'Enders star found gay kiss 'challenging'

EastEnders star Aaron Sidwell has admitted that he found kissing his male co-star "challenging".

The actor's character Steven Beale is currently involved in a bisexual love triangle with Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner) and Christian Clarke (Johnny Partridge).

He said locking lips with both castmates was strange for different reasons, saying: "Lacey's a really good friend of mine, so kissing her was weird, but we just got on with it! But I found it really challenging to kiss Johnny because I'm not gay."

However, he added that the storyline has helped him develop an understanding of young people in the same situation.

Femalefirst quotes him as saying: "I saw the conflict teenagers go through when they're struggling to come to terms with their sexuality. It's a cracking scene and I'm really pleased with it."

The 19-year-old also shrugged off his status as a sex symbol, saying: "It's really weird to try to think of myself like that and I try to focus on the acting, but it's very flattering!"

He will bow out of the BBC soap in May after nine months.