The security for the EastEnders cast will be upped dramatically following the National Television Awards.
Many actors from the BBC soap graced the glitzy and glamorous event at London’s O2 Arena on Wednesday (September 11). Despite not picking up a single award on the night, the show was tied with ITV counterpart Coronation Street for the most nominations.
But according to The Sun, a dark shadow was cast on the night’s celebrations, when an unwelcome guest made their presence felt. As a result, all cast members will be surrounded by a swarm of bodyguards.
READ MORE: EastEnders fans ‘raging’ after BBC soap is snubbed for NTA and beaten by Emmerdale
Click for more brilliant Daily Star showbiz stories
During the event, it was revealed that the cast had been followed into the arena by a stalker. Some of the biggest stars of the show, including Jessie Wallace and Jacqueline Jossa, were ferried into the building by security personnel amid concerns for their safety.
(Image: WireImage)
On top of this, extra bodyguards were brought onto the show, with pictures of the accused suspect being distributed around to ensure that security knew who the person was. Speaking to the newspaper, an anonymous source said that desperate times called for desperate means to be taken.
“Having that many A-listers in one place meant the O2 was already incredibly well guarded but the threat to the EastEnders cast meant additional measures were put in place,” the insider revealed. “An image of the suspected stalker was sent among staff so they knew who to look out for.”
It is believed that the stalker is a passionate fan, and had inundated the cast’s social media platforms with messages of love. They also sent a message to all members of the cast, saying that they would be attending the show as they had managed to clinch a ticket to the glamorous spectacle.
(Image: Getty Images for the NTA’s)
There were further breaches of privacy, according to the newspaper – which proved enough to spark a huge wave of added security at the O2. As well as this, private security was also hired for the cast’s pre-drinks event at the nearby Enderby House in case of an appearance by the desperate fan.
Admitting that soap stars are in the public eye, the source said that a line needs to be drawn to ensure that actors are protected as much as possible. “EastEnders cast tread the line between being instantly recognisable household names and also living fairly normal lives,” they confirmed.
(Image: Getty Images for the NTA’s)
“They get the Tube and train to work, do their own supermarket shops and can mostly go about their business with just the odd fan encounter or selfie request. But bosses have to draw the line somewhere and when the stalker made their plans clear to attend the event, something had to be done.”
Fifteen thousand people packed into the O2 Arena to watch the event, which was broadcast live on ITV. Joel Dommett hosted the event, with Davina McCall receiving a special recognition award for her decades of presenting.
For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up for one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
