Stefan spilled the beans on social distance filming...
Neighbours star Stefan Dennis, better known to soap fans as the legendary Paul Robinson, has revealed the strict precautions the cast of the soap now have to following while filming.
Like all other soaps across the globe, Neighbours was forced to take a break from filming when social distancing measures were put in place to halt the spread of coronavirus.
However, Neighbours recently went down in history as being the first soap to resume filming, thanks to a long list of strict measures to make sure everyone was safe while at work.
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Appearing on This Morning today, actor Stefan Dennis, who has played dodgy businessman Paul since 1985, explained that things are now very different backstage.
"When you walk into the makeup department, it’s like walking into a surgery, because you’ve got the makeup artist with rubber gloves and masks and full gowns," he told husband and wife presenting duo, Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes.
"Same with the wardrobe and costume department… obviously we have to keep the 1.5 metre distance, that is the rule. It is extremely strict.
"What we’ve done is we’ve actually broken the studio up into four groups, four teams which are all colour coded."
Stefan revealed that the four groups aren't allowed to mix, therefore limiting the number of people the cast and crew each interact with.
Sharing more details on the carefully devised plan of action to get Neighbours going again in light of the health crisis, Stefan confirmed that making sure none of the cast and crew are infected with the virus is of high importance.
"We cannot cross over [into another group] and it's really weird, because when my son was working on the show a couple of weeks ago, he was at work and I was at work and I couldn’t even see him.
"We have medical officers and a nurse that does the temperature check… You can come into the compound as long as you don’t get out of your car.
"You can’t enter the building without being temperature checked by the nurse and given the all clear."
With filming back on schedule, Channel 5 recently made the huge decision to return Neighbours to being aired five days a week.
Fans were left bereft when the soap was reduced to two and then to three episodes a week... but thankfully now it is business as usual for viewers.
Neighbours airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5
