Martin Compston hired an entire pub to avoid being hassled by fans.
The ‘Line of Duty’ star has become so famous thanks to his role as Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott on the BBC’s hit police corruption drama that he can’t enjoy a few beers with his friends anymore because he gets inundated with requests for selfies.
He told the Daily Star newspaper’s Hot TV column: "My hometown has always been my sanctuary because I know most people. I went up there and it was mad, people hanging outside my mum and dad’s house.
"The problem is you go home to see your mates and family but you spend your night talking to complete strangers. Everybody’s nice, I’m not complaining about that, but you want to spend time with your mates.
"I went home at Christmas and I ended up hiring a pub for me and 30 of my mates and just locked the doors so I could just talk to my mates."
While Martin admitted the show’s fans are "great", he explained how even just stopping to take a photograph can lead to his own night being taken over.
He added: "People have been great to me but they come up and ask for a picture and then it’s a 10-minute conversation, if you do that 10 times a night, that’s hours gone.
"It went into a new phase and it’s made me more hyper aware."
And sometimes admirers can take things a bit too far after they’ve had some booze, with the 35-year-old actor pointing out that there has to be a balance.
He said: "I try to be a decent guy and be sound with people but when people have got a drink in them it can get a wee bit handsy as well.
"There are a few old dears loving sticking their lips on me."
Martin Compston hired whole pub to avoid overbearing fans
