EastEnders’ Kathy star reveals unusual request from fans who approach her in toilets

EastEnders legend Gillian Taylforth has revealed how fans spot her wherever she goes – and ask for selfies in the toilet.

But the actress, who’s played feisty Kathy Beale for almost four decades, reckons nothing really shocks her any more.

“I’ve been recognised in some weird places,” she admits. “It’s happened in the toilet. Someone asked me for a picture with the lovely backdrop of the sink.

READ MORE:EastEnders Kathy star, 67, parades ageless curves as she slips into sheer plunging gown

“I said, ‘Can we move away from the bogs?’ People call me Kathy all the time. I don’t mind it.”

Gillian has had fans coming up to her since she appeared in the first episode of EastEnders in 1985.

She says: “My children used to get so fed up because it took me two and a half hours to go shopping because people would stop me to sign this and sign that.

“But I don’t mind, though. It is part and parcel of being on a soap.

“So long as people are nice and pleasant, then it’s fine. I’ve never minded because they are the people that watch the show and keep us going.”

There is one thing Gillian, 67, refuses to do for fans – and that’s reveal any spoilers.

Over the years she’s become an expert at keeping quiet about what’s going to happen on Albert Square.

She says: “I don’t say anything to anybody. It’s more exciting for the public if they don’t know what’s going on.”

“Some of my friends will say, ‘What’s going to happen?’ And I go, ‘Oh I can’t tell you otherwise I’ll have to kill you.’ That’s the easiest way to get out of it.”

Later this month Kathy is set to wed Tom “Rocky” Cotton, who is played by TV funnyman Brian Conley.

Filming the scenes was a big moment for Gillian because she’s never had the chance to wear a wedding dress on the show before.

She says: “It was so exciting. I got a bouquet and everything. It was lovely to film.
“I’ve obviously never been married before in my life. There’s only one other time I’ve worn a wedding dress and that was for a photoshoot.

“People kept saying I looked like Kate Moss! Poor Kate… try telling her that!”

Just weeks later, Gillian will be involved in one of the soap’s biggest rivalries once again.

It’s emerged Cindy Beale, played by Michelle Collins, didn’t die and has been living in witness protection in France.

And when she returns to Walford later this year, she’ll clash with Kathy. Gillian says: “The scenes between Cindy and Kathy are well-written.

“I’ve been filming them and it’s been great. As you can imagine there are fireworks going off left, right and centre.”

The ex-Hollyoaks and Footballers’ Wives star is also at the centre of the soap’s new murder storyline after a flash-forward scene revealed someone will be killed off this Christmas.

There are seven suspects – and that includes Kathy.

The plot is being kept so secret, even the cast aren’t being told what happens yet.
But Gillian is so desperate to know she’s tried to get exec producer Chris Clenshaw to spill the beans by offering him booze.

She admits: “As a cast, we have got no idea what will happen. We’ve all sat around and pondered who it could be. We’ve all sort of worked out, ‘No it can’t be that one, no it can’t be this one, no it can’t be another one.’

“When we were at an awards the other day, I spoke to Chris and said, I’m going to try and get you drunk so you might tell me who the killer is.

“But he said, ‘That’ll never come out of my lips.’ It’s funny.”

EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk