David Essex has admitted that his new job on Eastenders has started to ‘take over’ his entire life.

The 70′s pop heart-throb first showed up on the BBC soap last night, but has been filming scenes for months. He admitted that his first day on set was like “going to a new school”.

He explained: “It’s taking over my life, but it’s a great adventure. It was tricky at the beginning, because I was writing a film score at the same time as filming, so I was getting about two hours sleep a night! But everyone has been very welcoming, and I’m full of respect for the actors here.

“The schedules are fast and furious, and it was a bit daunting when I arrived. There are people who’ve worked here for 20 years, so it’s been a bit like going to a new school!”

However, the 63-year-old star explained while he is keen to make his alter-ego a believable character, it might be hard for ‘EastEnders’ fans to differentiate between him and Eddie.

David added to Inside Soap magazine: “It’s important to me that Eddie is a character, and not David Essex. Because of my track record, it might be difficult for some people to differentiate the two, and that’s going to be the challenge.

“But my fans are thrilled that I’ve joined ‘EastEnders’ – it means that they get to see me on the telly rather than waiting for my next tour!”