As fans of Emmerdale will know, Rik Makarem and Chris Bisson play the roles of Sharma brothers Nikhil and Jai, and apparently, Nikhil’s near OCD levels of tidiness are actually based on the real life “fussiness” that’s displayed by Chris!

Speaking to Inside Soap, Rik – who’s also starred in the BBC’s Torchwood: Children of Earth and Foyle’s War – explained, “Chris Bisson is very tidy and particular about things – they base Nikhil on him!”

And it’s therefore somewhat ironic that Jai is the polar opposite to Nikhil in that he doesn’t care if their house is cluttered, and actively encourages his step-son Noah to make as much mess as he likes!

However, while there may not be many times when Jai envies Nikhil, he’s about to when it’s revealed that Gennie Walker (Sian Reese Williams) is pregnant with Nikhil’s baby, because of course Jai has been trying to persuade Charity (Emma Atkins) to have a baby…

Of Nikhil and Gennie’s often rocky relationship, Rik said, “I think those two are at their best when there’s something wrong and they have some kind of obstacle or hurdle to overcome.

“That’s not to say that I want them to be unhappy, but conflict seems to bring out the best in them. And it makes for fun viewing too!”

Recently, Sian revealed that when her character breaks the news to Nikhil that she’s pregnant – which she’s been dreading doing since he told her he doesn’t ever want children – his reaction “surprises” her.

Don’t miss the drama all next week on ITV1.