Diane Parish has found it "tricky" to film ‘EastEnders’ scenes, due to the new regulations.
The 50-year-old star admitted it is "difficult" to have restrictions in place, which include cast and crew having to socially distance on set as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, as an actor because she was always taught to be "uninhibited" when playing a part.
Diane – who has played Denise Fox since 2006 – said: "It’s been tricky. Actors intrinsically have to be free, they have to be tactile and uninhibited. And when you place inhibition on an actor, it can sometimes be hard to be comfortable playing a scene out. You’ve got a third eye on yourself because you’re aware of the things you can’t do.
"The thing I was taught when I was learning was to leave yourself alone as an actor, and this is the antithesis of that. You have to be very aware of yourself so that you don’t touch the wrong thing, or throw your arms around somebody, or walk too close. We have to adhere to those things for our safety. It’s difficult but it’s possible."
However, Diane admitted it is "good to be working", despite the health and safety restrictions in place.
Speaking ahead of her and Tameka Empson’s (Kim Fox-Hubbard) appearance on next week’s ‘EastEnders: Secrets from the Square’, Diane said: "That’s the important thing for many of us in soap at the moment, is that we are part of a very privileged group in our industry who have jobs to go back to. So I’m grateful for that."
‘EastEnders’ is currently airing the interview show on Mondays and classic episodes on Tuesdays, while the soap is off air after running out of episodes during the coronavirus pandemic.
But the stars have resumed filming on new episodes of the show.