Emmerdale star Joe Absolom, who plays Ray Walters on the ITV soap, has opened up about his time on BBC EastEnders
Emmerdale’s newest recruit, Joe Absolom, seemed to take a dig at his former soap, EastEnders. The actor, 46, first made waves as Matthew Rose on the BBC soap in 1997 and was infamously framed for the murder of Saskia Duncan (Deborah Sheridan-Taylor) by Steve Owen (Martin Kemp) before leaving in 2000.
The star has now joined the cast of ITV’s Emmerdale as drug dealer villain Ray Walters. While discussing his new role, he hinted that his stint on EastEnders wasn’t entirely positive, claiming it’s ‘nicer’ to be working on the set of the Yorkshire-based serial.
Speaking to Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley on Tuesday’s (August 12) 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.”
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Joe, also recognised for his enduring role as Al Large in Doc Martin, was questioned about the future of soap operas. This comes amidst budget cuts that could reportedly result in up to 10% of cast members being cut.
He explained that a lot has changed since he first joined EastEnders, particularly with the rise of streaming platforms. Initially, he quipped, “I hope they have until November because that’s when my contract ends,” before elaborating, “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 initially announced in May, and at that time, he expressed: “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 what viewers can anticipate from the new villainous role, the soap has disclosed that the character, like many others, will harbour a dark side. Ray will turn up at the farm under the guise of selling farm machinery, but it won’t take long for his true drug-dealing nature to emerge.
Despite Ray’s cool and composed demeanour, it’s evident that a threatening streak lurks just beneath the surface. The cast and crew are delighted to have Joe on board, as Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw expressed: “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 Ray. “
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX and Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.
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