You ASK...
They ANSWER!
KÉLLÉ BRYAN Hollyoaks’ Martine Deveraux ...faces your questions!
Air hostess Martine caused a stir when she landed in the village with her sister’s ex-hubby Louis! But will Kéllé be flying high after answering your questions?
“How was your first day on set?”
Oh, that seems like such a long time ago! I was so nervous, and had an on-screen kiss with Karl Collins [Louis Loveday], who I hadn’t worked with before – so I was thrown in at the deep end. I felt a bit of a tourist, because everyone in the show knows each other and I was like a rabbit in the headlights. The studios are a maze too, so I was lost a lot.
“Which of your
Hollyoaks co-stars are you closest to?”
She’s left now, but it was Jacqui [Boatswain, aka Simone Loveday]. She took me under her wing from day one, so we’re really close. Jacqui leaving was a loss for me personally and professionally, as doing scenes with her was always brilliant. We’d go out and watch shows together, and have sleepovers. We still speak all the time.
“You were a stand-in contestant for
Dancing On Ice in 2010 – would you still like to take part in the show?”
To be honest, I’m so happy that I didn’t have to do it! I have a lot of respect for the contestants, as being on the ice is terrifying – especially if you, like me, have no ice-skating background. Doing it was fantastic, though, as I learned so much. Now if I go skating with my kids, I know what I’m doing compared with other parents. But would I want to do it again? No!
“You were in the band Eternal – what was your most showbiz moment?”
It’d have to be doing a show with Whitney Houston – I’ve always looked up to her. We were invited by the Sultan of Brunei to perform at his daughter’s 16th birthday party. Most girls want a pony or a new laptop, but she wanted Eternal and Whitney Houston to perform! It was an eye-opening moment in my life – we were on a private jet and were taken round on golf buggies!
“Where’s the weirdest place that you’ve been recognised?”
In a toilet! I was in a club, and I asked the girl in the cubicle next door if she had any toilet paper. She went
“What was your most showbiz moment in Eternal?”
“How was your first day on the Hollyoaks set?” “Your character Martine is an air hostess – could you do her job?” …asks reader Claire Smythe from Leeds
silent, but then started screaming and shrieking, “OMG, you’re Kéllé from Eternal!” I was so shocked that she recognised me just from my voice, and then I had that embarrassing moment of having to come out when everyone else was waiting.
That was pretty weird.
“You took part in
The Big Reunion – which band would you like to see reunite?”
You know what, my dreams came true with the Spice Girls coming together – and Take That! They are my favourite bands of that era. Take That are one of those bands that manage to merge their abilities to get back together and do it well. So my two favourite bands are reunited – I’m well happy!
“Where’s the best place you’ve travelled to?”
Fiji! I went there when I did Celebrity Love Island in 2006, and it was amazing. Not just the beaches and the weather, but when I won a couple of trials, I got to go out to see the people and experience the culture – it’s a phenomenal place. The other place is Zanzibar, where I went for my honeymoon. It was amazing, and we stayed in a treehouse. We went on a safari too, although my husband didn’t tell me about it, so I went on it in a little mini-skirt and heels!
“What advice would you give people who are applying for this year?” Love Island
I went on the original Love Island’s second series, and I think the show was just finding its feet. But now the great thing is that people know what to expect. I’ve been addicted to the newer series – I’ve watched every single one! I would just say, “Go on there, be genuine and want to find love” – that’s what people connect with most.
“What do your kids think about you being in Hollyoaks?”
I don’t allow them to watch it – they’re only seven and five! I tape it sometimes so they can see my scenes. It’s bizarre for them, as people at school watch
Hollyoaks and the teachers talk about it to them. They do like watching some of it, though, and my son will want to have a conversation with me about the storylines. He’ll just ask me, “Why did
I mean, she works in first class, and I could definitely do first class! I’m sure that you can get lots of treats pre-air travel. The only thing I would find quite difficult is the travel itself – when I’m on a plane, I just can’t wait to get off. I’m always counting down the hours, one movie, two movies, then lunch. I would like the perks of the job, but not the travel! she do that? Why is he doing that?”, and I can’t explain it as I don’t want to have these grown-up conversations!
“You run a talent agency called Advocate Agency – what advice do you give someone you’ve signed?”
I don’t tend to sign people unless I feel they fill a gap in the market. If you’re joining the books, you should be proud of yourself and believe in your ability. You just need to know we’ll do our best to get you where you want to be.
“Trevor A Toussaint has just joined
Hollyoaks as your screen dad Walter – what’s it like to work with him?”
It’s incredible! He played my dad before in a play, so we know we work well together. The fact that his career is going in the direction that he wants it to is amazing, and I’ll cherish working with him for years to come.