Martine talks about life on Echo Beach

Martine McCutcheon's back! And, as she reveals, she wastes no time in getting into trouble with Jason Donovan in new soap Echo Beach!

How do you feel about being back in a TV soap? "Over the moon! I loved being back on set with the camera whirring. There's nothing like it."

Tell us about the role you play in Echo Beach... "I'm playing Susan who's been married to Mark – played by Hugo Speer – for over 15 years and has two teenagers, Jimmy and Grace. She's very mysterious and quite an unhappy lady with lots of repressed emotions."

Teenage kids! But you're only 31 yourself! "I know. I said, look these two children you're casting are only about 10 years younger than me! But they said don't worry, they'd make it work. I'm playing a glamorous 40-year-old!"

Why's Susan unhappy? "She basically married the wrong man. She loves him and makes a good team with him and their children but she's not in love with him."

What's the story? "There was a third musketeer growing up with them in the Cornish village of Polnarren, Daniel, who's played by Jason Donovan. He was very free and hippy like and Susan was in love with him. He made her feel alive."

So what went wrong? "As they grew up, Mark started to notice that she'd become a woman, Daniel didn't! Mark got in there and asked her to marry him. She didn't think Daniel would ever grow up so she said yes. Then Dan realised he was in love with her and they had an affair."

And did Mark find out? "He did. Mark and Daniel ran a boating company together, there was a terrible tragedy in which three children drowned and Daniel left. Susan has never really got over it and the first episode is when Daniel comes back."

Did Daniel marry someone else too? "Yes - and he has two kids. Sadly his wife died but before she did she made him promise to go back to Polnerran."

So how does Susan hear Daniel's back? "Mark's the main businessman of the village and they're throwing a soiree in their £7 million house one evening. The gossip is that someone's bought the surf shop – and it's Daniel."

How does she react? "She nearly drops to the floor and Mark's absolutely furious. Susan sneaks out and finds Daniel on the beach..."

How does she feel? "She just wants him to go. She's worried it will cause problems in her family and all be too painful..."

It sounds really gripping! "It's fantastic. Every time we got the scripts I was so excited to see what was coming next."

Who do you get to snog first on screen? "I think it was Hugo..."

And who was best? "Jason's more gentle and tender and Hugo's more rough and ready!"

Echo Beach/Moving Wallpaper starts on Thursday January 10 at 9pm on ITV1.