[ad_1]
EastEnders star Charlie Clements has revealed he has been working in a garden centre as well as cheffing during lockdown.
Speaking to Coleen Nolan, Gloria Hunniford, Janet Street-Porter and Ruth Langsford on Wednesday’s episode of Loose Women, Charlie – who shared earlier this month he has been working as a chef after taking a break from acting – revealed: ‘I was in garden centre, working in plant section which was fun.’
Appearing on the show via videolink, the doting father, 33, added: ‘Working there has increased my knowledge of everything plant related. The acting stopped for everybody, it was way to support my family. At end of the day, I’ve never been afraid of work.’
Candid: EastEnders star Charlie Clements, 33, has revealed he has been working in a garden centre as well as cheffing during lockdown
Explaining he is a ‘jobbing actor’ and had to support his family during lockdown, Charlie said: ‘I’ve never been work shy and it does get picked up by the media.
‘There’s the mentality that if you had a job in the public eye, you can’t get a normal job. I’m a jobbing actor and I have to support my family.’
Explaining he had been furloughed during the UK’s first lockdown not long after picking up work in a kitchen, he told the panel: ‘The first lockdown, I had not long started working as a chef and then was put on furlough.’
He added: ‘I just did home-schooling with the kids and my wife. We tried to have fun with the kids.’
New job: Charlie shared earlier this month he has been working as a chef after taking a break from acting
Charlie and his wife Becky have two children, a son, seven and a daughter, five.
The doting father also spoke candidly about his time on the BBC soap, revealing his close bond with the late Barbara Windsor – who played the iconic role of Peggy Mitchell before passing away last year.
‘She was the first person I spoke to on my first day, so it’s a lovely memory to have,’ he said.
Sweet: The doting father also spoke candidly about his time on the BBC soap, revealing his close bond with the late Barbara Windsor
‘I was sat in reception waiting to go in and she came over and introduced herself. She said “don’t worry, you’ll be fine, just go in there and get on with it”’.
Remembering feeling a ‘daunting’ sense when he landed the role of Max Branning’s son at the age of 21, Charlie added: ‘I have very fond memories of it really, it was my very first big TV job, quite daunting starting in it. I made some great friends on there, so really fond memories.’
He also shared: ‘I don’t regret Bradley’s death.’
He went on: ‘It was my decision to leave. I always said that I’d do 5 years. It closed that chapter and I focused on moving forward.’
Worlds away: Charlie, left, looked worlds away from his past baby-faced character Bradley Branning, right, as he sported a beard and longer locks while wearing his chef’s uniform
Taking to Instagram earlier in May, Charlie shared that he has started rehearsals for the iconic The Mousetrap play in London’s West End.
Posting a picture of his final day working as a chef, the actor penned: ‘Last day as a chef today!! On to rehearsals next week… #actorslife #actor #acting #work #theatre.’
Charlie looked worlds away from his past baby-faced character Bradley Branning in the snap as he sported a beard and longer locks while wearing his chef’s uniform.
The actor’s followers and former EastEnders co-stars were quick to congratulate the actor on his new play as they praised his impressive culinary skills.
Way back when: Taking to Instagram in May, Charlie also shared that he has started rehearsals for the iconic The Mousetrap play in London’s West End (pictured on the soap in 2006)
Charlie’s former on-screen dad, Jake Wood, who plays Max Branning, put a fist arm and sun emoji, to which the actor replied: ‘Thanks for your help with the decision!!’
Rita Simons, who played Roxy Mitchell, put: ‘Whoop! Well@done Chaz! X.’
Charlie’s much-loved character Bradley was wrapped up in a number of great EastEnders storylines with his former co-star Lacey Turner – who plays Stacey Slater.
His character infamously fell off the Queen Vic’s roof in 2010 in a desperate attempt to escape the police in a special live episode that won him Best Exit prizes at the British Soap and Inside Soap Awards that year.
Following his tear-jerking departure, he has appeared in Casualty as Jake O’Reilly in 2013 and also starred in Channel 5’s docu-drama Henry VIII and His Six Wives as the now infamous British monarch.
Storylines: Charlie’s much-loved character Bradley was wrapped up in a number of great EastEnders storylines with his former co-star Lacey Turner – who plays Stacey Slater (pictured together centre with Max Branning star Jake Wood, far right)
Charlie previously admitted that he would never return to EastEnders even if they did resurrect his character from the dead.
He told The Sun: ‘I can’t say I’ve watched EastEnders since I left. I don’t miss it because if I hadn’t left I wouldn’t be doing other shows which I prefer doing.
‘They resurrect characters sometimes but even if they wanted Bradley back as a ghost I wouldn’t take up that offer.
‘I didn’t let them kill me off but before I started on the show I always said that I wanted to do four years and that was it. It was my decision to leave.’
Never! Charlie previously admitted that he would never return to EastEnders even if they did resurrect his character from the dead (pictured in December)
[ad_2]
