EastEnders is easy after being a killer bishop

EastEnders star Matt Di Angelo says walking back into Walford as bad boy Dean was a piece of cake.

Matt filmed his last scenes at the end of 2007 after being axed by the then producer.

But the show’s new boss enticed him back and Matt was happy to return from Dean’s exile.

“I think Dean is always going to be the easiest character to return to,” confides Matt. “I was 18 when we came up with him and the auditioning process for EastEnders is always just a step removed from yourself.

“The character is very much like myself. In my last role I played a homosexual serial killer bishop who slept his way through the Catholic Church poisoning people.

“So a sinister, evil, murderer was more difficult to get into than a 27-year-old Londoner!”

Matt reveals he popped back along to the set early to get reacquainted so the first day of filming wasn’t so overwhelming.

“I hadn’t seen some people for years, so I had the same reaction as Dean in that it’s enjoyable to see old friends,” says Matt. “I don’t think I was as badly behaved as Dean the last time I was here, so I don’t have any people to patch things up with.

“It’s nice to be back as this was one of my first jobs and it was kind of like an apprenticeship. I’m 27 now so it’s enjoyable to return.”

Matt, who was runner-up to Alesha Dixon in Strictly as he was leaving EastEnders, has been busy since his last time on the Square.

This week sees Dean come face-to-face with mum Shirley, with it going as spectacularly badly as you’d imagine considering their bitter past.

“I don’t think he hates her but he is very angry at her and resents her,” he adds. “You can go through phases of disliking your mum but I don’t think you can ever really hate her.”