Honey Honey! Emma Barton tells all
EastEnders actress Emma Barton reveals how she was inspired by the show’s female legends when she first walked on set, aged 27…
Bubbly Emma Barton, 43, is best known for playing Honey Mitchell in BBC’s hit soap, EastEnders – as well as shimmying her way to the final of Strictly ComeDancing in 2019. Here, she opens up about playing opposite her on-screen daughter, Janet, since the latter was just a baby, and why she now calls her ‘Mummy Emma’. She also reveals why the late Dame Barbara
Windsor motivated her to become a celebrity supporter of the charity Dementia UK, following the death of her uncle from the same disease.
During the first lockdown you started baking bread and learning French. Has life changed for you?!
I gave up on French after two weeks – and, fortunately, I don’t have time to bake bread. I think now we are all looking forward to getting our lives on track. I was so grateful to get back filming on EastEnders.
Even though restrictions are being lifted, we are still going to film the show with all our safety measures in place. I’m also looking forward to going to the hairdresser because I’m slowly going grey!
In your upcoming storyline Honey’s daughter, Janet, gets cast as a model and her agent is played by Sue Holderness – better known as Marlene Boyce in Only Fools and Horses…
Oh, I was so excited when I heard Sue had been cast and I thought, please, please, be nice because I am such a big fan of Only Fools, and still watch re-runs of it! Everyone in Britain loves that show. Thankfully, Sue and I hit it off immediately and she is just perfect for EastEnders. All the cast are totally in awe of her.
Is it true that Grace, who plays your daughter, Janet, calls you ‘Mummy Emma’?
Yes, she does. How cute is that? I have worked with Grace since she was a couple of months old, so she is like my surrogate daughter. We love working together and I’m so proud of her and our new storyline is very current.
You’d make a great mum – do you think that could happen sometime?
I don’t think so, but you never know. I’m constantly working. But I do have my fur baby, my dog, Poppy. She’s really my only baby at the moment.
Are you a bit of a workaholic, would you say?
I think so. I just love being on EastEnders. It keeps me going. Because I don’t have children, I have the time to put everything into it. It’s my life, and I love the routine. I felt lost during the first lockdown.
Don’t you want Honey Mitchell to end up as the next Dot Cotton?
Yes, I do! Honey could turn into a Dot over the years. There’s a lot of Dot in her already. It would be a great honour to have Honey as one of the great matriarchs of the show, because June Brown, who played Dot, was incredible. When I find an old Mac hanging outside my dressing room, I’ll know it’s time.
How inspired have you been by stars like Dame Barbara Windsor, Pam St Clement and Wendy Richards?
All those great actresses had such a strong work ethic. I’ve been very fortunate because, when I joined the show in 2005, I was able to watch them, and learn from them. They were a huge inspiration to me.
You took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2019 – how do you look back on that experience?
I still get that nervous sick feeling whenever I look back. I can’t believe I did it – but I loved every minute of it. I was the last girl standing and wasn’t in the dance-off. When I was at drama school, I always came bottom in all the dance classes!
Do you have plans to do more reality TV?
I don’t think I could do better than being on Strictly. Right now, I’m happy being Honey Mitchell and finally getting to the hairdresser!