Ten Minutes with Jeremy Edwards

With panto season coming to an end for this year, I thought I would try and grab a quick ten minutes with Hollyoaks heart-throb and Holby City star Jeremy Edwards just before he goes on stage.
The actor and television presenter has spent the Christmas period up in the North East, staring as the villainous Gaston alongside Ex-Emerdale actress Roxanne Pallet playing Belle in Blue Genies Entertainments production of Beauty and the Beast.
Being no stranger to Whitley Bay, Jeremy is enjoying his time here, and had the pleasure of spending Christmas day with family ‘I love it up here’ explains Jeremy, ‘My mum is from Whitley Bay so Christmas was spent with aunts, uncles, cousins, and celebrated North East style’.  Asked if he has picked up any of the dialect, ‘I’m saying ‘Aye’ quite a lot Jeremy laughs’.
Jeremy goes on to tell me he is really enjoying his time in panto, and is particularly enjoying his more playful role. ‘I’ve been in panto three times before, but the role of Gaston is completely different from anything I have played before’. The adults amongst the audience will probably have been reminded of Blackadder, through Gastons mannerisms, quirkiness and presence. ‘I used Rick Mayalls Blackadder character, Lord Flashheart as inspiration, with the theatrical voice and sharp moves’.
Jeremy admits that the up to three shows a day can prove very tiring ‘I’ve done films, tv, plays and presenting, but panto is definitely the hardest job. Any panto requires you to use all disciplines, and there’s quite a bit of dancing and vocals in this show, so it’s quite high energy’.
Jeremy didn’t initially intend to get into acting. ‘I actually got my Hollyoaks audition through a friend. Before that I did modelling, I also worked behind the scenes at the BBC, and wanted to be a producer’.
Jeremy is also no stranger to reality tv, enjoying time on ‘Dancing on Ice’ in 2009, the third series of Celebrity Big Brother back in 2005, which he regrettably describes as a  mistake ‘ I didn’t enjoy the experience. It wasn’t really how I expected it to be’. Asked if he would ever take up the opportunity to go into the celebrity jungle, Jeremy reveals he has already turned it down ‘It’s not for me. I just couldn’t eat any bugs’! Jeremy exclaims.
Jeremy is looking forward to spending New Year at home in London with his wife and dog ‘I’m going home tomorrow afternoon. We’ll probably have a meal and some drinks then I’m back up on the 2nd January’.
Asked what 2015 has in store, ‘More hard work, and hopefully more Millie’ Jeremy replies referring to his current role of Dad Mike in the CBBC comedy drama. ‘I’m also off to LA for four months , just to see how it goes out there then hopefully I’ll be moving there later on this year, and I’ll be on The Wright Stuff panel pretty much straight after panto’.
Jeremy can still be seen in Beauty and the Beast and the Whitley Bay Playhouse running until January 4th, 2015

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