Tuesday, June 24, 2014

VIEW GALLERY  

As Emmerdale's Andy Sugden he has gone from skinny schoolboy to buff beefcake, bedding some of the soap's most beautiful women along the way.

But despite already featuring in the ITV show's steamiest storylines, the latest plot twist – which sees him become Bernice Blackstock's toyboy – has really fired up actor Kelvin Fletcher's imagination.

The 30-year-old hunk says that playing the lover of Bernice, played by 41-year-old Samantha Giles, has shown him all the advantages that go with being with a real life cougar.

"It is every lad's fantasy – I would love it," he admits. "We have been doing scenes where she is mothering him, pampering him, looking after him, giving him massages and other things. What a life.

"I've never been with an older woman in real life. Certainly not the age gap there is between Andy and Bernice, which is about 14 years.

"A lot of younger guys would get plenty of street cred if they went out with an older woman. I've probably got a bit of street cred just by doing this – in fact, I've already started walking with a slight swagger."

Oldham-born Kelvin would have plenty of options if he did indeed decide to go for a more mature lady since they make up a large chunk of his adoring fan base.

And his admirers do not hold back when it comes to outlining exactly what they would do to Kelvin if they got hold of him.

He explains: "The vast majority of my fan mail comes from older women and gay men. And because of social media they're a lot more direct. Previously, when you received fan mail, they might want a relationship and elaborate over a two-page letter.

"Now they say what they want to do to you in a sentence but, no matter how rude or suggestive it gets, I always take it in a light-hearted way and never get offended. Though sometimes I do get a bit embarrassed.

ITV In the run up to the grand salon opening of ‘Beauty and Bernice’, Kerry drums up publicity in the form of a winning golden ticket, aware that she's still on her trial. The villagers arrive to show their support and Dan bags himself the golden ticket and a free spray tan but hastily passes up the opportunity and gives it to Andy. Kerry refuses to give Andy the spray tan unless she’s a permanent member of staff, leaving Bernice to try out her skills on him in the treatment room but the awkward encounter leads to a passionate moment between them. Curious as to what is taking so long, Kerry opens the door and the visitors get more than they bargained for when they find Bernice and Andy in a state of undress
Passion: Bernice and Sugden kiss  

"Do I love it? Yeah, I do. It is flattering and I don't mind who the attention comes from."

His status as resident lothario on the Yorkshire soap has steadily grown since he first arrived in Emmerdale in 1996 as the 12-year-old son of farmer Jack Sugden.

But the schoolboy with the curtain hairstyle gradually grew into a super-toned teenager, largely due to Kelvin hitting the gym and pursuing his love of rugby and cycling.

Since those first scenes, he has been involved with characters played by some of the cast's sexiest stars such as Sammy Winward, Roxanne Pallett and Charley Webb.

And the heart-throb's reputation has been boosted by frequent moments where the script requires him to show off that muscular physique.

The latest involved Andy losing his shirt for a massage from Bernice as a way of thanking him for helping her set up her new beauty salon, Beauty and Bernice. He then lost nearly all of his remaining clothes after claiming a free spray tan as part of a competition to promote the launch.

Getting up close and personal with Andy proved irresistible for Bernice and the couple shared a couple of passionate clinches. Unfortunately, they were discovered mid-kiss in the salon.

Not surprisingly, Kelvin suspects the Emmerdale scriptwriters are gratuitously using him as the soap's go-to piece of guy candy... but he does not seem to care too much. "It feels like any opportunity they can get me with no clothes on they will take it," he says. "I don't mind. I'm an actor which sometimes means doing half naked scenes... and I'm not that bad on the eye."

With so many shirtless scenes, Kelvin is keen to look as good as he can. He says: "I train and keep in shape. It's quite vain. The last you want is for millions to see you half naked if you haven't worked out for a while.

"I hadn't trained for three months before I read the salon scene with Bernice and I thought, 'Oh no, I'm going to look terrible.' I try to do a few press-ups in between the topless scenes to try and might make a difference." Thankfully Kelvin's girlfriend of eight years, Liz Marsland, 31, has become used to seeing her boyfriend objectified on the soap, as well as seeing him go through a string of on-screen lovers.

"I've been paired up with some beautiful women over the years," says Kelvin. "But my girlfriend doesn't really mind. She understands.

"It is a weird job where you can kiss someone at work then go back to your loved ones and it's all ok."

Kelvin's practical approach to professional snogging would also extend to tackling a role which would thrill some of his male fans – playing one-half of a same sex relationship.

The former Oldham Theatre workshop student, who started training to be an actor when he was just seven years old, says he would be quite happy to play a gay role if the opportunity arose.

ITV A nervous Andy tries to grovel to Bernice and there's a sense that she's warming slightly. As Andy and Bernice flirt, she lays it in on the line that they either do this properly as boyfriend and girlfriend or not at all. How will Andy respond?
Ultimatum: As Andy and Bernice flirted, she laid it in on the line that they either do this properly as boyfriend and girlfriend or not at all  

"I would totally do it," he insists. "I wouldn't hesitate. In fact I think I'd quite enjoy it. I like the idea of doing a part which, as a straight guy, is really different to me.

"I'd just see doing a gay kiss, and a gay role, as something different. Plus I have plenty of gay mates, so I could probably practice with them."

But until a man-on-man part presents itself, Kelvin must contend with being caught in the middle of Andy's new squeeze and his old flame on Emmerdale.

After being seriously injured in an accident on the farm, Andy is visited in hospital several times by Katie.

Next week fans will see how her trips to his bedside begin to irritate Bernice, who is still coming to terms with the age gap in their blossoming relationship.

"The age difference is only a problem for Bernice," says Kelvin. "It's not really a problem for Andy. I think a lot of people sympathise with the relationship and the fans seem to have loved the storyline."

But next week things take a dramatic twist when, after taking Andy home from the hospital, Katie – who cheated on her former husband with his brother Robert – ends up kissing him.

The passionate scene is witnessed by an already jealous Bernice who spies them through a window.

Kelvin adds: "They're just two friends helping each other out. Andy's distraught with his injury and Katie has been there to support him. When they go to give each other a farewell peck on the cheek, Andy misreads it and goes in for the full kiss – and she kisses him back.

"It is an intense moment when they are both overwhelmed and it takes them by surprise."

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to RSS Feed Follow me on Twitter!