Yahoo News EastEnders star Vicki Michelle discusses real-life friendship with on-screen love rival
EastEnders' star Vicki Michelle has opened up about her real-life friendship with on-screen love rival Gillian Taylforth.
Michelle is returning to the Square as Rocky Cotton's wife, Jo, causing trouble for Taylforth's character Kathy who is engaged to Rocky.
But while they're love rivals on-screen, in real life Michelle and Taylforth have known each other "forever."
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Speaking about their relationship, Michelle said: "We support several of the same charities so we see each other reasonably regularly, so we were friends beforehand.
"That’s really good as it allows us to work off each other. Before I say one of Jo’s fabulously wicked one-liners I say, ‘Sorry Gilly, I’ve got to be really vile to you now’, and she says, ‘Don’t worry, so do I'."
Michelle also opened up about whether she thinks Jo has any actual feelings for Rocky or if she's just out for revenge.
"I think when you love someone you don’t ever stop, but that love can turn to hate," Michelle said. "So I think she probably hates him, but in a way still loves him because he was the love of her life.
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"For all of those years when Rocky was missing, Jo didn’t know whether he was dead or alive, so she’s held a candle for him believing he’s passed away, but that’s changed now she’s found out that he’s still alive.
"So when she sees him again, even though it's 25 years later, she’s still got those feelings and the hurt he caused her over all those years makes her really want revenge."
Jo will return to Walford this week with divorce papers for Rocky and, according to Michelle, she's ready to stir up some serious drama.
"She wants to come back and create some animosity," Michelle said. "She’s loving seeing Rocky squirm. Every time he sees her, he feels threatened by her. He loves Kathy but Jo is the spanner in the works.
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"Jo is obviously gloating because Rocky thinks he’s got signed divorce papers, but has he? There lies the question. And so if he marries Kathy, is it legal? She’s there to really stir it up because he broke her heart 25 years ago.
"She was so in love with him, and I think when she sees him now, she’s still in love with him and she wants to hurt him because of how much he’s hurt her.
"She’s quite hard now and I think she’s really hardened to men in general because of Rocky, so she really wants to stir it up and she’s out for vengeance."
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.
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