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EASTENDERS stars Penny Fenwick and Emma Barton have revealed their thoughts on the terrifying live episode – and if it’s fourth time lucky for Billy and Honey.

When you talk about the legends that have walked the streets of Walford over the last 40 years, the likes of Barbara Windsor, June Brown and Adam Woodyatt may be among the first names on your list.

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Eastenders stars Penny Fenwick and Emma Barton reveal their thoughts on the terrifying live episode and if it’s fourth time lucky for Billy and Honey[/caption]

BBC

Honey and Billy’s wedding day takes centre stage for a special week of drama[/caption]

BBC

The couple have played their characters for over twenty years in the soap[/caption]

But an honourable mention to go to Perry Fenwick, who has played Billy Mitchell for 27 years, and Emma Barton, who we’ve all known as Honey for two decades.

And the pair are overjoyed not only to be The Sun’s TV Mag’s cover stars, but that their characters’ wedding day takes centre stage for a special week of drama.

Which culminates in a live episode on Thursday and the promise that not everyone will survive when The Queen Vic explodes.

“I was reading through the scripts for Christmas and it said: ‘Honey says: ‘We’ve got an announcement to make: we’re getting married. Save the date – 19th February.’

And I thought: ‘That rings a bell, that date,’” laughs Perry, 62.

“I phoned Emma and went: ‘You know when that is, don’t you? Our wedding is going to be the live episode!’ Then it was a bit terrifying.”

While Thursday’s episode brings Emma’s first-ever live EastEnders scenes, Perry carried the Olympic torch during the 2012 live episode – but he’s still nervous.

“It terrifies me,” he reveals. “Emma’s gone off and done theatre and Strictly Come Dancing, but I’ve been here 27 years, and I stopped doing theatre when I started this.

“That’s a long time to not do something live. I’ll definitely have a drink waiting in my dressing room afterwards.”

“We were both over the moon, though,” grins Emma, 47.

“And also we’re excited because we’ve wanted this, renewing our vows, getting married again, because we were so thrilled to be back together.

“Honey and Billy have to be together. It’s a must, it’s a given, and it’s just so, so nice.”

While Honey and Billy are often not centre stage in the big storylines (“They get caught in the crossfire of a lot of things, but it’s never their own doing,” says Perry), they have been very much part of the fabric of the show for over two decades.

“I said to Steve McFadden [Phil Mitchell] that we do need to get some older characters in, because there’s an audience who watch for that,” admits Perry.

When I walked through the doors and I saw them all, the enduring memory I have is that it felt like I had walked into an episode of Spitting Image.

Perry FenwickTV Mag

“And he went: ‘We are the old characters!’”

“I used to have a photo album with press clippings that I used to collect, and in a highlighter I used to put: ‘I love Ian Beale, I love Wicksy’ and I wanted to be Sharon – I was obsessed,” reveals Emma.

“And then, you know, you’re working on it. My first day was walking into the pub, and I went straight up to Phil and asked for an orange juice.

“And in that pub you had Peggy and Pauline, Pat and Dot, all these iconic actors that you’re just in awe of.

“I can still remember it like it was yesterday. It was amazing.”

“My first ever scene was in The Vic as well,” says Perry. “I had to come through the double doors and my first line was to Grant.

“I said: ‘Any chance of a decent pint in here or what?’ When I walked through the doors and I saw them all, the enduring memory I have is that it felt like I had walked into an episode of Spitting Image.

MEETING SHOW ICONS

“Because all those characters were like caricatures to me.

“From having watched the show, their mouths were opening and they were speaking to me… It’s a surreal feeling. We always feel for new people when they join.”

“To meet Wendy Richard [Pauline Fowler] and Barbara Windsor [Peggy Mitchell], I was so excited,” adds Emma.

“And you know what? They were so adorable to me, you could ask them anything, old stories, and they loved it; you could have a really good old gossip.”

As well as learning their craft from the legends, Perry and Emma also had a sharp lesson about hierarchy when they joined.

“We used to have two green rooms, and Wendy always had a specific seat,” explains Emma.

“When I first joined the show, I was once sitting next to lovely Laila Morse [Big Mo] chatting away, and Wendy gets back from holiday.

She enters and just stands in the doorway, points at Mo, and goes: ‘Who’s that?’ And Mo goes: ‘She’s alright Wend, she’s one of us.’

“And I was absolutely fine. I literally was one of Wendy’s besties after that.”

“Someone would come into the green room and I’d let them sit in Wendy’s chair and be like: ‘Yeah, put your feet up,’ knowing that she would walk in at any moment and it would be: ‘Out you go!’” laughs Perry.

“But you know, you earned your spurs.”

there’s a little bit of carte blanche with Honey and Billy. We do work very hard to make our relationship in the show believable

Perry FenwickTV Mag

In its 40 years, characters such as Billy and Honey have always provided a bit of light relief in the drama, though Perry and Emma say they feel proud that their roles aren’t always out-and-out comedy.

“We’re quite lucky, because a lot of characters are seen one way, and they will not be written another way,” muses Perry.

“But there’s a little bit of carte blanche with Honey and Billy. We do work very hard to make our relationship in the show believable.

“And sometimes we play the funny stuff, which we both love, and then other times it’s heartbreaking.

“In one of our four weddings, I ended up being locked in a warehouse in Watford.

“I only had my West Ham boxer shorts on and had to make my way back to Walford.

“I was chased by a dog, done by the police for flashing, got locked in the bathroom… It was just pure comedy.

BEING TOTALLY IN SYNC

“We laugh a lot. There’s two types of scenes we do, we love playing comedy, and we’ve both got the same comic timing, we know how to ring that. She’ll make me laugh…”

“But you’ll make me cry,” interjects Emma.

“If we’ve got a serious scene, if one of us goes, we can make the other go. We’re absolutely in tune.”

And that also goes for their aligned work ethic.

“If we’ve got a big story, we treat it like our little film for a month or two, and everything goes out the door,” says Perry.

“This is what’s important, tell everybody. There’s no going out.”

“And we get excited, don’t we?” Emma asks. “What’s our saying when we feel we’ve done well?”

“Nailed it!” they both say in unison.

40TH ANNIVERSARY UPDATE

Whether Emma and Perry get the happy ever after they have always wanted for Honey and Billy depends entirely on who gets caught up in the immense blast in Albert Square this week.

They, of course, are sworn to secrecy on the details, but say we’re in for a treat.

“You will be thrilled,” teases Perry. “When they go for it on the show.

“You don’t even realise that you’re being reeled in, and that something happens over there, which leads to something , which means will never be the same again.

“It’s like Agatha Christie or Charles Dickens!”

For more interviews make sure and grab your copy of The Sun’s TV Magazine free with your weekend newspaper.

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The couple were excited to feature on our TV Mag[/caption]

EastEnders airs Mon, Tues, Weds & live on Thurs 7.30pm BBC1

HOMEOWNERS can boost the value of their home by thousands of pounds with a few easy steps that cost less than a tenner.

Many of us think of property improvements as big jobs that are disruptive and come with big price tags.

But there are also plenty of small tweaks to your property that can have a huge impact on the value and cost barely anything at all.

Many of these tricks don’t require any special skills and just a little effort from you.

Estate agent Robin Edwards from firm Curetons (curetons.co.uk) spoke to The Sun about the simple changes you can make to drive up the value of your property.

This is especially important if you are thinking about selling your home so you can get the maximum sale price possible.

But even if you are not in the market, tidying up your home and making it more presentable for spring doesn’t require a big outlay.

Here are seven moves, all costing less than £10 to carry out, which can add thousands of pounds to the value of your home…

Reseal wooden window frames – £3,000

It’s important to improve the curb appeal of your home and that includes tidying up window frames.

Replacing entire frames is a big and expensive job, instead you can buy some wood filler and fill in gaps.

A port of Ronseal filler is £6.99 from Screwfix and will help replace any rotten wood and make them look far more visually appealing.

You can do the same with doors or door frames if they need attention.

Robin estimates this move could add around 1% to a property’s value.

The average home costs just shy of £300,000, according to Halifax, which would work out as a £3,000 increase in the overall cost.

Repaint your house – £15,000

Refreshing the walls of your home has a dramatic impact on the value.

It’s one of the cheapest and easiest things you can do to upgrade the visual appeal of your home.

You don’t need to spend mega bucks on expensive paint, The Range is currently selling a 2.5litre pot of matte of emulsion paint for £4.79.

Even just wiping down walls and getting rid of any unsightly marks can help and that costs nothing at all.

Robin estimates that you can’t add 5% to the value of your home with a lick of paint.

This would work out as boosting the average property worth by £15,000.

Declutter – £6,000

A clear and calm home is far more visually appealing to prospective buyers than one that is filled to the brim with piles of belongings.

Robin says: “Buyers want to see a house and if you cant see it because of clutter, it will knock the value.”

It costs nothing at all to have a clear out and you can even make money if you flog unwanted items at a car boot sale or on secondhand selling sites.

Make sure kitchen sides are clear, putting items in draws or cupboards.

A couple of storage containers come in at around £5 from Ikea and are great for storing items in the loft, shed or garage.

Robin says cleaning up clutter in a home can add around 2% to the value of a home, which works out as £6,000 on the typical property in the UK.

Tidy up garden – £15,000

The outside of your home is as important as the inside.

Show off what’s on offer by clearing up weeds, leaves and other debris from plants.

Make sure trees and bushes are neat and trimmed. Mow the lawn and tidy away clutter into a shed.

Don’t forget about the front either, which is the first impression a potential buyer gets.

Robin recommends adding some cheap plants to help bolster curb appeal.

You could try hanging baskets, or a couple of small trees either side of the front door, as well as window planters.

Aldi and Lidl both offer good value plants.

Having a clear and tidy outdoor area can add around 5% to the value of your home working out as £15,000.

Repaint kitchen – £15,000

As with the walls, repainting a kitchen can have a dramatic impact.

Robin says simply painting cupboards and doors can make a tired kitchen look new and up to date.

This trick works particularly well if your kitchen looks quite dated. You could also go a step further and using tile stickers to cover up unattractive or outdated patterns.

A 24-pack of tile stickers is £7.99 from The Range.

Sand floorboards – £15,000

If you have wooden floor boards hidden away under ugly carpet, it could be well worth spending a day or two pulling them up and sanding them down.

Pulling up carperts will require a bit of graft and you will need to rent or borrow a sanding machine to get the floors underneath in top shape.

You can rent these kind of machines from a DIY shop for around £30-£40 a day.

There are plenty of YouTube videos that will give you step by step instructions on how to get the floors in top condition.

The work usually pays off and could add up to 5% to the value of a home, according to Robin.

He adds: “People love original features in a home – wooden floors will always add value.”

On the typical home, this would mean a whopping £15,000 extra

Regrout bathroom tiles – £6,000

You can pick up a grout pen for as little as £1.25 from The Range.

And brightening up these edges between tiling in a bathroom has the effect of making everything look much cleaner, says Robin.

Overall, you could expect this simple move to add between 1-2% on to the value of a home, working out as up to £6,000 on the average property.

Replacing or cleaning up any discoloured or mouldy sealant can have a similar impact.

Try a mould remover or you can also soak cotton wool in bleach and leave it on black sealant over night.

If it is very badly marked, it may be easier to replace. A silicone sealant pen costs £8 from Dunelm and takes minutes to apply.

BT has gone down for thousands with customers experiencing issues accessing their emails.

More than 4,600 customers have logged complaints on the Downdetector website, which measures outages.

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BT has gone down for thousands of customers[/caption]

The vast majority are experiencing problems with their emails while less than 10% are having broadband connectivity issues.

Problems for customers started at just after 5am this morning, with plenty taking to X since to vent their frustration.

One posted: “BT your email servers are down and there is no response on your chat. What is going on?”

Another commented: “BT is your email system down? I’m not getting any emails at all and getting an error message.”

A third piped up: “BT your internet mail server is down! Cannot get mail.”

A fourth added: “Oh for heaven’s sake! What on EARTH is happening to BT’s email service?”

The Sun has approached BT for comment.

LUKE HUMPHRIES has revealed when he plans to return to the oche after a small finger injury left him facing an uphill battle on Thursday night’s Premier League night two final.

Humphries failed to secure back-to-back Premier League nightly wins on Thursday after a 6-5 defeat in the final to Luke Littler.

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Luke Humphries has revealed the cause of his finger injury[/caption]

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Humphries battled with a bleeding finger during the Premier League night two final against Luke Littler on Thursday in Glasgow[/caption]

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Littler beat Humphries 6-5 in the final[/caption]

The world number one couldn’t get the better of the 18-year-old world champion after cutting his finger ahead of the match.

Humphries, who had to dab blood off his finger after every visit in the final, took to social media to explain what happened, and revealed that he will be straight back to the action in Dublin next week.

He wrote: “[A] difficult night all round, and I just fell short in the end. An unexpected finger injury didn’t help either.

“Fair play to Luke Littler and I’ll be back next week to do it all again in Dublin.”

Probed on what caused his finger injury, Humphries revealed: “Pulled my darts out the practice board and cut it on the wires. Then it just wound’t stop bleeding.”

Humphries didn’t just have an injury to contend with either.

He and Littler both faced shocking fan behaviour inside the OVO Hydro Arena in Glasgow throughout their match.

Both players were visibly frustrated as sections of the crowd were continuously whistling during their visits to the oche.

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Fans were whistling during the match in Glasgow[/caption]

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

The terrible crowd interaction prompted referee Kirk Bevins to angrily tell the crowd to stop whistling.

While the PDC condemned the crowd’s actions in a statement.

It read: “The PDC wishes to strongly reiterate that it does not condone any behaviour which can disrupt an event, such as whistling or booing when players are throwing.

“Every player goes on stage with the intention of performing to the best of their ability and providing an entertaining spectacle for all fans, whether in the venue or watching worldwide.

“As per the terms and conditions of entry to events, spectators who act inappropriately can be removed from the venue.

“The PDC works closely with Premier League venues, who have responsibility for crowd control, to take proactive and decisive action against those who behave inappropriately.

“The vast majority of fans who attend our sell-out events on a regular basis also condemn this behaviour.

“And we will continue to promote a positive atmosphere which gives all players the opportunity to play to the best of their ability in every match.”

HOME FAVOURITE Jack Catterall in a Manchester boxing ring with a shot at the WBO super lightweight title on the line.

Chorley-born Catterall, 31, finds himself in a title eliminator as he returns to Co-op Live Arena, Manchester – the place of his last fight.

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After beating Regis Prograis last October, Catterall, nicknamed ‘El Gato’, closes in on the chance to fight for the world title.

Teofimo Lopez is the current holder of the WBO super-lightweight strap that the 31-year-old fighter is eyeing.

Before the Prograis fight, Catterall exacted revenge on Josh Taylor in their rematch, and promoter Eddie Hearn has stated that he is now targeting Lopez.

But first, attention turns to Arnold Barboza Jr.

27-year-old Barboza Jr is a worthy opponent – eleven of the American’s 30 professional fights have ended in knockouts, and he has won all 30 of them.

Here’s the information on when the two will step out for their bout.

What time will the fight start in the UK?

• Catterall vs Barboza Jr will take place on Saturday, February 15.
• Official start times are yet to be announced but the card is expected to get started at around 7pm UK time.
• The main event between is set to begin at around 10pm UK time.
• The event will be broadcast live on DAZN Pay-Per-View, with PPV available to buy now at £19.99 in the UK.
• Alternatively, you can tune into SunSport’s live blog for updates on the night.

Who else is on the card?

• Jack Catterall vs Arnold Barboza Jr – for vacant WBO Interim super-lightweight title
• Reece Bellotti vs Michael Gomez Jr
• Zelfa Barrett vs Jazza Dickens
• Pat McCormack vs Robbie Davies Jr
• William Crolla vs Ayoub Zakari
• Conner Tudsbury vs Sadaam Moamed Da Silva Caetano
• Aqib Fiaz vs Lydon Chircop
• Alfie Middlemiss vs Caine Singh

WE’VE heard it all before.

You want to lose weight, so you need to exercise more, cut out carbs and ditch the sugar, right?

Not necessarily. Weight loss could be so much easier, less hunger-inducing and actually involve more sleep, leading industry experts say.

Here, coaches and nutritionists share their ultimate pound-shedding hacks…

1. A SAVOURY START

Life is full of sweat treat temptations – chocolate bars at checkouts, sugary cereal aisles, and birthday cakes brought into the office.

It can often feel like, despite setting out with the best intentions, the sweet treats find you and you just can’t say ‘no’.

Well the best way to stay on top of your cravings is to start as you mean to go on.

Diet coach Sarah Bockhart, from fitness app RWL, says: “Lots of people make their first mistake with the very first thing they eat in the morning.

“The best way to help you stay on top of your cravings for sweet stuff and set yourself up for a binge-free day, week or month is to make your first meal or snack of the day something savoury.

“Ditch the sweep cereals, jam on toast or granola for a high-protein option like an omelette, avocado or toast or a warming shakshuka.

“This will help to control your urges.

“Research shows those who start with a sweet breakfast (yes, even sugar in that cuppa) are way more likely to find it hard to resist sweet treats throughout the day because they have already had their blood sugar levels ‘spiked’ early on, meaning they spend the day chasing that sugar rush.”

2. MORE MORE MORE

When we think of weight loss, we often prepare ourselves for eating less, cutting things out, and being constantly hungry.

But nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert says we should actually be eating more! Of certain foods anyway.

“A big mistake many people who are looking to weight make is that they cut too many things out of their diet,” she adds.

“You should really make it your mission to add more things in.

“This works wonders for so many reasons.

“Firstly, a wider variety of different fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes helps to improve your gut health.

“This is important for weight because the more good bacteria you have in your gut, the happier and more effective your gut is.

“Good gut bacteria produce hormones that reduce your appetite and prevent cravings.

“It can also lead to a higher metabolism, meaning you’ll burn more calories.

Homemade snacks are way less likely to be ‘over-consumed’ because they don’t include any of the emulsifiers and chemicals that shop-bought versions have that make them so addictive

Rhiannon LambertNutritionist

“Secondly, the more we vary our diets in this way, the more interesting it is for us.

“Lots of dieters repeat the same meals over and over and quickly get bored, leading them to reach for their old, high-calorie favourites.

“But by varying your veggies, fruits and grains you are keeping yourself entertained and keeping boredom at bay.”

3. SLEEP LIKE A BABY

You want to lose weight so you should probably start setting an alarm for early in the morning so you can exercise, right?

Well, while exercising is a great way to help you drop a few pounds and get healthy, sometimes sacrificing sleep can have the opposite effect.

Sleep expert and life coach Jeff Spires says: “Exercise is great for weight loss, there is no question about that.

“But where a lot of people go wrong is sacrificing too much sleep in order to fit exercise in.

“Men need at least seven hours of sleep a night to fully recover from the day and perform their best, while women need eight to nine hours.

“If you stay up too late then set an early alarm that cuts your sleep down too much, the likelihood is you are going to become overtired.

“This is problematic for weight loss because tiredness is one of the major factors in us losing willpower when it comes to our diets.

“We are way more likely to reach for sugary foods or highly-processed carbs when we are tired because our body is craving energy.”

He adds: “It’s much harder to stick to healthy portions and good quality food if we are tired.

“So think twice before staying up late, and if you need to set an early alarm for exercise, bring that bedtime earlier!”

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Losing weight doesn’t necessarily mean missing out, experts say[/caption]

4. FILL YOUR PLATE

Ever thought about weight loss and pictured a plate with more food on it than you were eating before?

No, us neither. But experts believe that bigger portions at meal times could be key for successful, sustainable weight loss.

Sarah says: “It’s the thing I hear more than anything else – ‘I’m still so hungry after lunch or dinner that I end up snacking’.

“This is the major downfall of so many dieters.

“They cut down their portion sizes at mealtimes which just means they are so hungry they can’t help but reach for highly-calorific snacks to fill themselves up.

“To combat this, I tell my clients to go bigger with dinners and lunches.”

She adds: “Fill your plate with protein and veg and make sure you are really full of that healthy dish you have cooked.

“If you are full at mealtimes, your body will be satisfied until the next one.

“You will take the proper break between meals, allowing digestion and your blood sugar to regulate.

“Then you’ll be ready for your next meal without having snacked in between.

“If you are eating good quality protein like chicken, tuna and eggs, and loads of veg, you won’t be getting huge amounts of extra calories, but you would if you end up snacking.”

5. SNACK ATTACK

Snacking is one of the things most dieters say is their “downfall”.

But while cutting out snacks in between meals is ideal, if you really struggle to go without a few nibbles, a major hack can be to make them yourself.

Rhiannon says: “Snacks get a really bad name when it comes to weight loss.

“And while it can be beneficial to avoid them, they really don’t have to be demonised if you are able to hack your snacks.

“It’s simple. Only snack on things that you make yourself.

“So instead of shop-bought items like crisps, pastries, cereal bars and chocolate bars – hack your snacks by making your own.”

It can be as simple as chucking three ingredients into a bowl.

“Melting dark chocolate and adding in chopped dates and pistachios makes a lovely homemade chocolate bar,” Rhiannon adds.

“Or pop lots of nuts and seeds and oats in the air fryer for a few minutes, mix with some peanut butter and mould into bars, and you have a great cereal bar.

“The reason this hack is so effective is that homemade snacks are way less likely to be ‘over-consumed’ because they don’t include any of the emulsifiers and chemicals that shop-bought versions have that make them so addictive.

“You are getting more nutrition and less of the addictive, ‘I immediately need another one’ chemicals you get when you buy pre-made.”