It can sometimes be tricky to get to grips with soap family trees.
Keeping track of the Dingles, the Barlows and the Mitchells, is never easy, and now it seems it’s just as surprising to find out which soap stars are related to which off screen, too.
It turns out, Jamie Borthwick, who plays Jay Brown in EastEnders, is related to his co-star Charlie Winter, aka Hunter Owen.
Jamie discovered the link after he did some digging when he was told Charlie, who shares the same name as Jamie’s uncle, was joining the show.
“Charlie Winter and I are family,” Jamie told Inside Soap magazine.
“My great uncle is called Charlie Winter, so when they said there was a kid coming in called Charlie Winter, I was like, ‘Seriously?’
“Turns out we are second cousins.”
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Jamie and Charlie’s news isn’t the first time this year a soap pair have discovered they are related to one another.
Coronation Street’s Sally Ann Matthews – who plays Jenny Connor – found out she and former cobbles stalwart Amanda Barrie (aka Alma Halliwell) are in fact cousins.
The pair discovered the news when they appeared on the ITV show, Coronation Street’s DNA Secrets, which explored the genealogical links of several cast members, back in September.
“I am so surprised, but thrilled,” Sally Ann said at the time. “In a bizarre kind of way, of course it was Amanda. That’s what’s really weird about it.”
Amanda added: “Funnily enough, I always felt close to Sally Ann. Now I feel extremely close and extremely proud.”
Amanda starred alongside Sally Ann during her first stint as Jenny during the late 80s and early 90s.
The 82-year-old star said she was pleased to find out she is related to the younger actress because she might need some of her organs.
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She said: “I’ve always liked you. I’m also relieved that now I’m so old you might have organs to spare.”
But Sally Ann joked: “You’re not having my kidney, but I’ll buy you a cup of tea.”
Do you suspect any other soap stars could be related in real life? Let us know by commenting on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix!