Bobby Brazier has said his late mum Jade Goody would be “proud” of him joining the cast of EastEnders.
The 19-year-old made his acting debut on Tuesday night as he arrived in the BBC soap as Freddie Slater, the son of former Albert Square fave Little Mo.
Bobby, whose father is TV presenter Jeff Brazier, lost his mum as a child in 2009 after Jade was diagnosed with cervical cancer aged 27.
Speaking about the former Big Brother star in his first TV interview on Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain, he said: “She’d be proud. Why wouldn’t she be? Anyone who loves and cares about me, all my friends and family, they’re all proud and all supportive, so I’m sure – well I know – she’d be the same.”
Asked whether his father had given him any tips, Bobby said he had not, adding: “But he’s happy I’m working consistently and earning and paying rent.”
Discussing how he was feeling about his new role, he said: “This is completely different to anything I’ve done before. I’ve never acted before.
“I’ve been thrown in the deep end a bit but I’d like to say I’m swimming.”
He continued: “There were nerves but everyone made me so comfortable straight away literally from the first scene.”
Bobby also admitted that despite the Slaters’ reputation, he feels the family is “not too different” from what he knows.
“It feels like home. I feel like a Slater,” he added.
Bobby, who already has a successful modelling career, previously said he had always wanted to act and described his role on the long-running BBC soap as a “blessing”.
His character, who was last seen as a baby in 2006 when Little Mo left to start a new life away from Walford, is described as a “chaotic 18-year-old with a sensitive soul” and a “modern-day lad who’s in touch with his spiritual side”.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One, while Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.