Dean Dowling is bowing out of Carrigstown soon and he will be getting a sensational soap send off. Expect love, lust, lies and broken relationships in abundance, with old faces coming back to join in the drama. Here, Suzanne Byrne catches up with some of those involved
He’s been a right Lothario since he returned to Carrigstown three years ago, but now karma is about to get its own back on Dean Dowling for all his lies, cheating and secret liaisons. In fact, a face from his past that he would rather forget is about to return and set the wheels in motion for his departure. Sandie, Leo’s ex-wife who Dean had an affair with over 13 years ago, shows up looking for help with Leo and Sandie’s daughter, Shannon. Sandie is a women scorned and is very bitter that she was vilified over the affair and that Dean got away with it and is now best pals with his dad. And as we all know, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned . . .
Michael Sheehan – Dean Dowling
Dean is mad about Sash but now Robert is returning to Carrigstown . . . how do you think he will feel when he hears his best friend has hooked up with his ex-girlfriend?
Michael Sheehan: It is a big no-no in the guys’ code for a guy to go out with his best friend’s ex and Dean is definitely guilty of that. However, Dean being Dean, he tries to justify it to himself with Robert leaving, so he is a bit taken aback when Robert reacts so strongly to the news.
Robert makes it quite clear that he still has feelings for Sash and tells Dean a few home truths – how does that make him feel?
Well they say the truth hurts and when Robert points out that he is bad with money and a cheater and has really underachieved in his life, it hurts. Robert can see through all the front Dean puts up and Dean doesn’t like it.
Is Dean worried that Sash might still have feelings for Robert?
He lost Tracy, who was his life and Sash is like a mini-Tracy. Tracy was definitely the first time he was in love with anyone and if he thinks he can have that again with Sash – he won’t want anything to ruin it. But he has a bad history with women: he lies, he cheats, while Robert is the complete opposite.
Why does Dean think Sandie has returned to Carrigstown?
He absolutely thinks she is the scum of the earth. He thinks she always has an ulterior motive and he feels she is trying to hit Leo up for money. He wouldn’t trust her as far as he could throw her and he is worried about his dad – he can be a bit easy when it comes to money and he doesn’t want him taken for a ride.
What about Shannon – will she be used as a pawn?
Absolutely – she is the bargaining chip. Sandie uses her to pull at Leo’s heartstrings, while Dean doesn’t believe anything she says. As far as he is concerned, she is looking for money herself or to send Shannon to boarding school and swan off.
But sparks fly between a drunk Dean and Sandie . . .
He is flattered when she kisses him; she is a very attractive and sexy woman. I would say there is a little bit of him that is still attracted to her – there is an old spark there.
What happens to his relationship with his dad when Sandie tells Leo about their kiss?
It devastates them. Since Dean has come back they have built a lot of bridges and they have really got on and now this has just blown it all apart. I think that’s what will send Dean away in the end, because that relationship is gone and there is no coming back from that.
Sandie also tells Sash about the kiss – what happens between them?
Sash is furious and realises that all her suspicions about Dean being dishonest are true. Dean then gets drunk one night and even tries it on with Yvonne, who promptly sacks him the next day. He is in a whole pile of trouble and can see no other option but to leave.
When did you decide you were ready to leave?
Last summer – I have been here three years and I want to do other things in my life. I am very into mixed martial arts – which combines boxing with kick-boxing, jujitsu and wrestling and I do a lot of that and I really want to devote myself to it. I spend so much of my spare time at the gym, I think I am going to move in there now!
Charlotte Bradley – Sandie Dowling
Remind us who Sandie is and why people are not exactly happy to see her?
Charlotte Bradley: She was Leo’s second wife; she was mad about him and they were trying to have a baby. But Leo was also having an affair with Niamh. Then his son arrived who he didn’t know, he hadn’t reared him or anything, Dean. When Sandie found out about Leo’s affair she was devastated and in a drunken moment ended up sleeping with Dean. She felt so terrible and traumatised by the whole thing that she left and the next time they heard of her, she was pregnant and no one knew whose baby it was. It turned out to be Leo’s and the only contact they have had is for maintenance.
How does she feel about Dean and Leo now?
To me she has been turned into this Machiavellian character by Leo and Dean, and I think she sees Dean almost as the other woman. He came in and destroyed her marriage, destroyed her future. He didn’t know Leo very well at that stage and then they became great pals.
Why has she come back?
I think she just desperately needs money and has been presented with an opportunity, but it involves her going away, so she needs to send Shannon to boarding school. Also she can’t really cope with her any more. Shannon is really going through the terrible teens and she needs a break.
Is her hatred of Dean masking her real feelings?
There is something between them, because when she does kiss him, he responds. She makes him nervous because he is not the perfect son and he is certainly as much to blame for the past as she was. But for her, she doesn’t kiss Dean because she fancies him; it is to prove a point – that he hasn’t changed. He is just like his father, going from woman to woman to woman.
Why does she tell Sash and Leo about the kiss – is she just out to cause trouble?
I don’t think trouble is her main aim, well, maybe she wants to cause some for Dean, so he can feel hurt like she has. But genuinely she is broke and needs to take this job, and boarding school is the only option for Shannon.
Dave Duffy – Leo Dowling
Sandie arrives back just as Leo and Val are in the middle of a passionate clinch – that must be an interesting moment?
Dave Duffy: It’s shocking! She is the last person Leo is expecting to ever hear from again. That’s despite the fact that they have a daughter together, because as far as Leo is concerned, she had gone off and was in another successful relationship. It is a huge surprise to see her standing there.
Why is Sandie back?
Well, she says her house was burgled and that she was beaten up by her husband. Whether this is true you will just have to wait and see, but Dean for sure doesn’t believe her. Leo is quite soft-hearted because of his daughter. He has made such a mess of the rest of his children because he has been an absent father most of the time, so he is looking for a chance to make up for that. Also Sandie wants to send Shannon to boarding school and she needs some financial help with that.
Has Leo forgiven Sandie for what happened with Dean?
Yes, I think so. Leo is very forgiving; he is at an odd stage in his life and I think he is becoming quite tolerant of things.
How is his relationship with his daughter Shannon?
Well Shannon is 13, so she is caught up with being a young person and is not really bothered one way or the other about Leo, whereas Leo is very concerned about her. I think Leo sees an opportunity to demonstrate his parental obligations.
What happens when Leo finds out about Dean and Sandie’s kiss?
He is really angry and throws him out of the house. But it backfires because when Dean then says he is leaving the country, Leo says, I didn’t want you to leave the country. I only meant you to get out from under my feet, The bottom line is that Leo doesn’t want to lose his children.
Can Dean and Leo work things out?
I think that Leo loves his children; this is one of the things he has found out since the loss of his wife Lana. He realises that family is the most important thing in anyone’s life. I certainly hope so.
Are you sad to see Michael leaving the show?
Michael is a very amiable person, he is a very good-humoured man and he’s a very entertaining person and very talented. We have had some great laughs, some great times together and I will miss him. He is a good friend.
