Gemma Bissix

Do Look Now!

	We recorded a Dr Who audio CD... I played a Grecian prostitute in Pompeii

Having spent six years in Albert Square as the too-young-to-even-talk-about-in-that-way daughter of ‘Nice’ Nigel, Gemma Bissix is now in Hollyoaks! And she’s finally old enough for us to talk about in that way! Nice one, time! Looks like there’s an upside to the special theory of relativity and spacetime mathematics after all!

How was the shoot?

Good, I really enjoyed it. It’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like that. Prancing around in your underwear for a whole day is a bit strange at first.

Were all your mates really jealous when you got a part on EastEnders?

Not really. My three best mates I’ve had since before EastEnders, so they were really happy. At school and being that age, there were people that were jealous and nasty, but not my friends.

Are you still in touch with Nigel?

Yeah! I went to his 50th birthday party last year. I hadn’t seen him for a few years, but we talk on the phone and write letters. He almost didn’t recognise me when he saw me all grown up!

Who seemed like a wanker when you were a kid on EastEnders?

There was no one horrible, but I was a bit intimidated by Ross Kemp. I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t bother talking to him for about a year!

Did you accidentally see Ian Beale’s testicles in the dressing room or anything?

No, but when I started on Hollyoaks someone saw me naked. Cassie Powney, who plays Mel, burst into my dressing room on the first day. I was completely naked and I didn’t even have a chance to cover up. But it’s one way of getting to know someone! We’re great friends now.

What did you do between EastEnders and starting on Hollyoaks?

I did three pantomimes, some adverts, a kids’ show, I had a part on Doctors… and I had other jobs. I worked as a bra measurer in Marks & Spencer for a year!

Is that as erotic as it sounds?

No! Out of the old and wrinklies, you get one out of 100 who’s got a nice top half. Most of them are going south…

Have any of the Hollyoaks blokes tried it on yet?

Well… ha ha… let’s just say they’ve tried. But that’s it.

Who’s the most persistent?

There isn’t anyone who’s most persistent… I’m the new girl, so they’re all going to take a little interest until they realise I’m not interested.

Were you a fan of Hollyoaks before you were in it?

Yeah, I watched it all the time.

Do you worry about ending up in a late-night special? We all remember Luke being bent over the bonnet of that car…

Ha ha ha! No, it’s all acting. It’s not all that scary.

What were your nicknames at school?

Biscuit. They usually called me Digestive, because of my last name being ‘Bissix’.

What about Bi-sixual? Or Blistex?

Ha ha! No, Digestive, Rich Tea, Hobnob…

Where do you go out?

Since I’ve been in Liverpool, News Bar, Mosquito… In London, I go to little bars round Kingston. And I like my drum ’n’ bass raves.

Have you ever been in a fight?

Yes. I’ve been in two… My first was when I was 12. A girl at school was taking the mickey out of me for being in EastEnders. I confronted her and we ended up having a scrap.

Did you give her a Walford Smile?

Ha ha! No, I didn’t! But she came out worse than me. At that age it’s all scratching and hair-pulling. Most of those fights have always been because of EastEnders. People just want to say, ‘I did that to the girl off EastEnders.’ They like to mess with me, but then they regret it afterwards.

Why? Saying you beat up Ricky Hatton would be one thing, but beating up Nigel’s daughter is a bit rubbish…

It’s not much of a hard thing, is it? The other one was this guy who was making fun and saying, ‘What are you going to do, get Grant and Phil on me?’ I started walking away, but then I turned round and clocked him in the face. It knocked him out! Don’t mess with the Gemma!

Where did you hit him?

The chin. He was about a foot taller than me, so it sort of went upwards. It floored him.

You uppercutted him?

Yeah! His mates were all laughing at him. Me and my friends found it hysterical. I was only 15.

Do you have any scars?

Yeah, one on the back of my leg from sitting on a three-inch nail, and one on my head from riding my bike into a lamppost.

Have you invented any games?

I invented underwater rounders when I was 12…

What about drinking games?

We play ‘I Have Never’ quite a lot, where someone says something they’ve never done, and anyone who has done it has to drink.

What do you normally end up drinking on?

Ha ha ha! That would be telling!

What’s your best skill, besides acting?

I’m a bit of a girl racer… I drive a black Vauxhall Corsa. It’s got tinted windows and alloys… I’ve got it up to 125 miles per hour, but then it started shaking, so I had to bring it down. I average about 110 now! Ha ha ha! 

If you were trapped on a desert island and you had to kill a goat with your bare hands to survive, how would you kill it?

I’d break its neck. I’d straddle it from the back, get its head and go ‘Krrkkk!’

If a stalker attacked you with a knife in the Dog In The Pond pub, how would you defend yourself?

If he had a knife, there’d be no limit – I’d get the biggest bottle I could, and then smash it. He’d be in trouble!

Who was your last non-Hollyoaks celebrity sighting?

I saw Bonnie Langford when I was at an audition.

Was she wearing an electric blue leotard with lemon piping?

No! But I have worked with her before… we recorded a Doctor Who audio CD together with Sylvester McCoy. I played a Grecian prostitute in Pompeii.

How do you rate England’s chances for the World Cup?

Quite well. I’m anxious about it, but I think we’ve got a great chance. Especially with people like Frank Lampard and Joe Cole, because they’re from Chelsea.

Who’s your least favourite band?

I don’t like any boybands, so Westlife.

Ever had any weird fanmail?

When I was at EastEnders, I had a whole load of presents from a guy who said he was 14, but he turned out to be 35. I was only 13. I handed all the presents back… EastEnders sorted it out. He sent cuddly toys, little girl stuff… It was really strange.

FYI:
Her best score at darts is probably about 100! She’s only got a treble-20 once!

When she phones people, she calls mobiles before landlines!

She normally orders ham and sweetcorn pizza, although she usually likes spicy food!

Her ringtone is 50 Cent’s ‘Just A Little Bit’!

She takes her tea with a little bit of milk and no sugar!