EastEnders’ Gillian Taylforth teases more trouble for Kathy and Rocky after blackmail

Gillian Taylforth has hinted at more drama for Kathy Beale and new husband Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) on EastEnders, just as the couple have seen off his vicious ex, Jo (Vicki Michelle).

Jo derailed the wedding celebrations with the revelation that Rocky had just committed bigamy. She demanded a large pay off to keep quiet; but eventually, Kathy’s son Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) stepped in to put a stop to Jo’s blackmail. Despite this, it looked like we hadn't seen the last of Jo.

Speaking at a recent press event, Taylforth reacted to the chaos of Kathy’s disastrous big day. “I think she thinks that they can get over this hurdle, I think she does.

“I think Kathy is a daydreamer as well. It’s what she wants in life; what she wants and what she gets, unfortunately, are two different things in EastEnders!

"But I think she is one of those people, she wears her heart on her sleeve.”

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Teasing that the road will continue to be bumpy for Kathy, she added: “She loves Rocky and she thinks everything's gonna be rosy in the garden, and once the blackmail’s out the way that’s gonna be it; it’s all gonna stop and everything in the garden’s gonna be lovely.

"But unfortunately, this is a soap, this is EastEnders and who knows what will happen?”

While we now know that Jo is likely to reappear, the actor had her own thoughts on what kind of trouble Kathy and Rocky may face: “I don't know about an affair, who knows, who knows the way it goes?

"I mean, he’s got a gambling habit, so whether that’s gonna get on her nerves money-wise, what's gonna happen?

"She's already got a load of money on a loan for this blackmail; she’s having to sell things, sell the chippy, this, that and the other. It is funny that she sells all Ian’s stuff and not her own,” Taylforth laughed.

“I love it! See, I’m keeping my café and The Prince Albert, his stuff’s [going].”

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Despite the inevitable strife to come — and fury when Ian learns what's transpired — the star revealed that Kathy’s status as a Cotton is safe for now. But she admitted she was sad to lose the Beale name.

“She really wants this marriage to work, so I think she’s gonna stick with being a Cotton. She’s proud to be a Cotton now, she is. [But] I think to me, to be Kathy Cotton, I think I’d rather stay a Beale,” she chuckled.

“Or Kathy Beale-Cotton, but it [doesn’t] really work.”

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With EastEnders also keeping us guessing over its big Christmas ‘whodunnit’, Taylforth talked us through keeping the anticipation alive through all the secrecy.

“It’s more exciting, I think, for the public not to know what's going on, and then they see it, like the shock of knowing Cindy Beale [Michelle Collins] was coming back, and the shock of this. Rather than it getting out there quietly, there’s nothing then.

“That’s why I think this Christmas episode coming up is going to be enormous. It's going to be, everyone's gonna be riveted, I think. They will be, because we don't even know what's happening. And then obviously we film in September, October, so we will know; but you won't say anything because that's what it's all about."

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Promising that fans have a treat in store, the star teased: “Those powerful scenes that come out just when they’re needed to, like at Christmas. It’s gonna be great for people, it’s gonna be lovely.”

Asked how she deals with people wanting to know spoilers, Taylforth added: “Some of my friends do go: ‘Oh, what happens then?’ and I just go ‘Oh, can’t tell you. Can’t tell you or else I’ll have to kill you!’ That’s the easier way to get out of it, so I do it that way.”

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