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Merlin and One Foot in the Grave star Richard Wilson has revealed that he turned down roles in soaps due to the "horrendous" working conditions.
Wilson said he had been offered parts in a number of serials but did not want the tough workload.
"I did a small part in Emmerdale once because I was short of cash but soap stars have a fairly horrendous schedule," The Mirror quotes him as saying.
"My friend Ian McKellen has appeared in Coronation Street. But there is very little rehearsal and I wouldn't like that."
Wilson also said his chances of film stardom are over, and suggested it was because he was simply not "good enough".
He told the BBC: "My film career never took off. The only big film I did was Passage to India.
"The only reason I think is that I am not good enough, I can say with all humility - that is why I am not making film."
Wilson is currently directing the black comedy Smack Family Robinson at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, Surrey.
Don't remember him but might have been a long time ago - shame really
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He played a Mr Hall in 1986.
No I'm no wiser either
:)
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Kelvin Fletcher is to swap the Yorkshire Dales for the race track later this year to achieve his childhood dream.
The Andy Sugden actor has announced that he is to compete in the Porsche GT3 Cup series, which will see him take part in races behind the wheel of a 420-horsepower sports car.
Fletcher has previously raced in the Mighty Minis category which sees amateur drivers compete against each other in souped-up Mini Coopers. He also won a celebrity race at the Silverstone Circuit in 2012.
Speaking about the announcement, Fletcher said: "I want to do as well as I can and I'll certainly be pushing as hard as I can.
"I'd love to progress further – I've got the ambitions of a 10-year-old kid who is obsessed with motor sport.
"I hope I can show that I've got a little bit of talent. I'm very fortunate now in that I have my first love, which is drama and acting, for a living and I'm also managing to go racing as well."
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Gaynor Faye has praised the younger cast in the soap for their 'fantastic' acting.
The actress, who plays businesswoman Megan Macey, said that she thinks the children work brilliantly with their on-screen families.
"I think all the acting on Emmerdale is fantastic. Eden Taylor-Draper who plays Belle is brilliant, and Tendai - the young girl playing Gemma - is also very good," she said.
"The little kids are brilliant and I think they work really well with the families.
"I know Kelli Hollis and Alicya Eyo work a lot with Luke Roskell, who plays Sean, and he's very good too. Having done some scenes with him, he's quite menacing and sarcastic. And obviously Jamie Shelton who plays my son Robbie is very good at being bad!"
Faye admitted that when it comes to acting, she thinks it is important for the younger cast members to learn for themselves.
"Jamie is very sweet and when he first joined the show, he said that he was getting lots of tips from me, Jason Merrells and Sammy Winward. But unless somebody came to me, I would never tell them what to do.
"I think it's really important for them to learn themselves. They can create their own craft, but if someone asked me, of course I'd give them advice."
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Former Emmerdale and Strictly Come Dancing star Lisa Riley has ruled out a return to the soap this year.
It is rumoured that the actress is set to reprise her role as Mandy Dingle in the show following her Strictly success, however Riley insists it is time to move on.
Speaking to Soaplife, she said: "I know there is a rumour going around but, no I'm not.
"It's really, really flattering that Mandy's still so popular with the fans and everyone wants her back in Emmerdale, but, you know, for me as an actress I feel that it is a bit 'been there, done that'.
"I had the best time of my life on the show and I'll always be very grateful but it's not going to happen - not this year anyway."
Riley's former on-screen husband Dominic Brunt, who plays Paddy Kirk, has addressed his interest in Mandy Dingle's return.
Riley said: "I know that Dominic Brunt would love me to go back. We always had this brilliant camaraderie that just worked.
"I'm very busy at the moment though but never say never."
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Emmerdale star Natalie Anderson has revealed that she is glad she didn't get any further after she auditioned for Pop Idol in 2001.
Anderson, who plays Alicia Metcalfe in the soap, got down to the last 50 but missed out on making it into the final 10, during the series that saw Will Young crowned the winner.
Anderson said to The Mirror: "I wasn't confident enough. I was in the final 50 and got beaten to the final 10 by Will Young - which isn't bad going.
"I wasn't ready for it. He was much more grounded. I was still at drama school and the idea that I could be in the papers the next day was disturbing. I found it stressful."
Anderson will be taking part in ITV's new show Your Face Sounds Familiar, which launches this weekend.
The show is similar to Stars in Their Eyes and will see the celebrity contestants have to imitate famous singers.
Anderson said: "This show will be fun, although I do still suffer terribly from nerves.
"I have to zone into what I'm doing and take a bit of 'rescue remedy'. So the fact that there will be millions watching - my nerves do worry me.
"I'm thrilled Emmerdale have allowed me to do this - and it doesn't mean I'm looking for a change. I'm really happy where I am."
She added: "There's potential to embarrass yourself - my husband wants me to have to do Freddie Mercury. But this is right up my street."
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Emmerdale star Adam Thomas has revealed that he misses working with his on-screen dad James Thornton.
Thornton's character John Barton was killed in a car crash last year when the actor decided to bow out of the soap after three years.
However, Thomas, who plays John's son Adam Barton, is full of praise for his former co-star.
Speaking to Inside Soap, Thomas said: "I miss everything about working with him.
"That guy had such a big impact on my life, both in and out of the studio. James is an absolute gem and if I grow up to be half the man he is, then I'll be a happy guy.
"I don't get to see him as much as I'd like to because he lives in London, but we catch up on the phone whenever we can and he gives me fatherly advice."
Thomas also revealed that he enjoyed working with Danny Miller, who played Aaron Livesy.
He added: "I loved working with Danny. All the stuff surrounding Aaron's coming out has a special place in my heart.
"Getting to work with one of your best mates is a great experience. I see Danny a lot - we play golf together."
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Emmerdale's Matthew Wolfenden has revealed that he and Charley Webb are thinking about extending their family.
Speaking to new! magazine, the actor - who plays David Metcalfe on the ITV soap - said that he and his co-star "definitely" want to give their 3-year-old son Buster a brother or sister soon.
"We definitely want to start planning for another, so that might end up coming first, before a wedding," said Wolfenden. "It'd be great to have children involved in the day - I could see Buster running riot!"
Wolfenden said that he and Webb, who plays Debbie Dingle on Emmerdale, "want to plan the perfect wedding", although he hinted that they may opt for a simple ceremony.
"The problem is that Charley's sister had the most amazing wedding we've both ever been to and she did it abroad," he explained. "Now me and Charley want to live up to that. We just need some time to sit down and plan it really.
Adding that Webb "hates" being the centre of attention, Wolfenden said: "I don't think it will be a big do. I think we are going to do it abroad. I'd do it on a beach in shorts and a bikini!"
Read the full interview with Matthew Wolfenden in this week's new! magazine - out today (July 2).
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Emmerdale actress Gaynor Faye has been awarded an honorary degree from Leeds Metropolitan University.
The star, who also played Coronation Street's Judy Mallett from 1995 until 1999, was handed an honorary Doctorate of Arts in the city where she was born.
Gaynor said: "I'm so thrilled to be given this honorary degree from Leeds Metropolitan University. Leeds is where my heart is, I'm a patriotic Leeds girl and I never thought the day would come that I'd actually get a cap and gown.
"My mum and dad have got cap and gowns, my sister has - but I don't, so this is going to fill a massive void on my mum and dad's wall! The advice I would give to graduates is to always follow your dream, work hard and be persistent.
"Persistence always pays off together with hard work. Don't expect it to land in your lap, you have to chase it."
Faye won the very first series of Dancing on Ice in 2006. As well as Corrie, she had parts in Playing the Field, Between the Sheets, Stan the Man and ITV's Fat Friends.
The actress joined Emmerdale last year as Megan Macey.
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Charlie Webb and Matthew Wolfenden have announced that they have split.
The Emmerdale stars - who play Debbie Dingle and David Metcalfe in the ITV soap - got engaged back in 2009.
The couple have a son named Buster, who was born in 2010. They are both expected to remain on the show.
A spokeswoman for Emmerdale said: "Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden have today confirmed that they have separated. They will remain friends and are focusing on their little boy."
Last month, Webb told The Mirror that she was looking to concentrate on work before growing her family.
"My partner Matthew and I would like more children, but at the moment I'm focusing on work," she said.
However, Wolfenden was quoted as saying in early July that he and Webb wanted to have another baby.
Wolfenden won ITV show Dancing on Ice last year, beating Hollyoaks star Jorgie Porter and singer Chico in the final.
