Former Eastender Jo Joyner, 41, heads back to school for a second helping of C4’s drama Ackley Bridge…

What’s

Ackley Bridge about?

It’s about a new flagship school up north, where the main ambition is to unite a community that is half Asian, half white.

Is playing the head teacher different from your other roles?

I’d spent a long time playing Tanya in Eastenders, who was soft and mumsy and less driven. Mandy was a nice change.

Your close pal Sunetra Sarker [who she met on C4’s No Angels in 2004] plays dinner lady Kaneez – is it fun to be working together again?

It’s amazing! When we were filming, we were living next door to each other in Hebden Bridge, sharing a dressing room and eating dinner together most nights. We’ve been really close since we did No Angels, and now our kids know each other, too [Jo has eight-year-old twins Edie and Freddie, while Sunetra has Noah, 13]. Su’s also massively into skincare and I’ve been raiding all her stuff so I can be more grown-up about it.

You’ve gone back to your countryside roots, living in the same village you grew up in [near Stratford-upon-avon]…

There was a point where we’d put in an offer on a house in north London and I suddenly thought, “Why are we doing this?” It was because of a job I wasn’t going to be in forever [Eastenders], I was surrounded by white Range Rovers and white worktops and I knew I’d need to start lying about my kids being Catholic to get them into a decent school. I’m such a country girl, so one day I just said to Neil [her husband, Neil Madden; a drama teacher], “Let’s go home.” Now it’s so lovely; the kids are at the school I went to and there’s that sense of community I grew up with.

Does Eastenders ask you back all the time?

I heard about Tanya’s sister Rainie now being married to Tanya’s ex, Max Branning, on Twitter, but I haven’t seen it. When I went back to Eastenders at Christmas, I was doing Shakespeare & Hathaway, so I gave up all my Saturdays to film. But I didn’t realise it was going to be night shoots in the rain, so I actually ended up working seven-day weeks for quite a while and it nearly ruined me! Next time, I’ll say, “I can’t fit it in this year.”

We don’t we see you on any reality TV shows?

The only one I was genuinely tempted by was Masterchef, because I love watching it. Though when it came to being asked to do Sugar Free Farm, I thought, “Really? Does the nation want to see me go without food?!” I’m a moody b***h when I’m hungry, and not very tactful!

Lastly, what kind of headteacher do you think you’d make?

I think I’d be good at coming up with lesson plans, but actually teaching the kids? Well, I’m not as patient as my husband, who is a teacher. I don’t think I’d be the best at putting up with that level of noise and energy all day!