You Ask… Anthony Quinlan (Pete)
Emmerdale’s Pete Barton ...faces your questions!
Emmerdale village’s resident farmer Pete is a man of few words – but actor Anthony goes against the grain in order to answer your challenging questions…
“You’ve played Pete Barton for five years now. Do you think you would be mates with him in real life?”
Pete’s not the most exciting person at times, but I could see myself knocking around with him on occasion! He’s a nice guy – he’s not a fly character, and he wears his heart on his sleeve most of the time. You’d get loyalty from Pete, and he’d make a good friend.
“All your on-screen siblings have left now
– is it strange being the only Barton brother left?”
It is! I’d never have put my money on that either, to be honest. I had a ball with Mike [Parr, who played Ross] and Joe [Gill, aka Finn], and I miss them like you wouldn’t believe. I’m actually going to see Joe perform next week in The Full Monty play with Natalie J Robb [Moira], and a few other cast members. I do stay in touch with Mike and Joe. Mike’s over in LA, chasing the dream, so Joe and I have said we might fly over there – we’ll have a Barton reunion in LA!
“Pete and Rhona have had quite a few ups and downs during their relationship – would you like to see them tie the knot in the future?”
I would like them to marry, just due to the fact that I wouldn’t have put them together initially. There wasn’t much interaction between them – it was a bit of a surprise to Zoe [Henry, aka Rhona] and I that we were paired up. What Pete’s always wanted is a functional relationship, and he never had that with Debbie or Leyla, and Rhona’s been unlucky in love herself. I like that Pete and Rhona seek solace in each other – they have a nice little relationship. I would love to see them have a happy-ever-after.
“You were in Hollyoaks as Gilly Roach a while ago. Would you like to see him make a comeback?”
Never say never… I loved playing Gilly – he was always a hopeless romantic, carefree and quite comedic. There’s a bit of a pattern forming with my characters! Nothing about him was taken too seriously, apart from the storyline he left on. But prior to that, he was this happy-go-lucky kind of guy. I still see a lot of the cast. Hollyoaks was my family for
“How is it being the only Barton brother?”
more than six years – the show was a massive part of my life.
“I’ve spotted on Instagram that you have two dogs. Can you tell us about them?”
I’ve got a giant Schnauzer called Aggie, after Agatha Christie, and then there’s Woody, the wire fox terrier. He’s a little terror! Aggie’s about nine-and-a-half stone – she’s massive. But she’s so sweet, and so intelligent and calm. Woody, on the other hand, is very cheeky. He’s a right character, and he’ll push every boundary he can. They both have a big place in my heart.
“You’re in very good shape – when did you get interested in fitness?”
I’ve always been keen on it. I played sports at a high level at school – I played tennis for Lancashire! In recent years, though, I’ve become obsessed with [high-intensity workout programme] Crossfit. I pit myself against myself all the time, and it’s all about pushing yourself that bit further. I’ve had a few injuries of late, so I haven’t been able to do as much, but I love hot yoga now.
“What has been your strangest encounter with a fan?”
I’ve had a few fans cry when they’ve met me, and that’s quite sweet. I never really understand it – I don’t see myself as someone to cry about! A lady sent me pictures when she was looking for a date once, although I never followed up on it. But after about a year, I met this woman in person in a bar. She asked for a picture, and wondered if I would like to go out for a drink – it was quite a funny scenario to bump into her. She was very sweet, but we went our separate ways.
“Do you plan on following in the footsteps of some of your Dales cast mates, by appearing in a reality television series?”
I don’t have a longing desire to do any of them. I do like a challenge, though, and I enjoy quiz shows such as The Chase and Pointless. I like to think of myself as a fountain of general knowledge,
I remember doing a scene with a heavily pregnant cow – she was absolutely huge! The cow moved and stood on my foot, and it was the heaviest thing I’ve ever felt! I tried to be professional, but after five seconds I let out a massive yelp and started shouting, much to everyone else’s amusement! I really love animals, though. so watch this space! I think some of the SAS programmes are cool. I won
Gladiators years ago, back in the Gilly days – I’m up for anything physical!
“Do you like dressing up for the red carpet, and does it take you a long time to get ready?”
I’d like to say I’m a wash-and-go kind of guy, but I’d be lying! I definitely take a while to get ready – I’m always chopping and changing. I do take pride in my appearance, although I’ve made a few errors along the way! There’s something about awards and going to shoots that I love. Putting a suit on is quick, but choosing it can take a while.
“Do you plan to be in a reality TV series?”
“You’ve worked with some farm animals while in Emmerdale – have you had any mishaps?” …asks reader Elaine Prebble from Knutsford