In the Press

They were never an obvious match, but since Kat Slater got her claws into dr. Anthony Trueman, the couples romance has flourished - despite several sabotage attempts courtesy of Anthony's mother Audrey, and Kat's nan, Mo. But trouble is on the horizon this fortnight when Anthony - in a rare moment of passionate spontaneity - tells Kat he loves her.

"Kat gets sacked from her job at The Vic when she lets off a fire extinguisher after a row with her boss, Peggy Mitchell," explains Nick Bailey, who plays the Albert Square medic. "Anthony meets her in the cafe, where she tells him what has happened. They are having a laugh about it, and then, right in the middle of the moment, Anthony says, 'I love you'."

But Kat's response to his declaration leaves the doctor feeling less than romantic.

"Kat freaks out," reveals Nick. "It was spontaneous a moment, and although what he says is true, and something he stands by, he's embarrassed because Kat is embarrassed. It's a moment he wishes he could rewind. Anthony's guard doesn't come down very often, but when it does, the passion comes out. I don't think he realises what he is saying, it just comes out. But Kat backs off and Anthony is left reeling."

While it remains to be seen if Kat and her cold feet can come to terms with Anthony's revelation, Nick still believes the pair make a great couple.

"They're chalk and cheese, but they say opposites attract - and these sort of relationships can often work very well. The challenge for myself and Jessie Wallace, who plays Kat, has been to make the audience to believe in them as a couple - make sure Anthony isn't too boring for Kat, and Kat isn't too loud and coarse for Anthony, on order to try and find the right balance."

Nick is currently relishing this challenge, and is looking forward to more of the same.

"When you are in somebody's living room every other day, you're in a very intimate exchange with the viewers," he says. "People feel closer to soap actors than they do to any other type of actor. It's terrific to be a part of that."

Inside Soap issue 176 - Q&A - Michelle Ryan

Are you from a large family?

No. It's just me, my mum and dad and my 13 year old brother who is called Mark.

Where did you grow up?

Enfield in Middlesex, and I still live there now with my family.

Do you prefer a night in or a night out?

It depends on what mood I'm in. Sometimes I love getting glammed up and having a really big dance, but I also love having my friends round for a video and a take-away.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I always wanted to be a performer, I just didn't know whether I wanted to dance, sing or act. I always took part in school productions and I worked for Pineapple Dance Studios before joining an agency, so I've always been involved somehow.

What's the best piece of advice you've been given?

Just to go for it and believe in yourself, because there are always so many people telling you that you are not good enough or that you can't do something. Have more faith in yourself.

Do you have a nickname?

Some of my family call me Mish Mash!

Describe yourself in four words.

Conscientious, fun, enthusiastic and lively.

If you could play any role, what would it be?

Either Scarlet O'Hara, or Angelina Jolie's role in Girl, Interrupted - she was very quirky and cool, although a bit disturbing!

What's your biggest fear?

Getting really depressed with life and not being able to enjoy things anymore.

Name three things you couldn't live without.

My bed, my mobile phone and my family and friends.

Do you prefer cats or dogs?

Dogs - I used to have one.

Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

Adam Garcia, who was in Coyote Ugly. He used to rehearse at Pineapple, so I met him there, and I met him again at one of those An audience with ... shows

Can you remember the last dream you had?

They're often to do with work because my mind's always buzzing with it when I come home.

What do you think you'll be doing in five years time?

I'd love to do film, theatre and more TV. I want to stick with Eastenders, but there's other stuff I'd love to do too.

What's your ultimate ambition?

To make a Hollywood movie.

What's the most important thing you've learned in life so far?

Don't worry, be happy. If you can't change things, don't waste your energy fretting about it and enjoy life!

March 28th

Taken from www.ivillage.co.uk Celebrity fitness file - Jessie Wallace.

Albert Square's Kat Slater talks about her body, burgers and dancing all night

Workout or veg out?
Well, I don't work out so I suppose I'm more of a vegger. I have stages of doing exercise for about two weeks, and then I get bored. I joined a gym a while ago and did lots of cardiovascular exercises, but then I found I got completely obsessed with it. I would spend two hours in the gym, and then come out and scoff my face with chocolate. To veg out, I like reading and spending time with my mates. I think that's really important.

Do you like mind/body exercise?
At drama school we used to do T'ai Chi and lots of dance and movement exercise. It really helped me tone up, and I lost loads of weight and became really flexible. But, as soon as I left, I went really down hill again, and I've never had the push to do it since.

I much prefer mind/body exercise because cardiovascular exercise is just so boring, unless it's dancing, which I love. I go out dancing every weekend. It's such a great feeling to dance so much that the next day your bum's killing you. I go to different places all the time because I like dancing to all sorts of music, from '30s and '40s jazz to modern day music. I like everything, apart from heavy dance music; I find it gets monotonous after a while.

Were you a sporty child?
No, definitely not. I was a good swimmer, and used to go quite regularly, but then I became interested in boys, and that was it. I also tried synchronised swimming for a week. At school, I was terrible at sport. I was always the slowest runner - I used to run like a frog, and my legs used to go in different directions like a propeller. I was never any good at the high jump, either. I would run up to the pole and then stand there and then run back and promise to do it the next time, but I never would. It was too hard. As far as sports and I are concerned, we just don't go together.

Are you a healthy eater?
I don't eat much chocolate, which is quite rare for most girls, I think. I have quite a normal diet and I'm not obsessed with what I eat. I like the occasional burger, and have a tendency to eat bad fatty foods that make me feel guilty, but life is too short, really. I have started to watch my weight a bit, more since I started on EastEnders, but it fluctuates a lot, anyway, depending on the phase I'm going through, so it's not easy to control. It depends on the time of year as well, and how many parties I've got to go to.

How do you feel about your body?
Because I'm only 5ft 2in I can't afford to put on a lot of weight or I end up looking like Oompa Loompa from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If I were tall then it wouldn't bother me, but being quite short, I have to be a bit careful. Sometimes I see myself on wide screen, which makes me look wide, and that makes me think I must cut back. It's nice to be a normal size, and I do feel comfortable about my body most of the time, but every now and again, I pull my socks up. I never go on diets, though, I just eat three meals a day and try not to pig out. As long as you discipline yourself, you should be all right.

Sunday 1st April

News of the world - Walford extra

Albert Squares Lynne Slater is finally getting engaged to randy mechanic Garry Hobbs. Actors Elaine Lordan and Ricky Groves were spotted filming on location in Brighton. He was seen picking a ring at a jewellers. An Eastenders source confirmed: "Yes, it's true."

Tuesday 3rd April

The Sun Online : EASTENDERS Jack Ryder and Michelle Ryan are getting close on and OFF the screen.

Jack, who plays Jamie Mitchell, and Michelle, alias Zoe Slater, are becoming romantically involved in the show.

But they were spotted holding hands AFTER filming in Brighton. Soap insiders say the two have become very close. One said: "There is a chemistry off screen. They did a scene holding hands and were still hand in hand when the cameras stopped.

"Everyone was trying not to stare, but there has been a lot of gossip."

Their romance in the BBC soap has been foiled by Jamie's on-off girlfriend Sonia Jackson.

And 19-year-old Jack's long-term girlfriend Carol could do the same to a real-life relationship with Michelle, 16.

Saturday April 7th

All About Soap issue 20 - Little does Mo know

Despite her family's attempts to warn her off the evil Trevor, Little Mo Morgan has always stuck by her violent husband. But this month, as she uncovers some things he has chosen to keep secret, will she finally leave him?

"Little Mo has stayed with Trevor because she loves him, even though she is frightened of him," explains actress Kacey Ainsworth, who plays the Eastender. "He is the only man she has ever really been with, and over the years she has been told that she is no good and no-one else wants her."

On 17th April, Trevor turns up once again and demands that his wife leaves the Slater home. Determined to put up a fight, the family try to convince him to let Little Mo stay with them. And they nearly succeed-until Billy Mitchell appears.

"Trevor finds all men a threat," says Kacey. "And he doesn't like Billy being around his wife when he isn't there. Trevor is a control freak and doesn't want to think Little Mo has other friends."

Although she decides to move away from Albert Square, Little Mo still wants to keep in touch with her family. But when she calls her grandmother for a chat on 19th April, Trevor is furious and yells down the phone that he wants the Slaters to stop interfering in their marriage.

"Little Mo's family help her to relax and keep everything together," says Kacey. "Whenever Trevor is away, she turns to her three sisters to give her some normality in her life. If Trevor cuts off that tie, then she is lost."

Little mo is reunited with her family when Trevor has to go away working again. But there's a surprise in store on 23rd April, when she goes to the building site where he supposedly works to take him his mobile phone. "She is told that Trevor hasn't worked at the site for ages," reveals Kacey. "She panics but it doesn't occur to her that something dodgy might be going on. She genuinely thinks that something awful has happened to him."

Upset, Little Mo is determined to find her husband, but her family won't help, so she turns to Billy. He's willing to assist, though when he discovers Trevor with another woman-who is pregnant!-he is torn as to whether to tell his friend.

"Can you imagine Little Mo's shock if she found out Trevor was with someone else?" asks Kacey. "She would never dream of it happening, and I'm not sure whether she would be strong enough to deal with it. The family would rally round her but she would have to pluck up the courage to tell them first. Maybe Billy could help Little Mo through everything. You will just have to keep watching to find out if things will ever start looking up for her."

All about soap issue 20 - supporting role

Although enjoying the challenge of filming Little Mo's current storyline, Kacey can't wait for the day when her character gains some confidence. "She needs to come out of her shell and stand on her own two feet," Kacey claims. "And I'm sure she would get lots of support. In the UK, people love seeing the underdog coming good!"

The TV Mag- On the lookout for love.

Lonely Beppe di Marco shows he wants some love back in his life after the disastrous end to his relationship with Sandra.

Now that he seems to have won the battle for custody of their son Joe, Beppe goes on the pull to E20 with Garry.

And while Garry makes a fool of himself with the girls, cool Beppe charms pretty newcomer Jane into going home with him.

Michael Greco, who plays Beppe, is delighted his character has got something to smile about. He says: "Beppe feels as if he is ready to play the field again. Sandra is now out of his life and he's ready to spread his wings. He doesn't have to keep looking over his shoulder anymore.

"He's been through a lot this year. His family has gone up north, he's had the battle over Joe with Sandra, and Joe was recently knocked over. He's trying to put all of that behind him and he's ready for a bit of fun."

Beppe steps in to do a job for Lynne in the cafe when Garry lets her down and they clearly get on well. Beppe confides in her that he is ready to start playing the field again, but she says he is much too nice.

"I think he feels for Lynne," says Michael. "He can see Garry is a bit of a Jack-the-lad and feels sorry for her, even though he likes Garry.

"At the end of the day, Beppe is a gentleman and is always happy to help a lady in distress! But I would love to see him lighten up a bit. He's always moaning and moody."

Tuesday April 10th

Inside soap issue 177 - True colours

Little Mo Morgan has suffered years of abuse at the hands of her violent husband Trevor, but this fortnight she finally faces up to the fact that something is seriously wrong with her marriage.

The Slater family despair when, after Trevor comes back from a long trip working away, Little Mo decides to return to the marital home. Fearing for the safety of her vulnerable granddaughter, no-nonsense Mo Harris- hoping to provoke a reaction from Trevor- engineers the arrival of Billy Mitchell as Trevor endures a family meal at the Slater house.

"Mo doesn't want Little Mo to go and she wants her to see what Trevor is really like," explains Kacey Ainsworth, who plays the long-suffering wife. "Little Mo is still maintaining that the beating was a one-off, he lost control and it was her fault- which is what a lot of abused people say. She really loves Trevor and can't bear to see her marriage fall apart. He has been her one and only boyfriend- he picked her out from all the sisters- and she can't let go of the fact that in the beginning he treated her like a princess."

However, those happy days seem like a long time ago when Billy arrives at the Slaters'. Furious that another man has come calling for Little Mo, Trevor insists that they return home. Little Mo is torn but agrees and Trevor once again takes control of her life by cutting her off from her family.

As always Mo tries to hide from the truth. However when Trevor heads off for another spell working away in Slough and accidentally leaves his mobile phone behind, Little Mo attempts to deliver it to him at the building site where he works. On arrival she is stunned to discover that Trevor no longer works there- he hasn't done so for weeks.

"Little Mo is extremely worried about him," admits Kacey. "Her family aren't that bothered about Trevor. They care that Little Mo is upset, but they know what a manipulator Trevor is and think he would do something like that just to wind her up. So, in the end, Billy is the only person who she can turn to."

The smitten Mitchell is only too happy to play knight in shining armour to Little Mo, but there is a shock in store when he finally tracks Trevor down. While we will have to wait to find out what Trevor is up to, Kacey reveals that Little Mo is devastated by the discovery.

"It is the worst thing that could have happened because it is the last thing that Little Mo suspects and she doesn't know how to deal with it. "Personally, I'm enjoying the way the story is going and working on it. It's been very well written and researched. However it's very harrowing to act out and is does wipe you out. It is upsetting when you're crying all day, but at least I can get away from it when I leave the studio- there are people out there who are living it and I only hope this storyline can help someone."

Thursday 12th April

Soaplife issue 22 - No more Mo-ping?

We all thought she was the gentle funny one- the innocent amongst the sinful Slater sisters. The awful truth that Little Mo was in fact a battered wife was a shocking and powerful secret that took fans by surprise when, last December, we first saw her bruised face, blackened eyes and split lips.

Mo's husband, Trevor Morgan, it emerged was a violent control freak who unknown to the rest of her close-knit family, had been beating her on a regular basis.

It was emotive stuff that won the soap praise for dealing with the issue of domestic violence- and actress Kacey Ainsworth, who plays little Mo, plaudits for her acting skills.

"You never realise the impact you're having as an actress unless it's in retrospect. But the wonderful thing about Eastenders is that it can highlight issues like domestic violence in a very real way," says Kacey. "I get letters from people who have been in or are in abusive relationships and they tell me that the storyline's very realistically done."

But the compliments are usually followed by the question every fan asks Kacey- why doesn't Mo leave Trevor? The 28-year old actress admits it's a tough one to answer.

"It's more complicated than Mo just leaving," she says. "For a long time Mo's had her confidence knocked by Trevor. He's told her she's useless and wouldn't be anything without him so often that now she believes it.

"They married quite young and he's possibly the only person who's ever made a fuss of her. Also, because the family were always a bit wary of Trevor, it's an awful thing to have to admit that she was wrong and they were right.

"But she essentially stays with him because she does love him- even though she's confused about what love is."

Whether Little Mo continues to love him when she uncovers his latest betrayal of her trust is another matter though. Because not only is her husband a violent bully but, she finds out, he's also an adulterer with a pregnant girlfriend.

The shattering betrayal is revealed by Billy Mitchell, of all people- Mo's secret admirer.

"Mo's worried about Trevor when he goes missing for a few days and Billy decides to go looking for him without telling her," Kacey explains. "When he finds out what Trevor's up to, he tries to be tactful and hints there night be another woman. Mo, obviously, goes mad."

In the end, Billy takes her to see for herself. Will this finally be the breaking point for her marriage though?

"I'm not sure as she's been won round by Trevor so many times before," muses Kacey. "She may eventually reach a cut-off point, but until she gains some confidence and gets some distance from him, she won't know. She need to realise that she can survive without him."

Although Little Mo may be in emotional turmoil, one person who could be a winner in this unhappy chain of events is unlikely Knight-in-shining-armour Billy. Could they have a future together?

"So many people are rooting for us, it's unbelievable," laughs Kacey. "recently, Perry Fenwick, who plays Billy was on holiday abroad and was walking up a mountain, thinking how peaceful it was when someone suddenly shouted, "Oi! When're you getting together with Little Mo then?" I can believe it, though, as I get lots of people chatting to me about it everywhere."

What does Kacey want for her character though?

"I'd like to see her get out of her relationship with Trevor- or for something to happen that would make it work," says Kacey. "I'd love her to get a bit more power for herself, too, but in a gradual way. I really want to see Little Mo blossom and get out there and succeed."

And fall into the arms of new lover Billy Mitchell? Only time will tell...

Soaplife issue 22. Doctor in Love

Was Anthony amazed that he could win a stunning woman like Kat?

He couldn't believe his luck. He doesn't have a lot of experience with women and she was chasing him!

Anthony publicly set up a flash night out with Kat. Why?

He'd had a few choice words with her and then Jim Branning suggested that actions spoke louder than words! Also he's a bit of a Cary Grant on the quiet, an old-fashioned romantic who like to wine and dine women, and he wanted to profess his love and show everyone what Kat meant to him.

Why's he so convinced she's the one?

He knows the way he feels about her. There's chemistry there and although he isn't the type of guy who'd fall head-over-heels in love, she's refreshing to him. He just has a real need to be involved with her.

They seem a chalk-and-cheese couple. What's the attraction for both of them?

They see something in each other which they don't have. He sees Kat's resilience, temperament and her joie de vivre, and she doesn't care what anyone thinks. She's also very outwardly sexual and these are qualities that he wishes he had the chance to liberate in himself. But he has a public station in Walford and he needs to behave responsibly. As for Kat, she's never met a guy like Anthony who treats her with respect. She also likes his respectability, his charm and his shy way.

His relationship with Kat goes downhill after he admits he loves her. Why?

It just shocks Kat when Anthony gets heavy and professes his love for her.

How does Anthony feel when she leaves with another man at E20?

He's gutted. It's a horrible thing to do to anyone as sensitive as him- especially in front of his face. Naturally, he's hurt as he cares about her and she's humiliated him.

Will the arrival of his brother Paul help him get over his heartbreak?

Paul's a different character to Anthony. He's essentially a loveable rogue and he's from a different background, but blood's thicker than water and viewers will see them bonding and helping each other out.

Do Kat and Anthony have a future?

Perhaps they both have some growing up to do. Anthony needs to enter the real world more and Kat need to get in touch with her emotions. But there's a chemistry there and I don't think the story's over yet.

Has Eastenders changed your life?

Strangers tell me 'Doctor! Doctor!' jokes! Also before I ended up in bed with Kat on screen, a man asked me why it was taking me so long! But I'll accept the attention if it means I can keep working on Eastenders!.

Thursday April 19th

The Daily Mirror - Message of hope in harrowing Eastenders Plot

Little Mo, the quiet middle sister in Eastenders' rowdy Slater family, is lying in bed with her husband Trevor. He goes to light a cigarette and playfully, she snatches it from him.

For a split second in tonight's episode, time stands still. Mo freezes under Trevor's gaze as her heart skips a beat.

In another relationship it would be a spontaneous moment between lovers, but Mo has carried enough bruises in their marriage to know that even the most flippant and casual gestures can end in violence.

Completely controlled by Trevor, Mo is a woman permanently on edge, her nerves shattered and her self esteem at rock bottom. Her only escape is to a fantasy world of hearts and flowers that only exists inside her head.

"It's really important to show that it's not always about black eyes and broken bones," says Kacey Ainsworth who plays Little Mo in the soap. "Domestic violence is also about men who control women. This storyline is showing the mental cruelty side of it."

Before Christmas, viewers saw Mo badly bruised after a beating from Trevor. Since then, he has been working away on building sites, but this week he arrives back in the square in a tense and explosive storyline that will see Trevor once more turning to violence.

It's only television. It's only acting.

But Mo's story has been so carefully researched and constructed that it tells us something about a society in which one in four women experience domestic violence at some point in their lives. Two women are killed every week in England and Wales by a current or former partner.

And a quarter of all recorded violent crime is domestic violence

Thousands of women continue to suffer in silence, experiencing an average of 35 incidents of violence before seeking police help.

Kacey hopes Little Mo can can speak for some of these silenced women who often cannot speak for themselves.

For the 30-year old actress, the storyline is emotionally draining.

"Initially I thought, 'this is good. It's a dramatic storyline'." she says. "But the longer it goes on, the more I feel the responsibility of it.

"You really have to be careful as someone in a soap, not to become an instant expert. But you also have a responsibility to make it real because women who have been there or are still there will be watching.

"I don't know anyone who doesn't know someone who has experienced domestic violence. That's why it's so frightening.

"I love Mo to bits. I want her to get out of the situation, but that might or might not happen."

Kacey and Alex Ferns- who plays Trevor- spent months researching their on screen relationship, reading real life stories gathered by Eastenders' researchers and meeting women who had experienced domestic violence.

They also studied accounts from violent men undergoing 'anger management' courses.

"As research for the part, I met three women who had experienced domestic violence," says Kacey.

"It was really helpful to find out where Mo was coming from. And it was very brave of them."

But she found the men's explanations for their violence chilling.

"The way they justify battering their wives was horrific," she says. "They would say 'she was winding me up, she was nagging me'.

"There is never any excuse for raising your hand to someone. I read about men who want to make it up to their wives after battering them by having sex with them.

"They think that making love is the answer and these poor women are too scared to say no.

"It's mental, physical and sexual abuse in one... and in some cases rape within marriage."

Since Mo was first attacked, Kacey has received hundreds of letters from viewers who are experiencing violence at home. As she filmed next weeks episodes as Trevor's behaviour worsens, she kept thinking of them.

"One woman wrote that if she was watching television when her husband came home from the pub he'd say, 'You know I hate that program, you're watching it on purpose'.

"If she went to bed instead, he'd say, 'What are you doing in bed? Who have you had in there?' There was always an excuse for him to hit her."

There has never been a hint of violence in Kacey's relationship with her childhood sweetheart Darren, a plumber. They met when she was 13 and Darren was 16, and finally settled down two years age.

But playing Mo has taken her back to a place inside herself that she experienced as a bullied child.

"What Trevor does to Mo taps into that little voice that says, 'Am I good enough? Do they like me? Am I pretty? Does my hair look good?" she says.

Born in north London, Kacey grew up on the Essex-Hertfordshire border. By the age of 10 she was working in West-End shows in her school holidays, and sharing a flat with several other children. "I wasn't one of them- I was a little fat 10-year old," she says. "They bullied me and it changed my personality. I became very withdrawn and secretive. I felt very ashamed."

She didn't tell her mother until years later and recognises the same secrecy in Mo, and the women who have written to her.

"It's the shame factor," she explains. That's the only way I can relate to it.

"I think some of these women feel ashamed because they think that if their husband loved them more, he wouldn't do it. You think you're not good enough. But you can't ever be good enough in that situation. Walking on eggshells... You talk too much or not enough. To cook or not to cook. To go shopping or not to go shopping. She's always looking for affirmation.

"Trevor taps into that little voice that says, 'you're rubbish'. He digs right into her. And I remember that is a really painful place to be."

Twenty years after the bullying, Kacey still bears scars.

"There's a scene when Mo is finally telling her sister about all the shame and I found myself thinking, 'That could be me'."

Kacey Ainsworth has acted the part of a battered woman before. She wonders if casting directors see in her the little girl who was bullied.

"I think it's because somewhere in my head there is still that experienced of being bullied," says Kacey, who went to Central Drama School at 21.

The storyline has meant that friends have confided in her about their own experiences of being battered wives.

"It's very difficult because you always want to say, 'Leave. Come and live with me.' But the question isn't, 'Why are you staying?' It should be: 'Why does he think it's OK to hit you? He shouldn't hit you'."

Kacey is proud of the way Eastenders has handled the storyline.

"It's a huge responsibility, but I'm pleased with the way the writers have dealt with it," she says. "They haven't just done it in a sensationalist way for three episodes and then that's the end of the relationship.

"People are often in a relationship for years before they leave."

Kacey looks up from her coffee with Little Mo's eyes.

"It's also important to say that violence doesn't discriminate," she says.

"It can happen on Council Estates and in suburbia. It's there in very strata of society. It can happen to ordinary women and famous women."

Kacey Ainsworth knows she is lucky. After a hard days filming, her eyes red from crying, she goes home to Darren.

There are thousands of women In Britain who go home to a Trevor instead.

Saturday 21st April

The Sun -BOON'S BACK ON THE BOOZE

Troubled ... Elphick heads
home from his local

By TOM WORDEN

BOON star Michael Elphick is back on the booze - only weeks before he is due to make a major TV comeback in EastEnders.

Worried friends of the burly actor fear he could drink himself to death.

Doctors had warned Elphick, 55, to stay off alcohol completely after his years of battling the bottle.

But he has been spotted on several benders, including one five-hour thrash in which he downed 18 vodkas and four halves of Guinness.

A pal said last night: "Everyone is hoping Michael's role in EastEnders will put him back on track.

"But at the moment he's in his local almost every day drinking heavily. He's often in there by 12.30pm and can drink for hours.

"It is a tragic sight for anyone who has known him for some time. We are hoping he doesn't do a George Best as the way he is going the drink could kill him."

Elphick has already started filming EastEnders scenes.

His first appearance in the hit BBC soap will be next month.

He is joining as Harry Slater, the new boyfriend of Queen Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell, played by Barbara Windsor, 63.

But recently he has been boozing regularly in his local, called Isobar.

It is ten minutes walk from his house in Willesden Green, North West London, where it is understood he lives with his daughter Kate, 25.

Nine days ago he went to the pub at 12.15pm and downed the half pints of Guinness with triple vodkas and ice.

He sat reading a paper, smoking Marlboro cigarettes and joking with pals until 5.30pm.

With his hands shaking as he picked up glasses, he sang along quietly with Don McLean's American Pie on the jukebox.

After the binge he stumbled out of the bar with a friend.

Another pal said yesterday: "He is in the Isobar regular as clockwork."

The actor was devastated by the death from cancer of long-term girlfriend Julia Alexander, 52, in 1996.

They had been sweethearts from childhood.

Elphick admitted he turned to cocaine and drink, swigging up to two litres of spirit a day.

He had treatment at the Priory clinic, Roehampton, South West London, and claimed he had conquered booze.

He said: "I'm advised not to drink at all but I'm quite strong-willed and am in control."

The actor played private investigator Ken Boon from 1986 until the series was axed in 1993.

He was once thrown off the set for being too drunk to read his lines.

When he returned to TV as a hard-drinking newsman in the BBC drama Harry he had a "no-drinking" clause written into his contract - at his own request.

Several of his friends have been killed by alcohol, including actor Kevin Lloyd who played Tosh Lines in ITV's police drama The Bill.

He refused to comment on his latest booze bouts.

Sunday 22nd April

Unmissable TV : 'I blacked out when I won my EastEnders role'

EastEnders actress Jessie Wallace blacked out when she landed the part of maneater Kat Slater.

The soap star had spent three agonising months waiting to hear if she'd got the role, so it all proved too much for her when she finally found out she was joining the cast of the hit BBC1 show.

She tells TV Times: 'I waited three months to hear if I'd got the part; it was torture.

'Eventually my agent rang, and I said, "Look, this waiting is making me ill, I need to know", and he said, "Well, you haven't got to wait any longer - you're in". I was walking down the High Street and blacked out.

'When I came round, my face was wet from crying. It was brilliant.'

Kat is the bad girl of Albert Square. So what's the public reaction to her been like?

'I thought I'd get some stick, but it hasn't been too bad. Although some women did say to me the other day, "Ooh, you were horrible to that doctor, Anthony, last night. How could you?"

'But you know, to have got such a strong role - when it's my first job - is a dream come true.