Matthew Wolfenden hasn’t watched himself on ‘Emmerdale’ for six years – because he was making himself "miserable" by picking apart his performances.
The 38-year-old actor – who plays David Metcalfe in the ITV soap – has to fast-forward his scenes because he was criticising himself so much it was "affecting [his] work", but his co-star and wife Charley Webb (Debbie Dingle) watches every episode.
He said: "Charley loves the show and she’ll watch every episode. I love the show but I can’t watch myself.
"I hate it and I have to fast-forward through my parts. It’s been about six years since I last watched myself.
"I found I was picking holes in my performance and going into work and feeling miserable and it was affecting my work."
Matthew had to stop watching himself on the soap of an evening to be able to "enjoy going to work again", but admitted he must be doing something right because he has been playing David since 2006.
He said: "It’s not that I’d done anything bad, I’m just one of those people who pick holes in myself, so I had to stop watching myself to enjoy going to work again.
"If they keep employing me, they obviously like me."
Charley – who has sons Buster, eight, and two-year-old Bowie with Matthew – has portrayed Debbie since 2002 and she "loves" being on the soap as long as she is given regular new storylines.
In a joint interview with Matthew, she told OK! magazine: "I do love it there. As long as I’m busy and doing new stuff, I really enjoy it.
"The job’s great and I get to go home to the kids each night, and that’s really important to me right now."
Matthew Wolfenden hasn’t watched Emmerdale for 6 years
