FAMILY TIME
HELEN GEORGE on Trixie’s magical festive season
Newly-wed Trixie is looking forward to her first Christmas as a married woman. How are her and Matthew (Olly Rix) planning to spend the big day? It’s their first married Christmas, so it’s a special time, but it’s one of those awkward years when they’re probably trying to work out what they’re going to do. Matthew is a Chelsea boy, so does he want to spend Christmas in Poplar?!
Trixie’s bubbly osteopath brother Geoffrey (Coronation Street’s Christopher Harper), who viewers met at her wedding, turns up unexpectedly for Christmas. How do Trixie and Matthew feel about that? Trixie doesn’t have much family, and she and Geoffrey settle back into that sibling relationship where they love each other dearly, but wind each other up! It’s lots of fun with Geoffrey – he’s great to have around.
But Geoffrey and Matthew are very different and they clash, with Matthew raising an eyebrow at Geoffrey’s flourishes! It’s a lovely juxtaposition of characters.
We hear that Geoffrey helps to arrange a special surprise for Sister Monica Joan…
Yes, despite the frustration that he may interfere with Matthew and Trixie’s plans, the community embraces him and his energy and exuberance!
Was it lovely working with Christopher again?
I know Chris from years ago, so it was really nice, and I think Geoffrey and Trixie complement each other well. There were lovely scenes in the wedding episode where they referred back to their childhood unhappiness and how they learnt to use comedy to distort the truth.
Finally, does it still feel exciting that watching the festive instalment is a Christmas Day tradition for many people? It means so much to us. People expect it now, which is wonderful, but there’s also a pressure to perform and to keep it as good as ever. It’s always lovely when everybody sits down on Christmas Day and watches us and then chats about it. It’s a special thing.