| Interview with John McArdle and Joanna Taylor on GMTV Monday 18th November 2002 Eamonn Holmes: A special tele preview, we�ve got a couple of stars from Merseybeat here. We�ve got the lovely Joanna Taylor who plays PC Jackie Brown and the even lovelier John McArdle who plays Inspector Oulton there. Now Fiona and I, we all love the programme don�t we? Fiona Phillips: What a cast? Eamonn: We love it but our TV person on the other hand. (John McArdle pretends to punch Richard Arnold) Richard Arnold: I�ve made the odd scrawny comment in the past, I�m bang to rights, did you bring your cuffs John. John McArdle: Yes, I�ve got them with me, �ere we are. (reaches into back pocket as if to bring them out) Richard: Fabulous! We are going to get on famously then. It was all a little bit home sprung for me before, but it started cooking on gas towards the end of the last season, though didn�t it? With the whole sort of stalking storyline with the lovely Haydn Gwynne. Eamonn: Is that an about turn we�re having there? They all laugh! Richard: It�s not an about turn. I always flagged up, don�t you start with me Joanna (points finger at her laughing). I always used to flag up the individual performances. John: Eh? Which ones were they? Richard: I believe the sort of icons. Fiona: And John�s and Joanna�s in particular. Richard: Yes, absolutely. Look at you wringing your hands as well (to Eamonn), you�re closer to Joanna than you ever get to me at that end of the sofa. Eamonn: Joanna, what�s it like being in uniform? Joanna Taylor: Not as sexy as people think. Eamonn: What was it like going from Hollyoaks and now you�ve got this� Joanna: It�s a lot warmer. Eammon: Yes. Joanna: There�s none of the short skirts and low cut tops. I�m a lot warmer in the cold weather. Eamonn: Well that�s good. And this figure of authority, this Inspector Oulton, he�s a renegade, he�s a boy with a past isn�t he? John: Yeah. He�s come up through the ranks, and he goes his own way. No matter�if he thinks it�s right, he�ll go through with it. Eamonn: Yeah, including the little sort of developments with his wife and other people� We�ll now going to see a clip and we�ll talk about that after this. [Clip of Jackie finding the old man dead in his home with the piece of paper with her name on it] Eamonn: Yes, that was a clip of Joanna, but this now will be a clip of John. Joanna: We look similar. Eamonn: Here we go. [Clip of Susan and Jim talking about whether she should tell the truth or not about what happened with Guy] Richard: See, that was a cracking climax to the last series, absolutely superb, and we tie up all of the loose ends and we got some great guest stars. In tonight�s episode, Les Dennis. John: Yeah. Richard: Cooking the gas two series running. John: He�s good as well, Les. Richard: Superb. John: Really good. Eamonn: Now John, you�re wife in the series is your real wife? John: My lovely Kathy Jamieson, yes, yes. Eamonn: Who you had to leave of course in the series. John: Well it�s a bit like a yo-yo relationship at the moment because he leaves her and keeps going back, and he leaves her. He�s really pulled back towards her. He thinks the world of her. But it�s good drama, I think. Eamonn: Talking about relationships, Joanna. Richard: (points at Eamonn) Look at him wringing his hands. Fiona: He is. He�s really excited. Eamonn: No, I just hope that Liverpool�s recent drop in form is due to your relationship with Danny Murphy . Joanna: No, because his performance has been getting better and better. John: Since he met you? Joanna: Yeah. Eamonn: When he gets hurt on the pitch and things do you kiss him better? Joanna: Well he phoned me yesterday, he�s watching now � hello. Fiona: He�ll be cringing. Joanna: He will be. He�ll be like that � bleary eyed. But he got cut yesterday so I�ll see him later. Eamonn: (talks into the camera) Oh, bless him! What a pity you dropped two points yesterday to Sunderland. Joanna: Yeah, they�ll get them back. No problem. I�m confident. Fiona: And pass on my congratulations to Michael Owen. Joanna: Yeah, Michael Owen and Louise. Fiona: Gonna be a daddy. Eamonn: Very good. Very good. Now I�m going to ask him what else is on the tele tonight (points at Richard). [Richard Arnold talks a little about Coronation Street.] Eamonn: Which now on the subject of soaps John brings us onto Brookside and Fiona was a bit perturbed there. Fiona: Yeah, the demise of Brookside, which of course you so famously were in the first�the highlight years rather than the twilight years. John: Yeah. 1985. I joined 1985, three years after it started and it�s a shame because I mean I�m loyal to the programme, because it more or less launched my TV Career. And it�s sad that it�s been relegated to that spot because a lot of good actors have through Brookside, it�s created a lot of work in Liverpool and around there, so it�s sad. Soaps do have their dips. Eamonn: Joanna, can you see now why something like Hollyoaks would be on the ascendancy or can you see a difference between a soap like Hollyoaks and a soap like Brookside? Joanna: There�s a big difference and I know that - I left Hollyoaks a year ago � and they�ve tried to inject Hollyoaks� style into Brookside, because obviously it�s the same company and they�ve tried to inject Hollyoaks� style into Brookside. And I don�t know that works because Brookside is a completely different type of show. Where as Hollyoaks is kind of much, sort of lighter and fluffy, bright�it�s for teenagers at the end of the day. It is a different show and I think they�d be wrong to try and make Hollyoaks for adults. Eamonn: Well Joanna, glad to see it going so well for you and you�ve made the transition and obviously you�re working with the master here who has done it all � so many things from series to films an all the rest. John, lovely seeing you. John: Eamonn, can I just say Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law Paul, my younger sister Tricia�s husband. Happy Birthday Paul! Fiona: Happy Birthday Paul. Eamonn: How old is Paul? John: I can�t say. No, he�s dead young, he�s about five I think. Eamonn: Excellent. Excellent. Thank you all very much indeed. |