Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt)

[alan45]

EastEnders' longest-serving star Adam Woodyatt had one of his biggest years on the show in 2012, as his character Ian Beale suffered a mental breakdown and ended up living on the streets following a series of turbulent events in his personal life.

The actor's emotional performances have now been recognised in the National Television Awards 2013 nominations, as Woodyatt is in the running for the 'Serial Drama Performance' prize alongside Alan Halsall, Michelle Keegan and Emmett Scanlan.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Adam to hear his reaction to the nomination and Ian's recent tough times.

How does it feel to be in the running for the 'Serial Drama Performance' prize at the NTAs?
"It's quite surprising, really. I was chuffed to be on the longlist, to be honest. When I made it past the longlist and onto the shortlist, I was stunned!"

How do you rate your chances?
"I'm not even thinking about that. I know that Alan Halsall's had a great year on Corrie. I know what he's been doing because I've been watching bits of it. I haven't really seen what Michelle [Keegan] and Emmett [Scanlan] have been doing. But just to get down to the final four, I'm happy with that. If I went on to win the prize it would be amazing, but final four is good!"

Out of all the scenes you've done in the past year, do any stand out as ones that you're really proud of?
"There was a scene that I did in the café with Hetti [Bywater], when Ian finally admitted to Lucy that he was seeking help. That one stands out, because it just suddenly got all emotional between us, when it wasn't actually scripted that way. I quite liked that one!"

Is there anything you'd say for why our readers should vote for you?
"This is where I'm absolutely rubbish - I'm the worst self-publicist going! I'm not one of those people who's good at networking or anything like that - it's not what I do. I enjoy my job and I love doing something different every day.

"With Ian's most recent storyline - the homelessness and mental health issues - if it's made a difference to one person, then that's great and I think that's more important than anything else."

Ian has seemed like a much nicer person in recent months. Do you think that's a permanent change, or will he go back to his old ways?
"Obviously what's happened to Ian is going to leave a lasting effect. There's plenty of things to explore in the future with that, and he's going to have ups and downs. If you look at someone in that situation, I think it's what would realistically happen with them - there'd be good days and bad days. Hopefully at some point we're going to explore that.

"I think there's going to be elements of 'old Ian' there - there always will be. But I think those are going to be tempered a little bit by 'new Ian'. If you can call him 'new Ian' - he's still Ian!"

Did you find Ian's breakdown storyline challenging as an actor?
"Well, if anybody was to look back at the tweets I was doing last March, I actually said that I was filming some of the hardest stuff I'd ever had to do. That was referring to the six or seven episodes from the point where Ben confessed to Ian that he'd killed Heather, to the point where Ian walked down the side of the motorway.

"With the stuff in there, some of it just played with your head and played with your emotions. Ian was in a situation where he wanted to tell the truth, but if he did that, his brother would go to prison. That whole dilemma sent him on a spiral and it really was a situation that played with your head."

Ian and Denise are growing closer…
"Are they? That's news to me! (Laughs.)"

It seems so! Would you like that to remain a friendship, or develop into more?
"Look, I've never been one to worry about what's coming up. I don't know where they're going to go, or what they're going to do. These things are always quite flexible and changeable. Who knows what's going to happen, but I'm sure something will at some point. With his track record, Ian doesn't seem the sort to be single for very long. He does like wedding cake!"

A lot of our readers would like to see more Ian and Sharon scenes, given their history as friends. Will you be working with Letitia more?
"Absolutely not - I can't stand the woman and refuse to work with her! (Laughs.) Just joking! Of course there's going to be more. I've known Tish since I was ten and it's great having her back. Funnily enough, I think I'm just about to do some filming with her. It's like having a sister on set."

Digital Spy readers also often ask whether Peter Beale will ever return!
"Well instead of asking me, next time you do one of your producer interviews with Lorraine Newman, ask her! I'd love to know when my family are coming back!"

Is there anything you haven't explored yet with Ian that you'd love to do?
"I think there's still loads of things you can do with Ian. If you go back to where he started off, he was training to be a chef and despite a little bit of dabbling with outside catering, Masala Queen and the café, we haven't seen much of that. The café isn't exactly fine dining, is it? Maybe he could explore something culinary in the future. I'd quite enjoy that, as I like cooking!"

How do you feel about Ian finally being on decent terms with Phil after so many problems?
"Well, to be honest, I haven't seen Steve [McFadden] for eight weeks because we've both been off doing panto! I'm not sure how Ian and Phil's relationship currently stands - maybe something happened while I was away! But whether it's them having a laugh singing 'Born to Run' or having an argument at The Vic, I just love working with Steve. It's always easy."


Who would you like more scenes with?
"Jamie Borthwick, because he's a really nice little lad and I think he's really talented. I'd like to work more with him. I'd also like to work with Nitin Ganatra and loads of other people to be honest, but those two in particular."

Do you see yourself staying with EastEnders for a long time to come?
"I've never looked beyond the end date of my contract. I'd be surprised if I wasn't here past the date of my contract, but that's as far as I plan!"

[Perdita]

He may have been in EastEnders for 30 years, but the show's longest-serving cast member Adam Woodyatt has enjoyed some of his most memorable scenes yet over the past 12 months.

The actor's character Ian Beale is currently trying to get his life back to normal following the devastating revelations surrounding the death of his daughter Lucy - but with more twists and turns ahead in that story and his mum Kathy's return also on the way, there's bound to be plenty more drama to come.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Adam for a chat about his busy year, future plots - and his chances of claiming the Best Actor title at this weekend's British Soap Awards!

How does it feel to be up for Best Actor at the Soap Awards again?
"It's nice. It's nice to get the nod from work that you're doing alright, and then it's also nice to get the nod from the public that you're doing alright when they get you off the longlist and onto the shortlist. It's always a good feeling!"

We've just seen at the BAFTAs that there can be a surprise result. Are you still hopeful that EastEnders' strong year will be recognised at the Soap Awards?
"I think what the BAFTAs has shown is that you never know which way a panel or the public will vote. What it basically means is that if people want us to win on Saturday, then vote! You just don't know what's going to happen.

"At the Soap Awards, the Best Actor and Best Actress categories are half and half between the public and the panel. Best Soap is the only one fully determined by the public vote and the rest of it is the panel, so anything can happen. The panel may see things differently and they might be looking for something different. The public might see it differently too. It's just what they vote for and who they pick."

Apart from yourself, who are you keeping your fingers crossed for?
"Obviously I'd like to see Laurie win Best Actress. As much as I love Kellie and I like what she's done this year, I'm biased - of course I'm going to pick Laurie! (Laughs.) And of course Danny is up for Best Actor but if either of us win, it is a win for the show.

"I would say [Coronation Street's] David Neilson too because I like him and he's a nice bloke, but I'd like to beat him this year!"

The Live Week in February really surpassed everyone's expectations and had some great feedback. Had you expected that reaction?
"I didn't anticipate the reaction, but I knew that we'd be okay and I knew that we'd do it well. That's not being arrogant, it's just because that's what we do and that's what our job is. To me, it was no different to being on stage. It was the same and that's where my head was. I didn't think of it any differently to that.

"Despite the fact that it was a huge technical exercise, it was just the same as what we do every other day - you just forget the cameras are there and you're just performing in that space.

"Admittedly, normally if you stand in the wrong place, you can do something about it, or you won't necessarily have a camera reframing. But for the director Karl Neilson to make it so close to a normal episode even though it was live, I think he deserves an awful lot of praise."

Now that you can speak freely, can you tell us when you found out Bobby was the killer? Did you have plenty of time to prepare for those big revelation scenes?
"Me, Laurie and Ben found out at the end of November, beginning of December. We needed to know because we were filming the episode after the live. We all looked at the script and went, 'We can't do this without knowing what's happened'. So we hadn't seen the live scripts at that point, but Dom filled us in and told us exactly what happened - who it was, what happened in the house and all those other blanks.

"I think we then got the live scripts just before Christmas. There were very little changes all the way through - it was just the odd line here and there, so it was pretty locked down. I think we started rehearsing about three weeks before."

Was it hard to keep the killer's identity a secret when it was such a talking point?
"Good God, no! It's dead easy to keep a secret. It's quite simple - just don't say anything! Whenever anybody said, 'Do you know who killed Lucy?' I used to say yes! They'd ask who and I'd say, 'Not telling you!'"

Dominic said himself afterwards that Bobby being the killer was a Marmite outcome. Were you guys pleased with the ending?
"It's not a Marmite outcome - not for me anyway. If you step back and think about it, what it gives us is somewhere to go. If the killer had been Whitney or Roxy or Tamwar or Phil, then justice would have had to have been done. You would have had to see somebody nicked and go to prison, and that would be the end of their character.

"With it being Bobby, we've got more stories to tell. There's somewhere to go with this. Is he eventually brought to justice? Do they carry on hiding it? If they do carry on hiding it, what are the consequences for Bobby? There's so many routes we can go down with this and it's just the start."

Do you know when they will start exploring it again?
"I haven't got a clue! You know what they're like! If they don't tell you guys anything, they tell us even less!"

We've seen lots of discussion on Ian's decision to forgive Jane for her part in what happened. Were you surprised he was able to do that?
"Again, that gives us somewhere to go. That's the thing - Ian has got to deal with the consequences of his actions. I'm sure it's something that's going to be explored in the future. Ian's not the most stable mentally anymore, so something like this could easily build in his head and cause him problems in the future. On the other hand, it might not!

"By the killer being Bobby and with Jane covering it up, it gives us a lot more options for the future than if it had been Abi or Max."

What was your reaction when Dominic told you that Gillian Taylforth was returning as Kathy?
"I was just overwhelmed. I couldn't believe it. Dom turned around and said, 'Trust me, it's convincing'. I said, 'I don't care, I've got my mum back!' I can't wait to start working with her full-time again.

"I saw that somebody dragged up an article from five years ago where I said that Kathy coming back could destroy the credibility of the show. Yeah, I did say that - but Dom's not going to risk the show's credibility.

"I did say that bringing somebody back from the dead would destroy the credibility - if it's not done right. If it's done right, then all Gillian is going to do is add to the show - and boy will she add to the show! There are definitely some stories to tell there."

Has Dominic told you the finer details of Kathy's return storyline?
"I can honestly say I'm in the dark over that. I know the next time Gill is filming but I don't know what she's doing, who she's doing it with or where it is! I've got no idea. Literally, every time I get a new script, I'm flicking through it to see if there's another Kathy mention or moment! I'm trying to put it all together, so if I'm doing that, God knows what you lot are like!"

Phil has said that he doesn't think Ian could cope with Kathy's return. Do you think he's right to be worried, or is Phil being selfish?
"That's a clue in itself - I've just realised that! Ian and Phil's relationship goes through stages. At the moment it's not necessarily friendly, but I think we're on a level playing field - partly because Phil is with Sharon. With Phil saying that, he's obviously thinking that he doesn't want to see me back as Homeless Beale. Although I must admit, I did enjoy being Homeless Beale - even though going into make-up and having that bloody wig and beard put on was a pain in the backside!

"You've got to remember that with the situation that Phil's in, if he does have information about Kathy, it's not just Ian who will be affected - but also his son Ben and his wife Sharon. You've got to think, there's history between Phil and Kathy - massive history. If Kathy came back all of a sudden, where's that going to leave Sharon?"

It's great to see Ben Hardy doing so well after EastEnders with his new role in X-Men. Do you hold out any hope that he'll return for guest appearances?
"Who knows? I can imagine young Mr Hardy's going to have a really successful Hollywood career - I really hope he does. If that means he can't come back to us, then it's our loss but what a fantastic opportunity for Ben. He's 24 and to get that role is fantastic.

"We were all going on thinking that he was going to play Cyclops, but for him to be playing Angel and Archangel, that's going to be massive for him and I just wish him all the luck in the world. He's also promised his old dad premiere tickets!"

Is it a good thing for the show when someone cracks the US after leaving?
"People have selective memories. Rob Kazinsky's doing alright for himself over in the States. Sean Maguire's doing alright for himself over in the States too and has done for many years - he's very quietly just gone about his business. Ben's just another one.

"They're doing alright. People don't just leave here and never, ever work again. Some might, but the majority go out and get work somewhere."

[Perdita]

EastEnders' couple Ian and Jane Beale will face their worst fears when the police arrive on Albert Square to arrest a new suspect in Lucy's murder case.

With almost 15 months approaching since Lucy was murdered, Ian (Adam Woodyatt) and Jane will find themselves experiencing a new nightmare when the police believe they have found the culprit.

The residents of Albert Square are shocked to wake to front page news revealing that there is a new suspect in Lucy's case and Ian, in particular, struggles to process the news.


Feeling overwhelmed, Ian heads to the restaurant, but after a conversation with Sharon, decides to return home where he drops a bombshell on his family.

Ian explains to Jane (Laurie Brett) and Cindy that they need to ask the police about this new evidence as they can't keep running away from it.

With their dark secret weighing heavily on their mind, Ian and Jane later panic when the police arrive in Albert Square, but is the truth finally about to be exposed?

Ian and Jane are worried when the police turn up
© BBC
Ian and Jane are worried when the police turn up

Is Ian and Jane' secret about to be exposed?
© BBC
Is Ian and Jane' secret about to be exposed?

EastEnders airs these episodes in the week commencing Monday July 13.

[Perdita]

It seems that Ian Beale's dark secret may drive him to the brink of suicide in future episodes of EastEnders.

Behind the scenes photos of actor Adam Woodyatt and on-screen wife Jane (Laurie Brett) show Ian standing on the edge of a river close to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park preparing to jump.

Ian Beale behind-the-scenes shots
© BBC / Jack Barnes

Ian Beale behind-the-scenes shots
© BBC / Jack Barnes

Ian Beale behind-the-scenes shots
© BBC / Jack Barnes

The scenes suggest that the pressure of keeping Bobby's guilt under wraps will take its toll on Ian, especially after Max Branning is charged with Lucy's murder.

Ian has also had mental health problems in the past, previously disappearing for weeks and living rough as a tramp.

In upcoming episodes, Ian will fight to prevent Jane from revealing Bobby's guilt to Max's sister Carol Jackson.

[Dazzle]

It seems that Ian Beale's dark secret may drive him to the brink of suicide in future episodes of EastEnders.

I wonder if there's something underneath Adam to break his fall, or if it's just the river? If not, he's very brave standing on the edge like that - even with the harness ensuring his
safety.

I'm guessing Kathy's return is going to coincide with Ian's breakdown and that she'll help sort him out (if the shock doesn't kill him!). What she'll make of the Bobby mess is anyone's guess! I wonder if she even knows Lucy was murdered?

At least we can assume from this spoiler that Shabnam doesn't attempt suicide after the stillbirth as we speculated on another thread. Three in a short space of time would be really pushing credibility!

[tammyy2j]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2...ith-kathy.html

Kathy to save Ian

[Kim]

Ian will fight to prevent Jane from revealing Bobby's guilt? Sounds like more bad writing, Ian's been the one pushed to the edge as today's pictures show.

[tammyy2j]

Ian will fight to prevent Jane from revealing Bobby's guilt? Sounds like more bad writing, Ian's been the one pushed to the edge as today's pictures show.

If Max is sent down for Lucy's death which does seem likely this could push Ian

I still don't see how Max will be sent down as Lauren knows the truth, bad writing if her and Peter knowing is forgotten about

[Perdita]

It's the unmissable moment that EastEnders fans have been waiting for - Ian Beale discovering that his mum Kathy is alive and well.

Adam Woodyatt and Gillian Taylforth filmed the must-see scene on location in London today (August 5) and newly-released pictures offer a tantalising sneak peek.

Future episodes of EastEnders will see Ian reach breaking point as the pressure of concealing his young son Bobby's killer secret takes its toll.

Jane tries to talk Ian to safety
© BBC / Kieron McCarron
Jane tries to talk Ian to safety

Seemingly seeing no other way out of his desperate situation, Ian prepares to take his own life by jumping from a bridge at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Ian's wife Jane desperately tries to prevent him from doing the unthinkable, but nothing can prepare either of them for the shock they face when Kathy arrives on the scene.

Ian has been driven to the edge
© BBC / Kieron McCarron
Ian has been driven to the edge

Kathy arrives on the scene
© BBC / Kieron McCarron
Kathy arrives on the scene

Kathy sees Ian and Jane
© BBC / Kieron McCarron
Kathy sees Ian and Jane

Ian finally comes face-to-face with Kathy
© BBC / Kieron McCarron
Ian finally comes face-to-face with Kathy

Kathy was at the centre of one of EastEnders' biggest ever surprises in February when she briefly reappeared in the show's 30th anniversary week, despite her off-screen 'death' in 2006.

Since then, Kathy has made another brief appearance by meeting up with her ex-husband Phil Mitchell in a café.

Ian and Kathy's dramatic reunion scenes are expected to hit our screens in early October.

[storyseeker1]

EE will air these scenes in october (shame for the wait, but at least we now know when it's coming). I had almost forgotten about Ian's own suicidal tendencies. With everything concerning Bobby, it slipped my mind. The whole thing would drive anyone over the edge, let alone someone who's already tried to commit suicide.