Adam Woodyatt has been putting off London Marathon training to do his tax return.
The ‘EastEnders’ star is to run the 26.2-mile race on April 28 as part of a running team, Barbara’s Revolutionaries, alongside several of his co-stars, including Natalie Cassidy (Sonia Fowler) and Jake Wood (Max Branning), for former Albert Square resident Dame Barbara Windsor, but he is yet to don his running gear for a practice.
He said: "I’m looking forward to the training. I should’ve started this week but I had to do the VAT.
"It will start, I promise.
"I’m starting soon … I’ve done it before, I’m going to stick to the same schedule.
"I got round once, I really enjoyed it. I know what I need to do to get through the day. Training!"
Barbara’s Revolutionaries are aiming to raise £100,000 for Dementia Revolution – a year-long campaign from Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK – by taking on the Marathon in support of the former ‘Enders’ actress, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014.
And Barbara – who played Peggy Mitchell in the soap from 1994 to 2016 – is planning to be there at the end of the Marathon to greet her co-stars.
Adam said: "The plan is we’re all going to stick together.
"She’s not going to be there at the start but we’re hoping she will be there at the finish.
"That’s also a reason why we’ve got to all finish together.
"It’s a fantastic day. If people have got a place in the ballot but haven’t picked a charity want to join us …"
As well as Adam and Jake, Tanya Franks (Rainie Branning), Emma Barton (Honey Mitchell), Jamie Borthwick (Jay Brown), Jane Slaughter (Tracey the barmaid), and Kellie Shirley, who previously played Carly Wicks, make up the running team alongside Barbara’s husband Scott Mitchell, who has been training hard for the event.
Adam explained: "When I first said to be Scott about it back in June I said, ‘Let’s get together, let’s do the Marathon. We don’t have to run it, we can walk it.’
"Scott is going out training virtually every day, he’s just off."
Speaking in a joint interview with Adam on ‘Lorraine’, Kellie added: "It’s for a great cause, she’s a great woman. It’s been really good for all of us, I’m really loving training."