2019-07-01_HelloMagazine_UK

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hebecamea householdnameon

TV’sTheBigBreakfastandwenton

tobea leadingladyinLondon’sWest

EndandonBroadway.Now,Denise

VanOutenhassaid“G’day”toiconic

OzsoapNeighbours.

hello!proudlybecamepartof

soaproyalty,too,as wejoinedherfirst

scenewitha walk-oncameoalongside

Denisein St James’sPark,justa stone’s

throwfromBuckinghamPalace.

Thestagestarcanhardlycontain

herexcitementat becominga partof

thelong-runningshow.“Thechance

todothiscameoutoftheblue,”says

theIreland’sGotTalentjudge,whose

lastTVactingrolewasinEastEndersin

2015.“I grewupwatchingNeighbours;

it wasoneofmyfavouriteshows.ButI

neverimaginedina millionyearsthat

I’dendupappearinginit.”

The45-year-oldplaysscattyPrue

Wallace,withheron-screendaughter

HarlowRobinsonplayedbyJemma

Donovan,19,whosedadisNeighbours

legendJason.

“JasonandI arefriendsandhave

workedtogethera fewtimes,”says

Denise,whooncehada softspotfor

theactorandsinger.“AlthoughI was

burstingtotelleveryoneI wasjoining

thecast,I couldn’tmentiontohim

thatI’dbeworkingwithJemma– or

eventellmymum– untilmyarrival

wasofficiallyannounced.”

Afirmfanoftheshowsinceit

startedairingintheUKmorethan

threedecadesago,Denisebecame

hooked on its heart-warming

storylinesandsunnybackdrops.

“Alongwiththerestoftheworld,I

wasmesmerisedbytheweddingof

Scott Robinson and Charlene

Mitchell,playedbyJasonandKylie

Minogue,”shesays.“Then,whenI

hostedTheBigBreakfast, mostofthe

castcameonasguests.Theywereall

sowarmandlovely.

“The lastthingI wouldwatch

beforeI hadtogotobedforanearly

startthenextdaywasNeighbours. Now

I’mpartoftheNeighboursfamilytoo.”

HOMEHELP

Performingherfirstscenesamid

playfulbanterwithco-starsincluding

longest-servingcastmemberStefan

Dennis,RebekahElmaloglouand

GoodMorningBritainpresenterand

formerhello!columnistRichard

Arnold– asa creepymanofmystery

• Denisealreadyfeelsat home.
  “RebekahandStefanaresuchfun
  andRichardis a hoot,”shesays.“He
  andI bondedas contestantsonStrictly
  andarea pairofgigglers.Whenever
  wemeetweenduplaughing.”
  As if oncue, an in-character
  Richardappearsfrombehinda tree.

“DeniseandI sharea ribaldsenseof

humour,”hesayswitha cheekygrin.

“Soit willbeinterestingtoseeif we

cangetthrougha scenewithout

collapsinginfitsoflaughter.”

“She’scertainlya bitofa fruitcake,”

smilesco-starStefanofPrue,who

todaywearsa purplepatterneddress,

zebra-printleggingsandturquoisecap.

“I play a woman who’seasily

influencedandtryingtofindherway

inlife,”saysDenise,whoalsoappears

onthisweek’sCelebrityGoggleboxwith

boyfriendEddieBoxshall.“Prueis

quitechildlike,flittingfromone

thingtothenext.Herdaughteris

moreofanadultthansheis.”

PivotaltoDenise’sfirstscenesis

HomeandAwayturnedNeighboursstar

Rebekah,a cousinofDameJudi

Dench anda closefriendofher

daughter,FintyWilliams.

“EverytimeI visittheUK,I catch

upwithFinty,”shesays.“WhenStefan

andI wereherelast,wewenton

Pointlessand,overdinnerwithFinty

thenightbefore,shetoldme:‘Mum

lovesthatshow.’ButI didsobadly,it

wasembarrassingtothinkJudimight

havebeenwatching.”

“Wouldn’tit begreattogetJudion

Neighbours, though,”laughsStefan.

DenisewillheadDownUnderin

Augustforthreeweeksoffilming,

whiledaughterBetsy,nine,holidays

withherdad,actorLeeMead.

“AftervisitingRamsayStreetyears

agoI alwayshopedI’dreturn,”

shesays.“NowI can’twait.”

WITH HELLO! ALSO LANDING A PART IN THE HIT SOAP

ON THE NEW TV ROLE THAT IS RIGHT UP HER STREET

DENISE VAN OUTEN

Neighboursis onChannel5,weekdaysat

1.45pmand5.30pm.

INTERVIEW:SALLYMORGAN

H

Inthefamily:JasonDonovanwith

daughterJemma,whowillplay

Denise’son-screendaughter

GoodNeighbours:

Deniseandformer

hello! columnist

RichardArnoldwith

RamsayStreetregulars

StefanDennisand

RebekahElmaloglou

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES. JAMES ROBINSON/CAMERA PRESS. RICHARD ARNOLD

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