Max Bowden and Tony Clay were left with "beard rash" after kissing for two hours for an ‘EastEnders’ scene.
The pair – who play Ben Mitchell and Callum ‘Halfway’ Highway, who have been dubbed "Ballum" by fans – recently had to shoot a steamy scene after their characters hooked up, and they felt the effects afterwards.
Max said: "Tony and I were in a park kissing for about two hours – it was a massive bonding experience.
"We both had beard rash by the end of it."
While some fans were shocked when Ben and Halfway got together, Max believes their romance has worked well because they come from similar backgrounds.
He said: "What was beautiful was the common ground between them – these are two proud, masculine men who’ve come from a similar background.
"Ben can see something in Callum he once saw in himself, and I think their chemistry showed in that scene. It’s worked."
While Ben and Callum’s romance has cooled lately due to the fact he is actually engaged to Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), Max has teased there is plenty more to come with the pair.
He added to Inside Soap magazine: "There’s so much to come with Callum.
"Ben is starting to develop feelings, something he’s usually capable of dismissing – but Callum and Whitney are planning a wedding, so it’ll get complicated.
"We’ll have to see what happens there."
Tony recently admitted he was worried he "might not get on with" co-star Max.
He said: "With Max, there’s always going to be this worry at the start that you might not get on with the other person, but me and him have a great relationship.
"We have a lovely chemistry and, although we make each other laugh a lot, there’s always a level of professionalism there when we have big, intense scenes."
Max Bowden and Tony Clay’s EastEnders beard rash
