Bonus Scoop: 'EastEnders' actor Larry Lamb

At the beginning of the month, I caught up with Larry Lamb at EastEnders' Christmas screening on the South Bank in London and I have to say, what a nice guy he is.

My chat with the Gavin & Stacey-turned-Walford star appears here. If you'd like to read more about what's to come for Archie Mitchell, Peggy's select wardrobe and Archie's bar stool, read on...

Archie's character biog says that he has a 'chequered past'. Are there more skeletons in his closet yet to be discovered?
"I think there might be. It's interesting that Archie's background is all tied up in making money in different sorts of places and different ways. The one thing he's admitted to is that he bought and sold some clubs and bars and we've always figured that somewhere in his background there are some other property deals. It'd be interesting to see what goes on with the current financial situation. It may well be that it affects him. You never know what they're going to unleash on you here!"

And can you give any teasers as to when we'll be hearing wedding bells for Archie and Peggy?
"Yeah, wedding bells are very definitely in line for the New Year. He's called it off though, and at the moment, they're friendly but they're living under a flag of truce with an element of mystery lurking."

What about Peggy's frumpy frocks? They're hideous aren't they?
"I rather like them! I think they've figured out what Archie likes a women wearing!"

What's it like working with Sam, Rita and Barbara?
"Fabulous. The ability of some people to put together a cast of people who not only look right together but play right together is quite extraordinary. Some people just have that talent and Diederick [Santer] is just somebody who knows how to put together a stew. He knows what he wants."

Is there a reason why Archie just sits at the bar on the same stool all the time?
"If you go around to pubs and bars around the country, or as they used to be, at times in the day when there's not a rush, you'll always see the boss or the boss's wife in their spot. You won't see them there at seven at night, but you'll see them there in the day with a cup of tea, doing the crossword chatting to punters and watching. Archie's not into booze, either, so he's going to do that - it's his vantage point."

Let me know your views on Archie using the usual form below.

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