John Partridge (L) played gay character Christian Clarke on EastEnders. (BBC)
Former EastEnders star John Partridge has claimed that the BBC One soap had a rule about how much skin gay couples could show during his time on the series.
Partridge, who played gay character Christian Clarke on the show from 2008 to 2012, previously ruled out the idea of returning to the soap, stating: “I’m out of it forever. I didn’t get killed or anything. We both [he and his on-screen partner, Syed Masood] left to lead a much better life out of the Square.”
Speaking about his time on the soap, Clarke, who recently told PinkNews he believes there is still a glass ceiling for gay actors, claimed that neither he or his co-star Marc Elliott (Syed) could have their shirts off at the same time in bedroom scenes.
‘Only one of us was ever allowed to have our shirt off’
Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain to discuss his new play The Code, centred on the struggles of gay actors in 1950s Hollywood, the 54-year-old recalled to Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley: “When I was in EastEnders, Marc Elliott and I would shoot bedroom scenes, but only one of us was ever allowed to have our shirt off. Because we were a gay couple.”
He added: “You see, any other scenes in any other soaps, or any other TV dramas, heterosexual couples are allowed to show as much skin as they like, but we were not allowed to do that, and that was recently.”
Asked how they decided who would take their shirt off, Partridge joked: “Well, needless to say, that I was the one who had his top off”.
In EastEnders, Clarke was gay and proud and this was a theme that was explored throughout his time on the show. His storyline included a steamy love story with Syed Masood, who Clarke eventually married. The couple departed for America to start a new life after Syed’s family disapproved of the relationship.
Partridge stated he left the show in 2012 to care for his mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010. The actor has reprised his role as Clarke a few times since then, returning to the show for two episodes in May 2014, then four episodes in February 2015 and again in May 2016.
