TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER.
He’s very ambitious, very forward-thinking, new-wave, fast track, and sees everything as a stepping stone to his ultimate ambition, which is probably to be head of the prison service, I think. And he’s an all-round manipulator, very Iago-ish. There are the two sides, the public face and the private face. We find out that he has a deep dark secret, something that he finds very difficult to talk about, but about which we discover more as the series progresses…

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING IN BAD GIRLS?
The best thing is working with the cast and crew. They’re a wonderful crew and we’ve got some really nice directors coming in, they’ve all been really good. Lovely people to work with on a daily basis, and working with hoards of wonderful women.

WAS IT HARD TO COME INTO THE SERIES?
Yeah, it was. When I was in Medics, I did five years on that and you’d have people coming in for the third or the fourth series, and now I’ve suddenly realised how difficult it is. I’d never really done that myself so you really do appreciate that it’s quite a thing to step into a company that’s been running like this one has. But they’ve all been lovely. With the exception of Jack Ellis who’s an absolute pain-in-the-neck… no, who I love to bits. He’s been a joy from day one. He’s made me feel very welcome.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER?
I get to wear suits for a change. Normally, I wear either uniforms, or sort of working men’s gear, so it’s actually quite nice to have a nice wardrobe and a nice flat. But no, the machinations that they keep throwing at you. I don’t like knowing ahead what’s coming up, so when I get the scripts, I can go ‘Ooh, look at that, the manipulative little bastard…’, so that’s fun. Am I a baddie? Not on the surface, but I think if I had to define him as a goodie or a baddie, it would be a case of ‘I couldn’t possibly comment.’

WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER?
His mangling of the English language. He’ll never use one word when twenty-seven will do. It’s that sort of ad-speak that he goes in for, which makes my skin crawl if I’m on the receiving end, but he thinks he’s being really hip, cool and trendy.

DO YOU LIKE THE COSTUMES THAT YOUR CHARACTER WEARS? WOULD YOU WEAR THEM OUT?
Yes, and yes. They’re Cerutti and that sort of thing. He’s very dapper. Although he rides a bicycle! He’s very green. The thought of me riding a bicycle – you know, without an engine… no.

HOW DO PEOPLE RE-ACT TO YOU ON THE STREET?
Yeah, it’s dying off a bit. After I left The Street, there was a lot of ‘Oi, it’s Vinnie’ and they talk to you as if you’re still on telly and you can’t hear them. They point at you and say ‘Look, it’s him’ as if you’re not there.

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR CHARACTER? ANY TRAITS THAT YOU SHARE?
No, no, not at all. I don’t ride a bicycle. I would imagine he hits the gym, although there’s never actually been any evidence he’s the type that would like to keep in shape. I don’t tend to wear suits myself, so that’s a new thing for me. Although they’re very nice suits, I’m much more comfortable in casual clothes. I wear my heart on my sleeve really, probably too much.

WHAT SCENE HAVE YOU MOST ENJOYED OR HATED FILMING SO FAR?
I’ve most enjoyed… most of the scenes with Jack. The way that they’re written, there’s a lot of one-upmanship going on. Who’s actually spinning who? And they’re great to play – who’s actually won, who gets the last look to camera, saying ‘Ha!’ and twirling his moustache. They’re the fun parts. And the worst scenes are in the prison officers’ office, simply because it’s the hottest place in the world. I’ve been on the Equator, but it’s hotter. All the officers, all in their uniforms, sweating like pigs.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW EXTERIOR?
It’s wonderful. You stand there and you think ‘Good God, this is, like, big-time…’ All the other things I’ve worked on we’ve had sets that were already in place, hospital sets and things, and you just use them as they are, but this is the first time I’ve done anything where they’ve built a set to suit, and it’s actually quite amazing.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREETIME?
I spend a lot of time with my baby, Kate Olivia. And my wife, Deborah. I write when I’ve got spare time, I like to write. And relaxing, going to the cinema. I love films.

HOW WOULD YOU GET ON WITH YOUR CHARACTER IF YOU MET THEM IN REAL LIFE?
I wouldn’t give him the time of day. I’d spend about five minutes with him, and then I’d make my excuses and leave, as they say in the News Of The World. He’s not my cup of tea at all.

WHAT’S THE WORST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE?
I’ve a horrible feeling I’ve yet to do it!

WHAT’S THE BEST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE?
Marrying my wife, and having my baby. Also travelling, I did an amazing motorbike trip where I travelled across America and just stayed wherever I ended up at the end of the day. It was eye-opening. It was my mid-life crisis.