‘No wonder I’m single, I have the worst wind!’
EastEnders star Emma Barton talks “cheating” on Anton Du Beke, being Mummy Emma to her on-screen kids and her gassy secret
She waltzed her way into the Strictly final last year alongside pro partner Anton Du Beke, so you’d think EastEnders star Emma Barton would be kick-starting 2020 with a well-earned rest.
But when we catch up with the
42-year-old actress, she reveals it’s the complete opposite. In fact, she’s well and truly caught the dancing bug and is currently going round the country entertaining crowds as part of Strictly Come Dancing The Live Tour.
This time, she’s traded in “king of ballroom”Anton for a new partner, hunky Italian Graziano Di Prima, and she’s loving every minute.
Far sharper than her ditzy but lovable EastEnders character Honey Mitchell, Emma is down-to-earth and friendly in the flesh. Here, the star – who split from her then husband, a lawyer, in 2005 and once dated TV’s Stephen Mulhern – opens up about being part of the BBC show, her workaholic ways and single life…
Hi Emma. Have you got your head around your success on Strictly?
I’m still on cloud nine. I’ve watched every series and always wanted to be asked [to take part]. As the years went on I thought it would never happen. It was everything I wanted and more. I was very lucky to have the king of ballroom, Anton Du Beke. We are great mates and laughed a lot. The show is huge. I couldn’t believe it when Miley Cyrus retweeted us dancing to one of her songs. Wow! It took a while to digest that. I sent a screenshot to Anton, but I’m not sure he knew who she was.
Are you being reunited for the Strictly tour?
Anton’s doing his own tour at the same time so now I have Graziano. I feel very fortunate to have had two partners.You don’t get any choice in who you get, it’s about height – I’m nearly 5ft 9in – and personality. Graziano is a very handsome, talented Italian and a sweetheart. It’s very hard work looking at him every night! But I feel like I’m cheating on my
darling Anton!
Have you lost weight?
I’ve changed shape. It’s amazing. I thought I was OK before, because I went to the gym and did Pilates, but nothing works like dancing for eight hours a day. I’m more toned and have more energy.
Balancing the show with playing Honey on EastEnders must have been tough…
I’m a workaholic anyway. It worked well because I was tired from dancing and Honey needed to look drained and sad for the storylines, so no make-up was
needed! I love playing
Honey. Over the years she’s come out of her shell, she’s less ditzy and has grown up. She’s a good person, even if she is a pork pie short of a picnic.
So you’re not planning on leaving the soap then?
Nope. After the Strictly tour, and a holiday, it’s back to Walford’s Minute Mart for me.The sequins come off and the tabard goes back on. It’s like putting on an old pair of slippers when I go to EastEnders, it’s like I’m home. I celebrated my 600th episode last month, so 2019 was a good year for me.
Are you close to the children who play your on-screen kids Janet and William?
I’m very maternal towards them. We’ve had Grace [who plays Janet] since she was a few weeks old. She’s known me all her life. I feel like her surrogate mum and she calls me Mummy Emma. Perry [Fenwick, who plays Billy] is Daddy Pel. I get on really well with Grace and Freddie [who plays William]’s families. They trust us with them. Neither Perry nor I have kids of our own, so it’s lovely.They came to watch the Strictly rehearsals. Grace loves her singing and dancing.
Would you like to have kids of your own?
I love children. Who knows? What will be, will be. I need to have a willing partner first, which I don’t have! But there are other options out there, I know. I’m not dating anyone at the minute. No wonder I’m still single, actually. I have the worst wind ever. It’s horrendous! Everything causes it. I can’t control it. When I started doing Pilates I was worried I’d go in class. Imagine my fear over breaking wind on live TV on Strictly! I clenched all the time and managed not to do it once. I warned Anton in advance – I’d better warn Graziano now.
Following your 2014 Celebrity MasterChef stint, have you got a killer dish to impress dates?
I wouldn’t want to cook on a date, I’d want to be taken out! I did that show because I thought I could cook. But it was so difficult, scarier than Strictly because you don’t want to upset anyone’s tummies. Afterwards, I said I would never complain at restaurants or send food back again. But I do cook the best roast potatoes – I made them for my family this Christmas.
What would you tell your younger self?
Save and invest. Always have a little pot for rainy days. There was a time a while ago when I didn’t work for a few years. That’s acting. So don’t get excited and buy lots of shoes.
What’s the biggest perk of fame?
Meeting people. I was starstruck meeting Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, I had a big girl crush on them. And when I met Barbara Windsor I nearly wet myself. Babs from Carry On! Now, she’s a close pal and I was one of Barbara’s Revolutionaries when I ran the London Marathon last year, raising