EastEnders' Michael Greco, who played the heartthrob Beppe DiMarco from 1998 to 2002, has expressed his disappointment over the decision to axe its iconic weekly omnibus.
Fans of the BBC One soap will remember the weekly compilation of episodes which ran for three decades from 1985 until 2015 on the Beeb until it was taken over in 2016 by W before later being axed for good in April 2017.
Speaking on behalf of FruitySlots.com, he said: "It was really sad when they took away the omnibus. Not only because people loved that but also for the actors because financially it was better for us because we'd get extra money because it was shown on Sundays. So that was taken away from us."
Despite his character leaving Walford under low-key circumstances to attend his mother's funeral, Michael is open to a return, revealing he's never been approached in the last 22 years.
He added: "Of course I'd go back and now I only live 20 minutes away from the studios so that's very handy.
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My character wasn't killed off, he kind of went away quite quietly. I've never been asked to go back, I don't know why. "I still called 'Beppe' in the streets. I'll get called Beppe until the day I die."
Reflecting on his time on Eastenders, he said: "It was like being the biggest pop star in the world. "He continued: "I went to an awards ceremony and I got a tap on my shoulder and it was Paul McCartney."
He added, "He said 'Me and my family watch you all the time, we think you're great', reports the Manchester Evening News. "Michael went on to discuss about his time on Eastenders, saying: "I'd gone from a working class boy who really struggled for a long, long time to being recognised by one of the most famous people in the planet.
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After his stint on Eastenders, Michael has made a name for himself as a professional poker player, secured a role in the Netflix series Queen Cleopatra, and is set to portray the villainous Fleshcreep in Jack and the Beanstalk this Christmas at Ipswich's Regent Theatre.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am
