The
Pets: Introducing the girls
Julia
Tobin is Brenda Hope
The
last original 'pet', Julia plays Brenda Hope, who is married to
Neville and has three daughters in the series.
"Brenda
loves Neville to death, but she does tend to wear the trousers in
the relationship. She's feisty and quite an ambitious woman but
she's ambitious for the family.
"In
this series Brenda goes on an assertiveness training course and
leaves Neville to cope with the family and the home.
"Even
though she's training to be assertive, when Neville tells Brenda
he is going to Cuba to work with the lads again, she accepts it.
Although she would rather he didn't go away, she knows it's a necessity.
"Over
the years Brenda has accepted that this is part and parcel of her
achieving her ambitions as a housewife."
Unlike
most of the cast Julia didn't get to film in the Dominican Republic
and her scenes were mainly shot in Maidenhead.
"No
disrespect to Maidenhead, I'm sure it is a very nice place,"
she smiles, "but if Dick and Ian could see their way to just
giving me a little aeroplane ticket next time I would really appreciate
it!"
Julia's
stage credits include As You Like It, The Real Thing and Up 'N'
Under and Spender for BBC Television.
Since
finishing filming Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, as well as looking after
her son, Julia has filmed a children's series with Tim Healy called
Toys with Magic Grandad playing an Edwardian nanny.
Zoe
Eeles is Tina
Zoe
Eeles had a great time filming with the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet boys
in the Dominican Republic.
"All
of them are such funny guys, it was really good fun on set,"
she explains. "Everyone was just delighted to be away and on
location in such an amazing place."
Most
recently seen in BBC ONE's Rockface, Glasgow-born Zoe plays Tina,
Wyman's love interest in the series.
"Tina
is a spirited Scottish girl who works for the British Embassy. She
meets Wyman at the Embassy barbecue and they hit it off. She's previously
had an affair with Tarquin, her colleague at the Embassy, so whether
she's using Wyman to get back at him is another matter.
"We're
not really sure whether this affair with Wyman is going to turn
into something or whether it's just a quick romance.
"It
was great to join such an established show. I didn't find it too
daunting as everyone was really lovely to me and made me feel very
welcome.
"The
only person that made me think 'Oh my god!' was Kevin Whately as
I loved Inspector Morse and I grew up watching him in it. It was
brilliant working with Noel Clarke too, he's absolutely hysterical."
Zoe
fell in love with the Dominican Republic while she was there. "It
was an amazing place, absolute paradise. I planned to explore the
island after I finished filming but I discovered this one little
place and there was no reason to leave it! I stayed in a beautiful
little hotel right by the sea and there were parrots in the trees.
It was just perfect."
Since
finishing filming Zoe has been busy writing her children's fairy-tale,
The Clementine Tree.
"A
lot of people say they have a book in them which they keep in a
box somewhere. I decided to get mine out of its box. I wrote non-stop
for about a month and finished it a few days ago. I'm hoping to
get it published in the New Year."
Zoe's
television credits include Taggart and Lucy Sullivan Is Getting
Married.
Sandra
James-Young is Chrissie
Sandra
James-Young was really struck by the warmth of the Dominicans.
"Filming
in the Dominican Republic was superb," she enthuses. "We
were working in a fantastic, exotic location and wherever we were
filming the local community would turn out and watch. The people
were really friendly and so enthusiastic about it all."
Sandra
plays Chrissie, Wyman's mum. "Chrissie is a flamboyant and
outrageous character and grabs life with both hands.
"She
loves a laugh and is game for a laugh. She's also an opportunist.
When she hears that the lads might be going off to somewhere exotic,
she thinks she might just invite herself along.
"Of
course, they all think she's is joking but she does actually turn
up in Cuba.
"Wyman
is the result of a one-night stand that Chrissie had with Wayne
from the original series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
"To
her son, she is a total embarrassment, especially when she makes
a show of herself on the dance-floor and certainly when she flirts
with his boss.
"She's
totally unaware that she's embarrassing him but I think, secretly,
she might enjoy it a little bit!
"When
she arrives in Cuba she sets her sights on Dennis and they have
this very gentle, sweet relationship which gradually develops and
the two of them get together.
"It
was just such an absolute joy to work with Tim Healy," Sandra
explains. "We had to film some funny scenes and we both had
a real laugh."
Working
in the Dominican Republic was a great opportunity for Sandra to
practice her Spanish too.
"I've
got a 16-month-old son called Joshua, so he takes up quite a lot
of my time. But in my spare time I've been learning Spanish. I also
like salsa dancing, but I haven't been doing much of that since
I've become a mum."
Since
finishing filming on Auf Wiedersehen, Pet Sandra has been writing
a television series with two fellow actors.
"It's
a drama about two black women detectives along the lines of Silent
Witness, but with a twist. It's a project close to my heart and
we're trying to get it made at the moment."
Sandra
has starred in the film Captives and her television credits include
Trial & Retribution, The Knock, Residents and Holby City.
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