Aside from being soap’s most infamous villain, Dirty Den has had an influence on a lot of panto scripts over the years. Chris Price spoke to actor Leslie Grantham

As bad guy roles go in pantomime, there is not much that hasn’t been done by Leslie Grantham, otherwise known as EastEnders’ Dirty Den Watts.

Imagine the surprise then, when the actor behind soap’s most infamous figure was offered a part that didn’t involve putting a hook over his hand or a turban on his head.

He will take on the role of the Demon King in Mother Goose at Sevenoaks’ Stage Theatre, starring alongside another devilish figure, Terence Hardiman, feared by children nationwide as the Demon Headmaster.

“I have never done this one” said Leslie, 64. “I’m not playing Mother Goose, thank God, but the producer, Jamie Alexander Wilson, asked me and I thought he seemed really passionate. Plus I’m not doing anything over Christmas.”

By contrast, Leslie is very familiar with the area where he will be donning his panto hat this year. As a boy he lived in St Mary’s Cray, near Orpington, where he often visited Swanley and Sevenoaks.

“Sevenoaks hasn’t changed much,” he said. “It still has that villagey, high street look.”

It is impossible to separate Leslie from the role of Dirty Den, which he played from 1985 to 1989 before a return from the dead in 2003 to 2005.

A record 30 million viewers watched on Christmas Day in 1986, when he served his on-screen wife Angie Watts with divorce papers. More than half the population of the Britain were hooked to their screens as he uttered the famous line “Happy Christmas Ange”, with Angie, played by this year’s Strictly contestant Anita Dobson, looking on in horror.

“At the time the enormity of it took over and we got carried along with it,” said Leslie. “It was not just down to me or Anita. It was down to the writers and producers. I was just lucky to be in a show with the highest viewing figures.

“It was great but TV has changed. There have been lots of highs and lows in my career but when Den Watts gave out those divorce papers I knew it was a moment to tell the grandkids about. When I say to them we had 30 million viewers they will look at me like I am mad.

“Now, there are too many bad TV shows. People aren’t watching TV like they used to because with satellite there are so many things to flick through.”

So, despite being killed off twice inAlbert Square, does he miss it?

“As you can gather from this conversation, I don’t,” he quipped.

Naturally, Leslie aims to bring some of his trademark on-screen nastiness to his role in Mother Goose, something he relishes.

He said: “You try to bring something new every time. When you are an actor remembered for playing bad guys you can send yourself up.”

Leslie Grantham and the Demon Headmaster star Terence Hardiman perform in Mother Goose from Friday, December 9, to Sunday, January 1. Tickets £15.50, concessions £13.50, families £46. Box office 01732 450175.