SMOOTH OPERATOR
A new face comes roaring into Cardale on a motorbike this week in the shape of cocky young GP Matt Kendall, played by Jamie Bamber.
With Dr. Will Preston (Simon Shepherd) spiralling into depression, Matt has no idea of the potential storm he's riding into and things don't get off to a great start when he finds pensioner Alice North (Margery Mason) dead on his first home visit. But he soon finds a few admirers in physiotherapist Kerri Davidson (Susannah Corbett) and nurse Claire Brightwell (Eva Pope) who wastes no time in getting her hands on the hunky young medic.
However, there's a bit more to Matt than he's letting on.
"While Matt is a qualified doctor, he's not a qualified GP" explains Jamie, 28. "He's failed his first year as a hospital registrar so he's moved out to Cardale. He sees it as a bit of a step down. The reason he failed is because he slept with someone he shouldn't have. But he's a good doctor underneath it all."
He moves in to the Black Swan with landlord Shaun (Victor McGuire) and makes himself at home. But it won't be a case of men behaving badly.
"Matt's just a bloke like any other," says Jamie. "He's very hardworking, confident without being arrogant and a good laugh. He and Shaun have this very matey relationship which is fun to play."
Jamie, who lives in south London, has appeared as a regular in Hornblower and viewers may also have spotted him in two episodes of Band of Brothers. But this is the first time he's played a doctor, a profession he never considered in real life.
"I don't think I could be so detached, and that's a big part of being a doctor, isn't it" he says.
Pretending to be one presented its own challenges. "It was hard being convincing in the way you examine people," he says. 'Like not invading their personal space and putting your fingers on the right place on their chest."
While Jamie's role is that of a bad boy, he can't match his actress girlfriend's screen character for appalling behaviour. She's Kerry Norton, Bad Girls' Maxi Purvis.
"We've only been together five months" he says. "But sh'es nothing like Maxi. She's lovely. I'm glad to say she's the complete opposite."
Reported by Jon Peake.