EastEnders' Matt: 'Anthony kisses Amira'
EastEnders actor Matt Lapinskas reveals to Soaplife he thinks Anthony has found the way to Amira's heart. But is it a route he should take? Anthony's putting a lot of effort into wooing Amira, but so far it's looking like all he's getting is an overdraft. So when Amira kisses him Anthony's hopes soar... "He's totally obsessed with Amira. He wants a long-term girlfriend. He wants to settle down," says Matt. "But Amira might not be the right person for that..." With her baggage there's no 'might' about it! So, how are things going between them? "At first it looked as if Amira was using him, but they are starting to enjoy one another's company. They haven't kissed or slept together yet, but Anthony hopes they are heading that way. He thinks Amira is a gorgeous goddess!" And then she kisses him! "Amira is working on her new market stall, but it's not going very well so Anthony offers to help. Later, she kisses him. It's more of a 'thank-you' kiss than a romantic one, but Anthony sees it as a sign that she's interested in him." So he introduces her to the family as his girlfriend? "He wants it to be a quiet affair, but Jean gets involved, loads of people get invited and it turns into a full-on family roast. It's a disaster! Amira only eats halal meat and she doesn't do carbs." Then they go back to Anthony’s house... "And he tries to make a move on Amira, but she's appalled by the state of the place and leaves." We know Anthony forms a plan to romance her, though... "He books a posh hotel for the evening, but Tyler tells him that he's an idiot for spending cash on Amira so Anthony gives the reservation to Tyler. Then Alfie suggests he cooks a meal at home in the style of the movie Lady And The Tramp. So Anthony borrows a big table and candlesticks from the Emporium to set the scene and gets a DVD of the movie. Amira is impressed by how far Anthony is prepared to go to make her happy." Do they kiss properly this time? "Yes. Amira cries during the film and cuddles Anthony. He starts kissing her, but when he tries to take things further, she tells him to stop. She says it's because of her religion and she wants to move slowly. He is a bit frustrated, but he respects that and is happy to do things her way." What does Anthony want from Amira? "He wants to be happy and in love. However, I'm not sure they would work out in the long-term as she would probably spend all his money!"
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.