Emmerdale star takes brutal swipe at EastEnders after quitting BBC soap
Emmerdale star Joe Absolom has taken a swipe at his former soap EastEnders. The actor, 46, made his name as Matthew Rose on the BBC soap when he joined in 1997, and his character was famously framed for the murder of Saskia Duncan (Deborah Sheridan-Taylor) by Steve Owen (Martin Kemp) prior to his departure in 2000.
Now, Joe has joined the cast of ITV soap Emmerdale as drug dealer villain Ray Walters, and while promoting his new role, he hinted that his time on EastEnders wasn't all rosy as he claimed that it is 'nicer' to be working on the set of the Yorkshire-based serial. Speaking to Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley on Tuesday's edition of Good Morning Britain, he said: "I did EastEnders a long time ago and it was fun but Emmerdale is genuinely a very nice place to work. I keep waiting for someone to tell me that this isn't the real job.
He added: "The crew is really good and the set is basically a proper place. They can film anywhere. That means you can work quickly but you don't feel rushed. EastEnders was rushed and it just feels nicer." It comes after Coronation Street and Mrs Brown's Boys actor dies after short illness.
Joe, who is also known for his long-running role as Al Large on Doc Martin, was then asked about the future of soap as a genre, which comes amid budget cuts that will reportedly see up to 10% of cast members slashed, and explained that so much has changed since he first joined EastEnders now, especially when considering the advent of streaming platforms.
At first, he joked: "I hope they have til November because that's when my contract ends," before adding :"But I think it's a very good point. When I did EastEnders, there wasn't anything else to do. So, I've got kids now, and they won't sit down at seven and watch telly in the same way I did or my friends did. So I think there's a duty to find where the television now fits."
"It changes, and it is changing. We're streaming and stuff like that, I don't know if that's gonna carry on forever because that does get a little boring. I think it will [come round again], I think there will always be a place for it but if it's where it once was, I don't know."
Joe's casting was first announced in May, and at the time, he said: 'Well what an honour to join such a talented team at Emmerdale! It's an iconic show and I'm grateful to be part of it. I can't wait to see what's in stock for Ray!'
As for his what fans can expect to see from the new villain role, the soap have revealed that the character, like many others, will have a dark side. Ray will arrive at the farm claiming to be selling farm machinery but it won't be long before his true drug dealing ways become clear.
Despite Ray's calm and collected exterior, it's clear a menacing streak hides just below the surface.
The cast and crew are thrilled to have Joe on board, as Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said: 'We are thrilled to welcome Joe Absolom to the cast. It's fantastic to have such a high calibre and immensely talented actor join our wonderful team to play the role of Ray.
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