Kim Tiddy Interview

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Former Bill actress Kim Tiddy makes her debut appearance in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks in a fortnight's time as the matriarchal figurehead of producer Paul Marquess's second new family, The Costellos. Strong, glamorous and slightly insecure, ex-model and WAG Heidi arrives in the village with her footballer husband Carl and two sons Riley and Seth. Moving straight into The Dog In The Pond as its new owners, The Costellos make their presence felt from their first scenes. In her first ever interview since joining the show, 32-year-old Kim reveals all about how she landed the role without an audition, how she feels to be spearheading the show's rejuvenation and what's to come from Heidi and her screen family.

Did you know Paul was working at Hollyoaks before you got the part?
"I heard that he'd gone over there but then I was off travelling for a couple of months. I'd worked with Paul before - he employed me at The Bill - and everyone's like, 'You're lucky - you didn't have to audition, he offered you the part', and I said, 'Well yeah, he obviously likes what I do and also I know I'm a nice person to work with. I'm easy on set, I know my lines'. He wouldn't just have given me a job because he likes me. I'm also a respectful actor to work with and quite professional in that sense."

So there was no audition, you just got offered the part? That's virtually unheard of...
"It is but I always say to younger actors to be aware of who you're working with. These people can employ you again."

What was your reaction when you found out?
"Disbelief, really - I was staying with an aunt in Sydney, I was speaking to my agent and she said I'd been offered an audition but I couldn't get back for it. Anyway, I went to Thailand to visit my cousin and my agent who contacted me in Australia called my aunt in Australia, my aunt called my grandad in England, my grandad called my mum, my mum called me in Thailand, my brother called me in Thailand, my other brother called me in Thailand. I thought it was a wind-up! I spoke to one of my brothers first and he was like, 'Mum's spoken to your agent', and I'm like, 'Mum doesn't have my agent's number! Why would my agent call her?' So I was about the seventh person to hear it. I was saying to my cousin, 'Why would they wind me up and say I have a job to come back to - they wouldn't be cruel, would they?' I was out having a meal with my cousin and his girlfriend and I couldn't relax - I had to go back and check my email. It still didn't sink in for a few days but it was so nice!"

Did you accept straight away?
"Straight away! I've worked with Paul before and I love what he does and just to be a part of Hollyoaks is great, especially such a glamorous role and completely different to The Bill as well."

Knowing that the show hadn't been on top form did you have any reservations about joining?
"I was absolutely happy to be part of the rejuvenation process. It's such an exciting time to join a show. You're part of that moving it one step forward or in a different direction. It's nice. And there's lots of us coming in. There's a bit of a buzz about the place. For me it's not important what's gone on in the past. I've joined, I've got a great family, a great group of actors to work with, it's a lovely place to work and it's all very positive and buzzy."

Do you feel any pressure knowing that you've been brought in as one of the three families to 'relaunch' the show?
"Of course. With every role you don't go, 'This is going to be plain sailing and really easy!' because you care. Any good actor cares about what they're doing and wants to do the best job they can. At first I was really worried that I had an 18-year-old son. I'm 32 as Kim but as the character I'm playing 35 so in make-up it's important to look a bit older but also in my acting - I'm not a mother, I don't have kids so you have to draw on your acting ability there but I do have people I have unconditional love for, people I'm protective over and would die for, so you let those feelings kick in. My biggest worry was playing a mother but it seems to have come quite naturally and I'm really enjoying doing the mummy bits."

You've been filming as Heidi for a good number of weeks now - how would you describe her?
"She's an extremely strong woman. She's got a lot of inner strength. She's completely in love with her husband and loyal to her family."

Does she have any quirks?
"Actually I've just seen a clip of my first episode and I don't put them on but I do these little looks. I said to the director, 'Oh God, I didn't notice I did that!' but he said it was great. I think it's really awful to be a self-conscious actress so you just come and you do your thing. She's very glamorous and wouldn't ever go out without a full face of make-up. Always brilliantly turned out, hair, make-up, shoes - always immaculately dressed. Quite protective over her husband as well. She's running the show now, she's in control because of the past."

What can you tell us about Heidi's husband Carl?
"Carl is an ex-footballer. They are very much in love and attracted to one another and supportive. Obviously he's had his wandering ways in the past but she's one of those women who stands by her man. He's never had a long-term affair, it's always been flings and I can't understand why or justify why but he's a good husband to her in every respect except that. There are things to be explored there through storyline. Paul is fantastic - he's brilliant - we have good chemistry on screen. The whole family has a good dynamic."

Is it easy forging that husband and wife dynamic?
"I guess we're just lucky we don't have to work hard at it. Sometimes it's not naturally there and you have to work extra hard at it but we just seem to have it - the whole family does really. I'm so pleased with the casting. It's a joy to come into work every day, knowing you're going to be working with good people that you respect and bounce well off."

What about Heidi's children?
"My eldest son is Riley. He's following in his dad's footsteps. He's a bit of a Jack-the-lad. Seth is younger - 15 - and doesn't quite have as much going for him in that respect as Riley does."

Heidi also has another child, Seth's twin sister Jasmine who arrives a couple of weeks later.
"I'm very excited by Jasmine's GID storyline. I think it's really important for shows such as Hollyoaks to bring these taboo issues to the forefront. We've had such a positive response from viewers, charities and transgender teens already. I know that so much work has gone into the storyline, so it'll be scripted with real honesty and sensitivity. The young actress who's playing Jasmine - Victoria Atkin - is fantastic and she's taken all the research really seriously, so I know she'll do the story justice."

Do you think the Costellos fill a gap in Hollyoaks?
"There hasn't been a major glamorous family in Hollyoaks has there? With a lot of money and actually some class as well. They all look good - there's nothing tarty or outrageous about Heidi. She's had her day, back in her modelling days - she's probably trying to cling onto it a little bit but not in a grotesque, mutton-dressed-as-lamb way. There's a lot of different families coming in and I think Paul's filling gaps that needed to be filled. There's the glamorous family, there's a complete Scouse - sorry, Liverpudlian! - family coming in, the Sharpes - a new black family. There's another family. All the strong female characters too!"

Did you start going to the gym or anything when you found out Heidi was a former model?
"No, I haven't done anything. I'm not overweight - obviously I'm not fit at the moment because I was travelling for two months but I didn't instantly think I should eat rice cakes and eat like a rabbit! That wasn't what the part was about really. She's a wife and a mother and, as in life, health is probably more important in those situations than trying to look thin."

She enjoys the WAG lifestyle, then?
"Yeah - there's always that she's dressed well, sunglasses, wanting the best of everything - 'We're going to get this place redone' - that slight, not snobbery, but she's had a taste of the better life. She gets her nails done, her hair done. She doesn't really want to get involved in the cleaning. She wants to have as easy a life as possible."

Are you pleased with her as a character?
"She's a fantastic character and I'm really grateful for her. There's lots to work with. You can have all that front and that show and you can have what's going on underneath. There's a sadness there and an insecurity. All things that as the scripts come in you get more to play with, and as an actor you can decide what direction you're going to play that in. It's really exciting. I've got a lot more to get my teeth into than The Bill."

How do they end up in the village?
"Without giving too much away, my husband Carl is familiar with the area - it's where he grew up. It was all part of new start. We wanted to put our old life behind us and his cheating ways. This is all part of drawing a line under the past and starting again."

You can't say specifics but do you know what seeds they're planting? Are you excited by what's coming?
"Yes, very! That inner strength you discover as a character which I myself wouldn't have or wouldn't forgive. My cousin turns up, Mitzeee, and something's gone on between her and Carl but who knows if the truth will out... That's a big huge hoo ha and tests Heidi's loyalty and strength and dignity and love."

Heidi sounds like she's quite insecure, too…
"It's very underlying. I think she puts on a tough front but she's had to over the years, being married to a philandering footballer, to put that shell up and stand by her man. She doesn't want to lose everything she's got. There's lots of insecurity there but a lot of strength too."

How does Mitzeee fit into the jigsaw?
"She's Heidi's cousin. She's a wannabe glamour model. She's trying to fight to be the best. Possibly following Heidi's footsteps but she's much more - she's much larger than life than Heidi and really out there. She has no shame! She's a great character and Rachel plays her fantastically. I really enjoy the scenes we have but she's there to cause trouble because, again, there's more stuff in the past that went on. It's so exciting - there's so many storylines and layers to peel off! I'm loving it. I'm busy and I love being busy."

Does Mitzeee want to be what Heidi was?
"Yes, I think so. She's got an insane jealous streak inside of her. Heidi's a very nice lady, she sees Mitzeee as family and loves her as such. "

And Rachel who plays Mitzeee looks the spitting image of Cheryl Cole!
"She does! She's very beautiful. I saw a picture of her on the wall and I was like, 'My god - that girl!' You can tell the difference and Rachel's beautiful in her own right and very funny but she does look like her - there's no denying that. It's the hair, the big long hair."

The Bill stopped filming recently after 27 years - were you sad to see it go?
"I think it's a real shame. Apart from the fact there's a lot of cast and crew out of work now and it's a difficult business to get a job in anyway, it gave so many people their first job. It gave me my first regular job. A lot of actors it gives them their first episodes out of drama school. You did an episode of The Bill, you'd get a bit of camera experience and it'd give you something to talk about in your next interview. Hundreds or thousands of actors have passed through over the years. It's such a shame."

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks' serial killer storyline took another shocking twist this evening as evil Silas Blissett accidentally murdered Heidi Costello, his own daughter.

In a dramatic turn of events for the soap's Halloween episode, Silas had a terrifying showdown with Lynsey Nolan (Karen Hassan) and vowed to kill her - pointing out that it was the only way anyone would ever believe her accusations against him.

When Lynsey managed to escape, Silas (Jeff Rawle) was in hot pursuit but made a catastrophic error when he confused Heidi with Lynsey due to their identical Catwoman costumes. After striking again, Silas was left devastated when he realised that he had killed his own flesh and blood.

In real life, meanwhile, actress Kim Tiddy decided to bow out from Hollyoaks for pastures new earlier this year. Here, Kim chats exclusively to Digital Spy about her decision and Heidi's shock exit.

Why did you decide to leave Hollyoaks?
"I've really enjoyed playing Heidi and I've loved my time in Liverpool, but after a year and a half, I felt like it was time to move on."

What did you think of Heidi's shock exit storyline?
"I thought the storyline was fantastic! I was also killed off in The Bill, and I'm taking it as a compliment as I think shows like to kill off likeable and popular characters. I can obviously die really well!"

What was it like to film the exit scenes?
"It was very high drama - I loved the whole Halloween theme and the fact that it was shot at night. It was exciting to film and to get dressed up as Catwoman! I also think the storyline leading up to it was very clever, and the twist at the end where Silas killed Heidi was great."


What has Jeff Rawle been like to work with over the past year?
"He was fantastic. Unfortunately, I didn't get as many scenes with him as I might have liked, but he's such a well-established and experienced actor with a great wealth of knowledge. He's been a great asset to the Hollyoaks cast. He's very professional, funny and kind - if you ask him a question about his career, he's always very open. I know a lot of the younger actors feel the same way about him. I'm very proud to have worked with him."

How do you think Silas will cope with what he's done?
"I think he wouldn't have a heart if it didn't affect him in some way. I think we'll see some remorse from him, as killing Heidi was a genuine mistake, and that's what is so great about the storyline. I hope we see some remorse!"

Are you hoping that Heidi's death will have a big impact on the Costello family in the long-term?
"Definitely. I think it will, because she's like the matriarch and the figurehead of the family. She's the strength of the family, so I think they'll definitely crumble following the news of her death. But I suppose we'll have to wait and see what happens. Keep watching!"


Did you find it emotional when you said goodbye to your colleagues after filming your last scenes?
"It was emotional, but most of my goodbyes were before my final scenes as I filmed them on a night shoot at around 3am, so there weren't too many people about. I've really enjoyed working at Hollyoaks and I met some really great people - especially the other Costellos, as I really got on well with them. I'll miss them. It's a nice environment to work in, it really is. I'm coming away from the job with lots of fond memories."

Will you be staying in touch with many of the cast?
"Definitely. We have the power of Twitter now and Facebook, which makes it a lot easier to keep in contact with people. With the people who I was closest to, I still call and text them regularly, and that's great. I'm also hoping that I can still see people at parties and events - we can have a good catch-up then."

We know that Victoria Atkin, who plays Jason, is also leaving the show. Do you think she has a bright future ahead of her?
"She definitely does - I think she's done really well playing a very difficult character. It just shows that she can be quite versatile. She's a really, really conscientious young actor - she's worked really hard and she deserves even more success. I wish her all the luck in the world."


Are you proud that you were able to be involved in the transgender storyline?
"Most definitely. It was great, because Hollyoaks helped Victoria to do a lot of research and she was able to meet people who had gone through the same thing. I've also learned about the issue, which is great. I thought it was very well-handled - some great writing for quite a sensitive subject."

Are you also proud of the work that your other screen kids Rob Norbury (Riley) and Miles Higson (Seth) have done recently?
"Yeah, I thought Rob stole the show in the wedding episodes - he was really, really good. Jen Metcalfe did fantastically as well. With Miles, this is his first acting job and he's come on so much. I am quite proud of Miles - he's my little favourite, but don't tell him that! Miles is lovely because he's open to learning. I'd never say, 'You should do it like this' or 'You should do it like that', but Miles was always very open to any advice or suggestions. I thought Miles was great in the wedding episodes as well - that was a really great week for Hollyoaks."

We recently saw Heidi and Carl split, but do you think she would have taken him back eventually?
"Well, there'd been such severe damage done to their marriage, but I really don't know. As Kim, I'd like to say that she wouldn't have taken him back, but I think Heidi just loved Carl way too much. She always had a bit of a blind spot when it came to Carl, so she probably would have taken him back - sadly!"

Mitzeee was the other character who Heidi had a lot of scenes with. Did you enjoy working with Rachel Shenton too?
"Oh yeah, Mitzeee's a great character and Rachel and I are really good friends. I think our two characters had quite a good energy on screen together. Rachel plays Mitzeee brilliantly."

How did Hollyoaks compare to The Bill?
"Well, as I was playing a policewoman on The Bill, the storylines weren't so much about the character's personal life - whereas with Heidi, I was able to explore the personal and family life a lot more. I was playing a mother, so playing Heidi was a lot more varied - and obviously a lot more glamorous! But The Bill will always have a special place in my heart, because it was my first TV job - I was there for four years, I absolutely loved it and I learned so much."


What other highlights can you name from your time at Hollyoaks?
"Well, I got to meet some great people and I had a great time in Liverpool. I'm really glad that I was able to play a range of emotions as Heidi - sometimes she was having a laugh, sometimes she was sobbing and there was a bit of comedy too. I got to work with some really great directors as well, which was brilliant.

"I also loved being part of a family on the show, as I've never really done a TV job or a play where it's been focused on a family before. I thought we all worked really well together. Heidi and Carl had a great energy on screen, and it was the same with myself and Paul [Opacic] in real life. I got on really well with Paul off-screen, and I think that came across on camera as well. It was quite a believable husband and wife relationship.

"But I suppose the main highlight was that it was fun to go into work every day. I know a lot of actors say that, but we're just very lucky to get up and go to a job that we really love doing."

What are your future career plans? Would you like to do more TV work, or perhaps focus on theatre or film?
"I'd like to continue on TV. I really enjoy working on camera. It'd be great to do a film as well, and I do love theatre as that was the basis of training at drama school. I just want a really varied career - I'd love to build my CV up so that it's really varied. I want to build up more experience in the profession."

What would be a dream role for you?
"I really like comedy, so I'd love to do a bit of that. But then I really enjoy stuff like Luther and Waking The Dead as well. My ideal role would be a Prime Suspect Helen Mirren-type character. I've also got this idea that I'd like Midsomer Murders to be a bit modernised - I think the new actor in that is brilliant, but he needs a young, funky sidekick! That could be me!"

How would you like Heidi to be remembered by Hollyoaks fans?
"I'd love her to be remembered as someone who brought a bit of glamour to Hollyoaks. I'd also like her to be remembered as someone who was very strong, loyal, caring and dedicated to her family."

Will you carry on watching the show to see how the Costellos are getting on?
"Yeah, I will! I watched it before I was in it, and I'll most definitely watch it again. You've got to support your mates and the show as well, especially as I'm leaving with such happy memories."