EastEnders actor Adam Woodyatt got into a feud with fans as he attempted to leave the afterparty.
As the actors of the BBC soap opera wrapped filming which saw Martin Fowler tragically die, they headed behind-the-scenes to celebrate their achievements in a booze fuelled party. Several stars were seen backstage sipping on beers and other alcoholic beverages as they said goodbye to James Bye.
Adam, who plays Ian Beale shared a ride home with his co-star Jessie Wallace who plays leopard print lover Kat Slater on the soap driving them home. But as they attempted to leave Elstree Studios, they became surrounded by fans who were desperate to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars having waited outside all night.
Onlookers claim that Adam, 56, was very quick to get out of the car he and Jessie were sharing as he encouraged people to clear the road for their own safety and to allow the cast to exit the studios in a safe manner. One looker claimed Adam “shouted at fans” saying: “Move out of the way!”
Having already shuffled over to the pavement, one fan chanced their luck and asked Adam for an autography – which he declined. “I’m not signing autographs, just get out of the way,” he said. Jessie was heard shouting at Adam to return to the car but appeared over the moon as she waved and smiled at the crowd.
Actress Natalie Cassidy, who plays Sonia on the soap also appeared in good spirts just hours after pretending to have given birth to her daughter, Julia, during the live episode while surrounded by rubble in the crumbling Queen Vic pub after it exploded.
And despite her character being left heartbroken following her on-screen boyfriend, Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) death, Louisa Lytton who plays Ruby Allen also appeared in good spirts.
Prior to the live episode, Adam opened up about a blunder which took place during the live episode in 2010, Despite there being several blunders, one is considered to be the most iconic. Jo Joyner, now 47 – who played Tanya Branning – accidentally refer to Ian by the name of the actor playing him. Her character was heard asking Jane Beale (Laurie Brett): “How’s Adam?”
Reflecting on the mistake, Adam said in the newly-released special: “We all felt for Jo. You’ve gotta think how she felt – that when ever anybody mentions the live now that’s what gets mentioned. She can’t escape from it.” He continued: “I remember she came into … Cause we were all in different studios…
“And Jo’s come in and she’s… Shaken up. Really, really shaken up. And we’re all sort of looking at her and going ‘what’s the matter? what’s the matter?’ And she just went ‘You’ll find out’.”
Adam – who is an original cast member of the show, which launched in 1985 – went on to suggest that anyone “could get it wrong” when it comes to a live episode. He said: “Any one of us could get it wrong and it’s the pressure of it. The crew could get something wrong. We could get something wrong.”
Jo has herself spoken about the blunder herself in the past, as previously reported, including having told Radio Times once: “I’ve got a good sense of humour. But I couldn’t laugh about it until I’d gone out there the next night [for more live scenes]. I knew that people were watching to see if I messed up again.”
Just moments before Martin died, he confessed his true feelings for Stacey and proposed to her once again. Believing he would escape the collapse alive, he said: “I truly, madly, head over heels, love you, I don’t ever want to be apart from you again, alright? Will you marry me?” as he joked that they didn’t need another party, having already been married.
He added: “It’s you and me showing the world how much we love each other.” Sadly, the twist was bittersweet for Stacey, who was told by paramedics that shortly after rescue workers raised the beam to free Martin, he would die due to suffering from crushed syndrome.
This meant that his body would go into kidney failure and result in cardiac arrest. Stacey’s worst nightmare came true as she let out a toe-curling scream which could be heard across Walford.
Actor James spoke about his exit after the scenes aired, and said: “Saying goodbye is not easy, but after 10 years at EastEnders and on the night of the shows epic 40th anniversary – the time felt right. It’s an honour to leave on a story of this magnitude. A huge thank you to all the fans of the show.
“EastEnders wouldn’t be what it is without you – and to the BBC and EastEnders team for trusting me with this role for so many years. This fruit and veg man will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s time to look forward, and I’m incredibly excited for what the future holds. RIP Martin Fowler.”
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
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