Doctors' Chris and Jan: 'We row very well'

Doctors' Chris and Jan: 'We row very well'
Doctors' Chris and Jan: 'We row very well' (Image credit: BBC)

Doctors couple Chris Walker and Jan Pearson have revealed how they were introduced on set - and then told to get into bed together! Chris, who plays police sergeant Rob Hollins, and Jan (his on-screen wife, receptionist Karen) have been nominated in the Best Onscreen Partnership category at this weekend's British Soap Awards. But Chris, who joined the show six months after Jan, revealed they weren't given much time to develop any chemistry before being thrown in at the deep end on set. He said: "First day on set, in fact first scene it was, 'Hi I'm Chris', 'Hi I'm Jan', right get into bed. So that broke the ice." When asked why they worked so well together on screen, he said: "I think that we're not precious with our own stuff and we always want to give and help each other and that's nice. And we do row very well." The pair also revealed that passers-by often think the Doctors set is a real surgery and drop in expecting to be treated. Chris explained: "You can see it from the road, so it's understandable..." Jan added: "And it just says 'the Mill Surgery', so why wouldn't you pop in? It happens on a regular basis." Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.