Former Shameless star Dean Lennox Kelly tells us about his new role as a rat catcher who gets too close to an army wife in daytime drama Moving On... This is the second series of award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern’s hit series Moving On. How did you get involved? "I play Sam, a rat catcher who bonds with lonely army wife Caroline, played by Christine Bottomley. The casting lady told me as soon as she thought of ‘rat catcher’ she thought of me. That stopped me dead in my tracks, because it’s not how I saw myself!" What's the series about? "The general concept is about people moving on from situations they find themselves in. There are five episodes showing each day over the week. Each one is different and unrelated." What can you tell us about your character, Sam? "Sam is a rat catcher who is called to Caroline’s house to help her deal with her rodent problem. Her husband is on his first tour of Afghanistan and she is living in army housing with their young baby. When he turns up Caroline’s a bit freaked out by the rats and also stressed out, as her baby won’t stop crying." Does he feel sorry for her? "It’s a bit more than that. At first they click and there’s a bit of a spark, but no one means anything to happen. He helps her out with the rats, the baby and a few things around the house, and his attraction to her grows." Did you actually have to handle rats during the filming? "A bit but not much. I’ve filmed with rats before so I’ve got no problem with them. They get a bad press, but they’re all right!" Do you mind that you might for ever be connected with Shameless? "For many people I’ll for ever be Kev, and that’s absolutely fine! People always tell me they’re looking forward to the next series – even though, apart from the 100th episode, I’ve not been in it for four years!"
