Ross Adams admits Scott Drinkwell’s drag persona Anita Tinkle won’t be returning to ‘Hollyoaks’ any time soon.
The actor explained his character’s alter ego – who helped give Scott more self confidence – requires a lot of prep behind the scenes, and the current on set restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic means he would struggle to recreate the memorable look.
He told RadioTimes.com: "The chances of Anita returning are remote because there is no way I could do the makeup myself.
"I take my hat off to the professionals, I don’t know how they do it. They eyelashes alone!
"I wouldn’t look anything like her if I was doing it without them. If she has to return soon she’ll look like she’s been dragged through a hedge backwards!"
With soaps resuming production recently, one aspect of keeping things safe has seen actors becoming responsible for their own hair and makeup to minimise contact with other people.
Anita’s bold look would require a lot of effort, and Ross – who has appeared on the Channel 4 soap since 2015 – admitted he doesn’t think he’d be able to do his alter ego justice.
He added: "Maybe it would have to be a stripped-back Anita. I could probably put the blonde wig on, but everything else would look awful!
"I’d have to sit and watch YouTube tutorials. It takes the make-up artists an hour minimum before the wig and everything, so imagine how long it would take me?"
Although a return for Scott’s drag character isn’t on the cards at the moment, Ross won’t rule out a "comeback tour" in the future.
He said: "I don’t think it’s the last we’ve seen of her. She’ll never be too far away, she helped Scott find his confidence again and that’s been really important for the character."