EastEnders iconic Adam Woodyatt admits co-star 'shaken up' after live mistake
EastEnders is marking its 40th anniversary this week, including with a live episode tonight, and the celebrations have included a special that looked back at some of its history
EastEnders is marking its 40th anniversary this week, including with a live episode tonight, and the celebrations have included a special that looked back at some of its historyVideo Loading
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Eastenders: Adam Woodyatt discusses Jo Joyner making mistake
Cast member Adam Woodyatt has said that a co-star was "shaken up" over a mistake in a live EastEnders scene.
Adam, 56 - who plays Ian Beale on the BBC show - opened up about the experience in EastEnders at 40: Behind the Scenes, released yesterday. The new special marks the soap's 40th anniversary this week, with other celebrations for the occasion including a live episode airing tonight.
It isn't the first live episode the cast have dealt with though. The first one aired in 2010 for the 25th anniversary. The 30th anniversary week in 2015 then included "live elements" in three episodes before a fully live instalment at the end of it.
There were several blunders and one live scene from the last anniversary that's now considered iconic saw Jo Joyner, now 47 - who played Tanya Branning - accidentally refer to Ian by the name of the actor playing him. Her character was heard asking Jane Beale (Laurie Brett): "How's Adam?"
Reflecting on the mistake, Adam said in the newly-released special: "We all felt for Jo. You've gotta think how she felt - that when ever anybody mentions the live now that's what gets mentioned. She can't escape from it."
Jo Joyner famously said "how's Adam?" when referring to character Ian Beale in a live scene on EastEnders in 2015 (
Image:
BBC)
He continued: "I remember she came into ... cause we were all in different studios ... and Jo's come in and she's ... shaken up. Really, really shaken up. And we're all sort of looking at her and going 'what's the matter? what's the matter?' And she just went 'you'll find out'."
Adam - who is an original cast member of the show, which launched in 1985 - went on to suggest that anyone "could get it wrong" when it comes to a live episode. He said: "Any one of us could get it wrong and it's the pressure of it. The crew could get something wrong. We could get something wrong."
Jo has herself spoken about the blunder herself in the past, as previously reported, including having told Radio Times once: "I've got a good sense of humour. But I couldn't laugh about it until I'd gone out there the next night [for more live scenes]. I knew that people were watching to see if I messed up again."
She's also quoted as having told Gaby Roslin on her BBC London Radio show that she was emotional after the mistake. She said: "There is no explanation as to how or why it happened, we couldnât have known it better, we went over and over it, and I never got it wrong in rehearsals." She said it was "like an out of body experience" and that she was "hyperventilating" shortly before taking on her next live scene.
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