“Trying to kill Harriet was bad – but people seem okay with Will...”

Attempting to kill your ex-girlfriend by squashing her with a coffin, particularly when your ex-girlfriend is a vicar, should be considered an unforgivable act! But somehow, Will Taylor – who made this especially dramatic entrance into the village earlier this year – has so far managed to dodge any form of punishment. His crime certainly hasn’t been forgotten by us, however, since Dean Andrews, who plays the former drugs baron, has scooped a nomination for our Best Bad Boy trophy…

Welcome to the Inside Soap

Awards, Dean! How are you feeling about being a Best Bad Boy nominee?

I’m all right about it – it’s nice! And Will’s a bad boy, there’s no doubt about that. Trying to kill Harriet is quite bad. And there’s the terrorising and the generally just not being very nice… But Will’s relationship with Harriet is based on love.

Viewers have been rooting for Will and Harriet to get together, haven’t they – despite the pair’s relationship being a bit dark?

See, I personally don’t think it’s dark, because I reckon before he went to jail, Will was really in love with Harriet. His reaction to her being responsible for putting him in jail is understandable. But the fact that their love is still there is testament to how genuine it was.

Do you all have a laugh on set, to lighten those darker moments?

Well, Katherine Dow Blyton [who plays Harriet] is one of the funniest people I’ve come across – she’s just hilarious. She makes everybody laugh the most. I’d almost describe her as one of the boys – she’s been around actors so long, she can hold her own. If you choose to take her on, you’re up against it, because she’s so clever!

And what’s it been like developing Will and Dawn’s father-daughter relationship with Olivia Bromley, who plays her?

Very, very easy! Olivia is a really great actor and such a lovely person. I have two daughters who are similar to her, and they’re of a similar age. My two are very nice, as is Olivia. It’s not difficult to form a connection with her because she’s an adorable individual. She isn’t a difficult person to like.

Have your daughters met Olivia?

Not yet, no. Although my partner has met her, and the two of them got on like a house on fire.

What kind of reaction have you received from Emmerdale viewers since joining the show?

They seem all right actually. I thought they wouldn’t be too keen with the way that Will came into the show, but I think maybe some of my past work [Dean is well known for his roles in shows including Life On Mars and Last

Tango In Halifax] has softened the blow a little bit. So they’ve been okay – no adverse comments so far!

So now Will and Harriet’s romance is getting back off the ground, how’s he going to prepare for the inevitable afternoon tea with her boss, the bishop?

He’ll put on a cheap suit…

Are you a dab hand with knocking up a Victoria sponge?

Actually, I can bake pretty well!

Would you ever decide to go on Celebrity Bake Off?

No, I would not! It’s too much pressure, isn’t it? I’m actually a qualified chef – it was something

I did back in the day before I was an actor. I was a professional singer, too. I was brought up in pubs, so I went to catering college thinking that if you can cook, you can always work… SNEAK PREVIEW! “Will and Harriet’s relationship is developing, and Will is pushing for them to go public, but Harriet is reticent. She doesn’t want people to judge Will for being the guy he was, rather than the guy he is now. So there’s a bit of back and forth to come with that. And I think it’s right to say that everything will come out in quite an explosive way, before they want it to! There’s someone in the village, someone who can’t keep their mouth shut…”