As soap stars, it comes with the territory that excitable fans will want a piece of you and, for the most part, EastEnders icon Tameka Empson is only too happy to give up her time for the starstruck viewers.
However, sometimes a line is crossed and it’s fair to agree with her that a funeral is far from the right place to go selfie-hunting.
The 47-year-old actress, known for her role as madcap Kim Fox, reckons that she is likely more approachable due to the off-the-wall nature of her alter-ego but insists that in real-life, she’s as respectful as anyone.
Which is why it came as a jaw-dropping shock to be repeatedly approached by a fan while she was attending the funeral of a friend’s mum.
Appearing with co-star Diane Parish on BBC Radio London, topic of conversation turned to how fans react to seeing them out in public, and Tameka recalled the toe-curling moment which even saw the viewer in question ask for an autograph on the order of service.
‘There’s sometimes no limits’, she explained, while promoting new show Sisters on Screen at Enfield’s Millfield Theatre.
‘I don’t know if it is the character that I’m playing, but I’m very respectful. If you know me, you’ll know I’m very respectful, you got to a funeral it’s not about taking selfies.
‘This woman, as we were going down to view the body, she said, “may I have a picture with you?”. I’m like, “Miss, I’m just walking down here”. She got me again outside of the church, to take a picture, and I said, “I just don’t think this is the right place or time”.’
Diane then remembered that the woman also asked Tameka if she could ‘sign the order of service as well’.
‘I’m like, “I can’t do that”‘, Tameka said.
‘I think sometimes people lose their minds. It has happened to me once, when I was very young, I thought I saw Ian Wright, and I just went “Agghh!”‘.
Diane and Tameka’s soap alter-egos continue to be dominant forces on the BBC soap.
In February, Denise was at the centre of some anniversary drama as audience members of the BBC One soap picked whether she would end up with Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) or Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).
They went with Jack, meaning Denise reunited with him once more, but as for what the future holds for them, and whether in the universe of EastEnders this can ever be considered a happy ending, it remains to be seen.
