First of all, what do you think of the new precinct?

Love it. You know when you go into a really run-down area, it’s like, “Oh.” The attention to detail from the team is just brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

My first thought was how they’ve made a brand-new set look really weathered?

Yeah. Well, you’ve got to, haven’t you, I suppose? It wouldn’t look right if it was all gleaming, especially to match it to the rest of Weatherfield.

Can you imagine Billy down here?

Yeah, course. I mean, Christ knows what he’d be doing!

What would his favourite shop be?

I think probably the charity Shop would be my best bet – goodwill. As far as I’m aware, he’s got no jewellery, so I don’t know whether he’d be at Bargainanza. I think, Sweety Nuff…

Has Billy got a bit of a sweet tooth?

He doesn’t, really. I think he’d be in the bakers more than the sweet shop. I’m more of a savoury guy, anyway.

It’s your eight-year anniversary soon! What would you say your favourite storyline has been?

Oh, God. There’s been so many. 

He’s been on a bit of a roller-coaster, hasn’t he?

It’s insane, isn’t it? I think probably getting Summer, I think, really sort of grounding him because that’s given so much more scope to the character and development of their family.

It was a real soap first, wasn’t it, because I think they were soap’s first same-sex co-parenting?

Yeah, we were. It was an honour. We’ve got some really exciting stuff coming up as well, which obviously I cannot tell you about. Yeah, I think the next couple of years are going to be quite full-on for Billy.

What would you like to see Billy do?

Oh, what would I like to see Billy do? That’s a really good question. It’s bizarre because we’re not in control of the fate of these people – we just play them. I think getting married - find a nice boy, settle down.

He’d make a lovely husband, wouldn’t he?

Yeah, he would. He’d make a Lovely Husband. Find a nice man and settle down.