Emmerdale’s Liam Fox says series has measures in place after becoming first soap to resume filming

Emmerdale’s Liam Fox has insisted the show is taking ‘loads of measures’ to ensure the cast and crew adhere to social distancing guidelines after returning to filming.

The ITV series is the first soap to resume production after the coronavirus pandemic forced numerous shows to shut down.

Speaking on Thursday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, Liam, 50, who plays Dan Spencer, admitted that Covid-19 will change the storylines of many of the soap’s characters.

He said: ‘There’s loads of measures. They’re doing a lot to make it a safe environment. From what I know from the people who are back already, it sounds safe. I’m going to stay home, go to work, come home, and that’ll be it.’

While Liam has not returned to set yet, he expects that Covid-19 could impact Dan’s storyline along with that of several other characters.

He said: ‘[Dan] is going to come back. He’s been in London for his physiotherapy and then we’ll see. 

‘We will see how it pans out but it is going to depend on the virus which will effect the storyline so much. 

‘There will be plans but it could change dramatically, as far as i know the storyline will go on for a few months.’

Liam has been self-isolating with his wife Jo, with the couple going straight into quarantine when they came home from their honeymoon in Cuba.

The actor, who has been on Emmerdale since 2011, has kept in touch with his co-stars with virtual gatherings.

He said: ‘It was my 50th on Monday and Jo sorted out a Zoom call with a few of them with work while we were having cocktails, I can’t remember a lot of those conversations.

Liam also admitted he feels bad for other actors who do not have the steady work that you get as a castmember of a soap.

He said: ‘The people I feel sorry for are the actors who are not in soaps. There’s a lot of people, they don’t know where they’re going. We have a job to go back to.’

Speaking about his honeymoon in Cuba and outbreak, Liam said: ‘They were right on top of it. You go into restaurants and there was santiser on the door. 

‘It became quite apparent something bigger was going down when we went back to the UK.’

The TV star and his other half have been keeping themselves entertained in lockdown by creating humorous TikTok videos.  

He said: ‘It’s been great. No real rows or anything. I’ve known her for 27 years and we’re both as stupid as each other, doing TikToks, doing lots of madness.’

Emmerdale became the first soap to resume filming in late May when the crew recorded six new episodes with a paired back team at their studio in Leeds.

The rural outdoor set for Emmerdale has been dramatically revamped so that actors can be filmed from above now that social distanced filming has begun.

It was revealed by a fan that scaffolding platforms have been put up around houses in the village where the show is filmed so that cameramen could shoot the cast from up high.

The soap has begun a phased return in order to minimise risk of infection at the studio, with Nicola Wheeler and Eden Taylor Draper also among the first to return.

New safety measures have been put in place at ITV studios including medical screening, safe-distance queuing and ambulances on set amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The area around the studio appeared to be well-signposted and notices advised the cast and crew to keep a safe distance as well as informing them about medical screenings.

The channel’s Health and Safety team and medical advisers have been working closely with the government to consult on social distancing guidelines to ensure the team are working in accordance with return-to-production protocols.

This means that filming units are staying together while working in designated studios, and the crew are using their own equipment which has been sanitised in advance while office staff continue to work from home.

ITV also revealed that they would not have any shoots on location, while scripts have been adapted to include fewer scenes and a small number of actors so that the cameras don’t need to be moved on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Coronation Street bosses recently confirmed the show would begin filming against next week.

Cast will return to set on Tuesday June 9 to produce new episodes, with a plan to make enough shows to continue airing three episodes a week to ensure the soap remains on-screen in July.

ITV bosses also confirmed that older cast members will be kept at home during the first few weeks of filming, with star Andy Whyment revealing on Monday that kissing scenes will be banned in accordance with new social distancing measures.

Coronation Street bosses confirmed that the soap’s production team began a health and safety induction to familiarise themselves with the new protocols that are now in place throughout the studios and on the Coronation Street set.

The new safety measures are in accordance with the recently issued TV production guidelines which will be observed whilst filming the top ITV soap.

Meanwhile, EastEnders could reportedly be off the air until September.

The cast and crew at set to return at the end of the month to resume filming, but producers are apparently planning to build up a ‘block’ of episodes before it returns.

The much-loved soap will be off the air for between six to eight weeks while they record a backlog of episodes, sources told the Mirror.

A show insider told the publication: ‘Under the current plans we have enough episodes to take us through until June 16 but after that there will not be new episodes for a few months.  

‘We normally work 6-8 weeks ahead of what viewers see on screen, in terms of a block of storylines, and we would look to do the same thing again when we restart work.

‘Filming with the new rules and regulations will take longer and so we could be back on screen at the end of August but that is being optimistic and it may take longer than that, which would mean the soap returning in September.’

The source confirmed that there is no exact return date set yet.

This comes after it was reported the soap is set to go off air in two weeks as the cast have still not returned to work after the soap halted production in March.