Spurs fan Ted Reilly on EastEnders, Spurs and Danny Dyer!

Spurs fan Ted Reilly admits his acting ability is being stretched to the limit on EastEnders.

It’s not just about the ‘massive’ storylines he’s filming at the moment as his character Johnny Carter.

No, there’s an extra ‘problem’ Ted is having to deal with.

“I have to use the best of my acting abilities to pretend I’m a West Ham fan! That’s the hardest part of the job!” explained the actor who joined the nation’s most-watched soap (averaging over seven millions viewers at the moment) in April.

In the show, Ted’s character is part of the Carter family with, of course, famed West Ham fan Danny Dyer as the head of the family and current landlord of the Queen Vic pub.

It was suggested to Ted that it must have been an interesting – and deep down, wonderful – day on set after we scored two late goals to beat the Hammers 3-2 on November 19.

“In his own words, he had to ‘avoid me like the plague’ for about a week! That was great! There are a few more West Ham fans there as well so I came in that week very smug, as I have been for the last few months!”

How has life changed since joining EastEnders?
Ted: “Massively. It’s a huge show and it’s great to be part of it.”

How are you coping with being recognised at every turn?
Ted: “It’s strange and you have to take it in your stride a little. I’ve had no horrible comments or anything like that. Everyone is usually really nice and you have to keep your feet on the ground. Everyone has been really supportive and I was quite nervous going into something like EastEnders but everyone has been great.”

What advice would you give youngsters looking to get into acting?
Ted: “I just got involved in youth theatre and tried to get as much experience as I could, learn different things, try to watch as much as I could and that’s the advice I would give any youngster trying to get into acting, just get involved.”

Let’s turn to Spurs, where did your support start?
Ted: “It’s a family thing. My grandmother passed it down to my dad and to me and my brother so it’s in the family and we still all go together, so that’s really nice. I normally come to games with my dad and my brother and we’ve friends who we’ve been going with for years, since I was little, so we catch up with them as well.”

Who is your favourite player at the moment?
Ted: “Danny Rose is my favourite player, I just think he sums up Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino – the aggression, the willingness to improve, it’s Danny Rose for me.”

What about your favourite player of all-time?
Ted: “The King! Ledley King, without a doubt. He was different class, amazing, as a defender he was so good to watch and then the loyalty to the club.”

Finally, what does Spurs mean to you?
Ted: “It’s a weird thing to say, but it’s like family. I’ve grown up here, shared some amazing memories with family and friends and even the commute to the stadium every other week, it’s feeling part of something, part of a Spurs family.”