Emma Barton
“Ooh, this is going to be a juicy storyline…"
As Honey’s getting older, she’s getting more fun to play,” grins EastEnders star Emma Barton, as we remind her that it’s been just over 15 years since she first graced our screens as Honey. “There’s a bit of Ethel, and a bit of Dot coming out in her – she’s a goody-goody, but she’s a bit nosy and a bit of a stirrer as well. There are lots of different sides to Honey now – she’s not just the airy-fairy girl she was when she first arrived. I still love playing her.”
And it’s not just Emma who’s sweet on Honey – she has two guys fighting over her on screen, as her new romance with Jay continues, while her ex-hubby Billy seethes with jealousy! But Emma tells us that she’s delighted to be caught between her two best mates…
What was your reaction when you first heard that Honey and Jay would be getting together?
My first thought was, ‘Oh gosh, this is going to be a bit of a juicy storyline!’ Honey, Jay and Billy have so much history, so I was really interested to see what direction it was going to go in, and how the audience was going to react to it. Perry [Fenwick, who plays Billy] and Jamie [Borthwick, aka Jay] are two of my best friends, so it’s been really enjoyable to do.
When we spoke to Perry recently, he was a bit upset about Honey and Jay getting together…
I think he wants another wedding – even though we’ve had three in the show already! So when he first found out about this storyline he was a bit like, “What?” He does say to
me, “You’re loving this, aren’t you? You’re loving being narky with me?” and I say, “Yep, I’m loving every minute of it!” We do have a laugh.
How has Honey been dealing with the tension between Billy and Jay?
It’s caused Honey a lot of stress, because her main concerns are what people are going to think, and how the new relationship is going to affect her children. It’s a massive mess, and Billy and Jay are a bit like Laurel and Hardy – Honey’s at the point where she just wants to bang their heads together!
Honey’s not just the airy-fairy girl she once was…
And there’s more worry for Honey this week, when Janet goes missing! Oh, she’s absolutely furious with Jay and Billy about this. They are still bickering all the time, so Honey says, “Why don’t you show me how well you can get on? I have to go to work, so you two can take Janet to her audition,” as Janet’s been approached by a talent scout earlier in the week. Then it all goes wrong. Honey falls off a ladder in the Minute Mart, and Jay and Billy forget to pick up Janet from the audition…
What do the viewers make of Honey and Jay together? Everything I’ve seen has been really positive, people love the characters. But equally, there are still some who go, “Oh no, we want Honey to get back together with Billy!” What’s been difficult is that we’re under these Covid restrictions, so we can’t show any closeness, which is a bit of a shame with a new relationship. And Jamie’s a little bit cheesed off about that!
Was he hoping for some snogging action?
He says, “You’ve been my dream woman for years, and the time I finally get to kiss you, there’s a plastic screen in front of me!” So that’s been a bit of a joke between us on set!
Honey needs some girl time away from warring Jay and Billy…
I’d love more scenes with the girls, just sitting in the pub, having a bitter lemon and a gossip. I love doing scenes with Tish Dean [Sharon], she’s like my sister. But it does take a while, as she’s very, very naughty – and she laughs a lot!