, "You'll be alright".
It was incredible coming home and telling my family about it. I wanted to take photos with everyone, and nick something. I took a beermat home.
WHAT'S SONIA'S REACTION TO TERRY TURNING UP AFTER 35 YEARS?
It's very moving because she hasn't seen her dad and she is annoyed that he's not been there, and he's upset that he's not been there. And to turn up then and just go, "I'm your dad"… I am gradually convincing her by telling her stories of when she was a kid. I used to take her to Southend and things like that. There are certain things where she just goes, "No one would know that". But at first, she's telling him to shut up. To work with Natalie, oh my god – she's been in it since she was 10!
WAS THIS ROLE CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU?
We just got a phone call out of the blue. They went, "This is the character, and we'd love you to be in it". I was very lucky, I didn't have to audition and I'm glad because I'm rubbish at auditions; I can't turn it on in an office room.
YOU'RE RENOWNED FOR COMEDY – IS TERRY GOING TO BE A FUNNY CHARACTER?
I'm from London, I've always had the gift of the gab, and I'm a cheeky Cockney lad – and that's what Terry is. He might embellish on things. You don't know if the story he's telling is true. Even I don't; I'm going, "Did he really do this?". And that's what's so lovely about it.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY MEMORABLE SCENES WITH OTHER CAST MEMBERS?
Linda Henry, who plays Shirley, I was really intimidated by. Her character's very tough… but Linda is the nicest person there. She's so lovely, warm and caring.
I realised everyone knows what it's like for me. They've all walked in my shoes, they've all stood there. So, even now, they're very accommodating, and they don't mind maybe going over it a little bit more than they would, because I'm new.
The turnaround is very quick, which of course it's not in theatre; there, you have time to go away, think about it, sleep on it.
HOW WAS FILMING DURING THE PANDEMIC?
What's nice is, when you're in the market or outside, you can be a little bit closer and it feels more natural because you would be having a bit of banter and standing away from someone. But inside, it is hard. But we all know that it's important to do this. So we have masks, we do Covid tests very regularly.
Much to the amusement of my wife and my kids, the producers have said, "There might be bits where you might have to cuddle someone" – so my wife has been asked if she would come in and do a bit. And one of my daughters is studying drama at Oxford, so she was like, "I'll come in!".
:: EastEnders, weeknights on BBC One
