Fair City’s Sorcha Furlong teased Orla and Paul’s wedding showdown will be a ‘big soap moment’ and said: ‘People will be throwing shoes at the telly’.
It’s been a rocky road to the altar for the Carrigstown couple, with fans even begging Sorcha, who plays Orla in the hit soap, not to say ‘I do’.
The Dubliner, who has been portraying the character for 23 years, admitted she isn’t a fan of the on screen coupling either, but added: “But it is so much fun to play.”
READ MORE: Banshees of Inisherin gets 14 nods on BAFTAs longlist
She told Irish Daily Mirror: “We shot the wedding in a day, like over 12 hours, and the last scene that we did, even the camera crew were like ‘oh my god people are going to be throwing shoes at the telly’.
“It is a big soap moment, I have to say.
“I mean people are already saying to me ‘please don’t marry him’ like when I’m in Tescos.”
“Soap is one of those programmes that everybody is just invested after watching it for donkeys years, so they love to see the drama and people to get their come-upins.”
She added: “I don’t think there is any spark between them. It’s not very romantic.
“Me and Tony [Tormey] would even be like trying to figure it out with the director and it took us a while to figure out how we would play it.
“And seeing it now even after in scripts you can see they do love each other but they don’t have a spark.”
The veteran star said she’d love to see a shake-up in the form of the return of her character's ex Wayne, played by Victor Burke.
“Most people would even say, where is Wayne, bring Wayne back.
“I’d love that, just to see his face. That would be great. And it would definitely be a spanner in the works.”
For now, all eyes are on Paul Brennan and his new bride Orla, with fireworks promised during an explosive vow exchange.
On what to expect following the big day, Sorcha teased: “It is going to be an interesting 2023 for Orla and Paul.”
Meanwhile, Sorcha said the new year is shaping up to be a busy one for her off screen too, as she continues her panto run, before returning to the stage with her new band, Forever Hits.
She said: “I used to sing in bands for donkeys years. And I was kind of a singer before I was an actor, and when Fair City took off I stepped away and then when I had Stella[daughter] I stepped away from gigging because I wanted to be at home.
“And then when Covid hit and we didn’t even know if we had a job to go back to I just started thinking about if I was never to work again what would be the one thing I'd regret not doing and it definitely would be go back singing.
“So even though I was nervous about it because I hadn’t done it in so long, I did it.
“And it is just feel good belters, exactly what you need after the past few years.”
They will play The Civic Friday 13th January and at The Well on 25th February, and Sorcha said they are also available for events and weddings.
She said: “The first gig I was absolutely cacking it, and then three lines in I was grand and then I had the heels off and was bouncing around. It is kind of home for me.”
Fair City airs on RTÉ One on Sunday 8.30pm.
READ NEXT:
To get the latest news from at home and abroad, visit our homepage
