EastEnders stars Adam Woodyatt and Letitia Dean have revealed that they were sent home after laughing too much while recording the show.
Adam, who plays Ian Beale, 52, and Letitia, who plays Sharon Watts, also 52, spoke candidly about their 35 years on the soap.
While speaking to Stacey Dooley on EastEnders: Secrets From the Square, they discussed the telling off they received at the age of 17 in 1985.
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Opening up: EastEnders stars Adam Woodyatt and Letitia Dean have revealed that they were sent home after laughing too much while recording the show
Adam, who has played Ian Beale since the soap began in 1985, said: ‘A combination of Tish, Sue (Tully, who played Michelle Fowler), me and Paul Medford (who played Kelvin Carpenter), we got sent home one Friday afternoon, and got told to come back the following day, because we just got the giggles.
‘We got properly, properly told off and sent home.’
Letitia, who joined the soap in the same year said: ‘It was very strict. We weren’t allowed to have any egos as kids.’
Candid: Adam, who plays Ian Beale, 52, and Letitia, Sharon Watts, also 52 (pictured in 1985), spoke candidly about their 35 years on the soap
The show, one of the UK’s favourites, is currently off the air and won’t start recording new episodes until the end of this month.
Episodes of the iconic BBC One soap opera that were filmed before the coronavirus pandemic ran out two weeks ago.
And new instalments, which will be filmed in accordance with social-distancing guidelines, will be roughly 10 minutes shorter than usual.
Giggles: While speaking to Stacey Dooley on EastEnders: Secrets From the Square, they discussed the telling off they received at the age of 17
According to Tanya Franks, who plays Rainie Branning, filming for the soap will resume this week.
It hasn’t yet been announced when these episodes will air.
When episodes finally return to screens they will only air four times a week as opposed to the usual five times.
Sent home: Adam, who has played Ian Beale since the show began in 1985, said: ‘We got properly, properly told off and sent home’
Until now, only two pre-filmed EastEnders episodes have aired a week to make them last as long as possible.
EastEnders executive producer Jon Sen said: ‘Resuming production is incredibly exciting and challenging in equal measure.
‘Since we postponed filming we’ve been working non-stop trialling techniques, filming methods and new ways of working so that we can return to screens four times a week – as EastEnders should be.
Making a comeback: The show, one of the UK’s favourites, is currently off the air and won’t start recording new episodes until the end of this month
‘Filming will inevitably be a more complex process now so creating 20-minute episodes will enable us to ensure that when we return, EastEnders will still be the show the audience know and love.’
Until the new episodes air, the show will plug the gap with classic EastEnders episodes Stacey’s spin-off show.
Stacey, 33, will host a new show called EastEnders: Secrets From The Square on Monday nights.
Letitia said: ‘It was very strict. We weren’t allowed to have any egos as kids’ (pictured in 1985)
She will present the show from the soap’s famous restaurant Walford East and will be joined by two members from the cast.
The cast members, who will include Letitia, Adam, Danny Dyer (Mick Carter), Diane Parish (Denise Fox), Tameka Empson (Kim Fox) and Kellie Bright (Linda Carter), will reflect on their time on the show and tease what’s to come when the show returns.
There will also be an occasional sneak peek behind the scenes in the show, which launched on June 22.
Coronation Street and Emmerdale have resumed filming.
New normal: Stacey, 33, will host a new show called EastEnders: Secrets From The Square on Monday nights