Emmerdale star Ned Porteous has paid a sweet tribute to legendary co-star Claire King, describing the actor as “fantastic”.
Porteous returned to the ITV soap last year as he reprised his role as Joe Tate after a six-year absence, with the character recently making a slew of questionable – and occasionally illegal – decisions.
Porteous’s return to the soap has seen him work alongside King, who plays Kim Tate, for the very first time after their paths failed to cross during his previous stint.
“She wasn’t back in the show when I was there last time – I left just before she started. She’s fantastic to work with. I really enjoy her company,” said Porteous of King. “She’s a pro and has been doing this for such a long time now that stress is just water off a duck’s back for her.
“She’s got a fantastic sense of humour and even if we get to the end of a really long, 12-scene day, she maintains this element of, ‘Everything’s going to be okay, because tomorrow’s going to have to come’.”
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Porteous, whose previous stint on the soap was across 2017 and 2018, also spoke about the frosty relationship between the two characters, with the actor explaining that they could develop a form of mutual respect despite the lingering tension.
“I’m not sure he’ll ever like her – they’ve obviously got a bit of a history and there’s some overriding beef,” he said. “But there’s a manner of respect that he recognises in her and what she is: a boss bitch.
“It’s kind of cool. She runs the shop, and he’d like to see her as more of a friend than a foe. In the great war between the Tates and the Dingles, they want to be on the same side. She’s the matriarch [after all].”
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While Porteous praised his working relationship with King, the actor also shared that all of his co-stars were a pleasure to work with, explaining: “All of them. I get on well with everyone here – hopefully they feel the same way. They’re a lovely bunch of people.
“It’s fun but you’ve also got to handle quite a serious subject matter at the same time, which ends up breeding quite a funny environment at work anyway when you’re trying to handle something quite macabre or serious. How many kidneys get stolen in real life?”
