EastEnders' Tony Clay has told Soaplife that when Whitney’s latest crush Halfway Highway returns to the Square there’s something he’s not saying…
Loveable soldier Callum - aka Halfway - Highway is back on the Square but he’s hiding something from Whitney and the Carters, EastEnders actor Tony Clay has admitted to Soaplife.
What’s the story?
Halfway made a dramatic entrance to Albert Square… The unlikely villain shot Mick Carter during Aidan Maguire’s botched robbery! But he redeemed himself by helping Mick Carter save The Vic and then he won Whitney Carter’s heart.
After returning to the Army for a brief stint, Halfway is planning to quit.
"Albert Square is where he feels loved and he feels like the Carters are his family," actor Tony Clay revealed. "It’s his world now and this is what brings him back."
What’s happening in EastEnders? See the latest soap storylines.
Tony Clay's interview with Soaplife about the return of Halfway to EastEnders
Soaplife: Is Halfway keeping a secret?
Tony Clay: “Yes. When he comes back, he’s hiding something and he feels conflicted by it. We know from the get-go that something is up. The happy-go-lucky boy has gone and something has changed. I can’t reveal what it is, though!”
S: Is Halfway the sort of guy who can keep a secret or is he likely to let it slip?
TC: “What eats him up the most is that he wants to share because he’s a good person. He wants to reveal everything. He’s met Whitney and he’s thinking, ‘Wow! I’ve never been in this situation!’ When you fall in love with someone, you want to tell them everything. That’s a major part of this character.”
S: We understand Mick and Linda let him stay in Shirley Carter’s room of all places…
TC: “He feels awkward because the relationship between him and Shirley is always a bit, er, ‘tense’. Of all the rooms he could have taken, why hers? The Carters know he bailed them out with Aidan Maguire so they kind of owe him. He certainly feels like less of an idiot than when he first came in.”
S: Does he find it hard to resist Whitney when she gets frisky with him?
TC: “This again shows another side to him. The loveable thing about him is he does struggle with intimacy and connecting with people in terms of opening up. But he knows he misses so much stuff emotionally. He says things at the wrong time, too. He loves to put his foot in it!”
S: Tell us about his feelings for Whitney. Is he hoping they can make a go of a proper relationship?
TC: “Yeah. He’s really thinking ‘This could be a new life for me!’ He sees that in her and he really wants to give it a go. So yeah, we’ll see how that develops over the coming weeks.”
S: Her ex, Woody Woodward, is on the Square. Can we expect some comedy scenes between the two of you?
TC: “There’s a couple of little looks and you feel it a little bit. But he doesn’t care about that sort of stuff. He’s not nervous or scared of ex-partners. He’s largely oblivious because he’s so besotted with Whitney and he has the Carters behind him.”
S: We know his brother, Stuart, is coming soon. What relationship does Halfway have with his brother?
TC: “It’s a tricky one. It’s a need to feel included by his brother from Halfway’s perspective. Halfway’s settled in with the Carters, but Mick is Stuart’s mate and, suddenly, Halfway’s there living with them. It might have a bearing.”
S: Is Stuart a bit more switched on than Halfway?
TC: “He’s a lot more clued up and manipulative and you’ll really see the difference between them.”
Coronation Street continues on ITV.
