GRANGE Hill star Lee MacDonald is soon making his debut in EastEnders but admits he should have been on the soap 32 years ago.
The actor left the TV children’s show in 1987 after playing legendary drug addict character Zammo McGuire.
At the same time, the BBC soap moved into the TV studios at Elstree near where his hard-hitting drama for kids was filmed and he regrets not asking for a job.
Lee said: “EastEnders is something I’ve always wanted to do. When I left Grange Hill, EastEnders had just moved to the Grange Hill studios.
“My one regret is that I didn’t introduce myself to the casting director.”
SOAP DOUBLE: Lee with his new co-star Danny (Pic: BBC / Jack Barnes)
Lee, now 50, has finally had his dream come true as he is due to appear on EastEnders as a bus driver called Terry.
His character clashes with Mick Carter, played by Danny Dyer, when the pair battle it out to win tickets to see the Spice Girls reunion tour.
Lee went on to appear in Birds Of A Feather, The Bill and Celebrity Scissorhands, while he also had a career as a locksmith.
He added: “I’ve always done bits and pieces but I met someone at an audition a few years ago who put me in touch with an agent.
“I said I was interested in getting back into TV and when she asked me to read for EastEnders, I was like: ‘Yes!’”
His only sadness is that – for now – his stay in Albert Square is for this one storyline.
But he told TV Times: “A longer stint in EastEnders would be the dream. I’d feel like I’d won the lottery!”
