‘EastEnders’ actor Ricky Champ says the soap’s fans tell him that they "hate" him in the nicest possible way.
The 38-year-old actor has got an interesting "taste of fame" playing the Albert Square villain Stuart Highway – who is currently harassing beloved character Dr. Harold Legg – on the popular BBC soap but he insists that people are generally nice enough to him even though they don’t like his alter ego.
Speaking to The Sun Online’s Soap Bubble, he said: "The vast majority of people, if they’re fans of the show, are really lovely. They shake your hand, have a photo and say how much they’re enjoying it. They’re like, ‘OMG, I hate you’, but it’s a nice ‘I hate you.’
"It’s been very interesting. I’ve tasted a bit of fame doing other TV shows, but nothing at all like this, nothing on the scale of this."
Ricky – who previously revealed ‘EastEnders’ viewers had been berating him in his local supermarket for his character’s nasty behaviour – says his family help him cope with playing such a dark person on the BBC One show.
Ricky – who has 16-month-old daughter Beatrix with his wife Samantha – said: "I cope with it well actually. Accessing parts of yourself you don’t normally go to is very interesting to me. It doesn’t leave any long lasting damage. I’m quite healthy in my mind, I’ve got a beautiful family at home and I’m very balanced in my life. I’m very thankful for that."
Ricky Champ: EastEnders fans tell me they hate in a nice way
