ON SET WITH... Ted Robbins

14 MONDAY It’s day one on the new series of Mount Pleasant, which centres around the life of Sally Lindsay’s character Lisa – a resident of Mount Pleasant Close – and her neighbours, friends and family. It’s great to be back. I suffered a heart attack on stage in January 2015 so I’m delighted to have been able to resume my career, especially with people who were so supportive of me when I was ill. I have scenes today with Sally and James Dreyfus, who plays the Reverend Roger, and it’s a privilege to be a part of them. 15 TUESDAY In this series, my character Uncle Terry and Auntie Margaret – played by the wonderful Sue Vincent – have opened a retro café called Terry’s Gaff in Cheshire. I’m not saying Altrincham, the town where we’re filming, is posh but I’ve noticed a branch of Kentucky Fried Pheasant down the road! The production designer Chris Walker has sourced some genuine props from old cafés and my favourite is the sign that says, ‘No Smoking While Handling Food’. How times have changed! 16 WEDNESDAY Scenes today with Sue and my old mate Bobby Ball [far right], who plays Lisa’s dad Barry. He can sulk if he’s not in shot for several hours, but he also entertains us with a rich array of showbiz anecdotes from his long career. When he finally shoots a scene he’s a master of comedy timing. 17 THURSDAY We’re filming in the café again today when a couple of ladies come in, sit themselves down and order a pot of coffee and two buttered scones with jam. Members of the crew have to move them on very politely – they thought it was a real café! Some of the food on offer probably wouldn’t be what my doctor would recommend after my heart attack. I’ve managed to lose 4st since and I now have a defibrillator fitted inside my body which will spring into action if I were to have another. Hopefully this won’t happen now I’m in better shape. 18 FRIDAY This is a series blessed with some great lines. It’s hard to keep a straight face when Ainsley Howard’s character Denise is delivering wonderful malapropisms such as, ‘I’m as snug as a bug in a log’ or ‘I tickle every box’. And we’ve got great people on board too. Working on the big scenes with the rest of the cast around me, like the demonstration we’re filming today trying to saving Mount Pleasant’s local park, makes me realise how much of a place the show has in my heart. It’s become one of the highlights of my career. Mount Pleasant, Tuesday, 9pm, Sky 1.

seen as Ted, 61, most recently Street, Brendan Finch in Coronation running plays Terry in Sky’s long- Pleasant. comedy drama Mount the scenes Here he takes us behind show, on the sixth series of the which is shot in Cheshire…