EXCLUSIVE: Tip Toe is set to return... a prequel is in the works reveals its star actor Paul Rhys

One of the stars of Russell T Davies' critically acclaimed Channel 4 drama Tip Toe has revealed that a prequel is in the works, centred around the character Melba.

"There is talk of doing something else with Melba – a prequel," Paul Rhys, who plays Melba, told Digital Spy exclusively. "I'm not sure what it might be, but I've heard Melba is not finished in Russell's mind. I don't know what that may mean.

"I'd like to go back to the role. I think there's more to say there. Normally, I think, 'Great, I'll move on to the next thing'. But this time it wasn't like that. I would love to work with Russell again."

Rhys added: "People want to know more about Melba. They want to see Melba's life before Tip Toe. I love the character. Everything about Melba was instantly iconic. People talk to me about Melba as though Melba exists. Good acting makes them real. That's the job."

Tip Toe scooped this year's Television Award at the Attitude Awards, where Davies said: "Tip Toe was a kind of cry of anger, but I don't want to get angry tonight. Our problem as a community, all of us gays, queers, lesbians, is that we've always been ruled over by these straight prime ministers making these laws.

"We are loved by our families and our friends, so when it comes to the election, recognise that and use that. You've got to step forward and say, 'Now, if you love me, please vote for me?' If every single person has that, we are no longer a minority. We are the majority, and the majority will rise."

Davies' five-part series was a near-perfect hit, scoring 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics called the series a "magnificent" and "remarkable" drama, while we at Digital Spy praised the top-tier British drama for its bold and disruptive tone as well as its quiet authenticity.

Rhys' Melba is one of the key characters in the story, which follows the relationship of next-door neighbours Leo (Alan Cumming) and Clive (David Morrissey).

"The ever-changing nature of the world leads to tension between the pair," the show's logline reads. "Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe."

Comparing Tip Toe to his other landmark show It's a Sin, Davies told Digital Spy exclusively: "It's kind of angrier than It's a Sin, and in a way has more to say. It's a Sin was almost a matter of historical record, what happened, and It's a Sin was fundamentally sad. I mean, let's be honest, there was just a profound sadness behind that, that you can't avoid.

"I avoided getting angry with It's a Sin, because there's certain pieces that work like Normal Heart… With Tip Toe, although we have families and friendships, I thought I was getting angry about something that actually not everyone was getting angry about, that we should all be angry about.

"Within that, there's a great big story and there's lots of laughs as well. There's tenderness, gentleness in there. It's hard when you know the issues become the story, so we talk about the issues, and you forget that actually the story is the story and it's full of lots of good stuff in there."

Tip Toe is available to stream now on Channel 4 in the UK.

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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since.  For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing.  She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.