Former EastEnders star Larry Lamb reveals more about his experiences making the documentary Famous, Rich and Jobless

Why did you think you’d be unable to find work?
It’s not a healthy economy in Hartlepool, where I went for the programme, and I realised there was no chance that I was ever going to get a job. I’m 62 and have been living independently of parents since I was 20. I know that when I’m in new territory, the best thing for me to do is get a sense of the place. So I went to meet people and turned it into a little bit of a personal investigation about what it was like to be long-term unemployed.
 
How did you survive on the £39 you were given for four days?
I bought enough groceries to last me for six days for £8.17. You can live very frugally on your own. But it’s not enough if you’re supporting a family.

You got chatting to unemployed people who volunteer to work for free…
Yes. I went to a charity shop to buy a jacket, and ended up having an amazing time in there. One man was long-term unemployed but he volunteers there because he needs to keep in contact with people. That’s how you find out if there’s any work around.

What stories of hardship did you encounter?
One woman told me that she can’t get a landline in her house because she doesn’t have a bank account. So she has to use a pay-as-you-go mobile. You’re not allowed to speak to someone in the job centre without an appointment. But to make an appointment, she told me you have to ring them up. She said she was using up to a third of her week’s electricity money just ringing the job centre. Another woman told me about how she only has internet access at the local library. She pays for an hour, but some job application forms take over an hour to fill in, so the screen goes blank and she’s blown it.

What was it like when you moved in with a family in Wilmslow who had been affected by long-term unemployment?
Mark was in his mid-forties and in middle management when he was made redundant a year ago. Now he’s struggling to live on the dole.

What advice could you offer?
All I could do was encourage him. He said he’d had no encouragement so far at all.

Has making this programme made you view unemployment differently?
The government runs the country, you empower the government to run the country, they are in the position of operating various services, which are, ostensibly paid for by your tax money on your behalf. From what I’ve seen, there’s a terrible anomaly that should be sorted out. If the job centre is the only place you can apply for jobs, the situation needs to be very, very seriously looked into, because it ain’t working.

On a lighter note, was it strange being interviewed by your son, George, after the live episode of EastEnders aired?
Yes, but we’ve done a lot of work together before. So it’s all rather fun really.

Did you have any idea who killed Archie Mitchell — your former EastEnders character?
No. And there weren't any clues. And usually that place – the EastEnders set – leaks like a sieve and nothing stays a secret. But they certainly managed to keep the secret this time. It was brilliant.

Have you spoken to anyone since?
No, I’m on radio silence! I’m breaking silence to speak to you. I’m just hiding away doing my own thing. I’m actually in Normandy, which is not renowned for its sunshine. I’m just here being locked away in the country, learning my lines.

What are you rehearsing for?
I’m doing a play – Educating Rita – at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London. Rehearsals start next week!

By Elaine Penn