matt and karen
the giggling never stops, and there are so many in-jokes flying around at the Buzz cover shoot that we're starting to feel like we're playing gooseberry. We've joined the Doctor and Amy just after they've finished filming the Doctor Who christmas special.
Matt and Karen only met last year when they became the youngest ever duo to play the iconic roles of the time lord and his assistant Amy Pond. But it won't be long before they secure their place as one of our classiest and yes, sexiest on-screen double acts. It's no surprise they've become so close so quickly, giving that making just one series of Doctor Who means working 12 hour days, 11 nights a fortnight, nine months out of the year. They even livein the same apartment block when they're filming the show in Cardiff.
"We'll go to the supermarket everynight, get a sandwich and trot home to learn lines" matt said
"Sometimes we'll phone each other and say: How's it going? Really bad? Me too. Do you want to come over and practise?" matt said
What's more, Matt and Karen text each other nightly and their mums have met.
"Im terribly fond of Karen - we're good pals" says Matt, 28, reffering to his work wife in his posh, very actorly tones. "I've learnt how to make her laugh during filming. I can say a word in a silly voice, and she'll go. Karen can do it to me too It's that old Smith-Gillan banter, it's become quite famous on set." says Matt
Karen, 23 agrees "We have such a laugh, exept when he does his 'moth thing' because im scared of moths"
On cue Matt flaps his arms furiously, shouting "Wooo!" as she collapses in a fit of screams and giggles.
When asked about the other woman in his life, his gf Daisy Lowe - Matt becomes coy. We remind him in March this year he was asked to name his dream woman, and back then he replied "Well Daisy Lowe's taken, so..." he laughs"Yeah I did!" within just a month Matt, who's excuses include Brazillian punk rocker Mayana Moura - had started dating lingerie model Daisy, 21 and the pair are still together, we're still impressed he certainly worked fast. "Did I?" Matt splutters, "Well you know,um..." Squirming and running his hand through his floppy hair, it's the first time we've seen him look uncomfortable.
Matt's doctor is the classic eccentric, but since taking over from David Tennant, he's braught a quirky coolness to the role.
Great as David was, you can't imagine him at California's Coachella Festival wearing the latest avaitors, with his arm around the hottest girl in the cutest hot pants. But when Matt did that just over the summer, the worlds of fashion and geek colided to spectacular effect. Does he think of himself as cool?
Matt groans "People project labels onto you which you cant control. We do love our clothes though, Im into suits and Karen rocks up in a new vintage dress every hour" Matt insists his morning routine is just "A shower and whatever's clean" but after our stylist hands him a desingner suit from our photoshoot, he can't resisit checking out how he looks in the mirror. While Matt might not consider himself as a sex symbol, his legion of female fans insist otherwise. However Doctor Who's lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, describes his leading man as "Odd, angular and strange looking" Matt grins "Steven also says i walk like a drunk giraffe"
As for Karen, nabbing the role of assistant Amy Pondhas braught her instant fame. But she's managed to keep her feet firmly on the ground and is stil dating her childhood sweetheart, photographer Patrick Green, 24.
But while the flame haired former model has appeared on several 'Most Stylish' lists, Karen seems less than confident about her physical self.
"I don't do myself any favours with the way I carry myself," she shrugs, alluding to the fact that she is a tad gangly and clumsy (she tripped with a huge crash just minutes after arriving at our shoot). "All the beautifull girls are much more upright!" she giggles
Matt interjects: "That's cool, thoughI really like the way you walk."
Before becoming an actor, Matt had a promising career as a football player, but a back injury forced him to give the sport up. Matt insists he has no regrets- and is relishing being the 11th time lord.
"Honestly, i'd much rather act" he says
"It's a longer career, and you're exploring different pockets of life." After stuffing themselves with turkey and all the trimmings, Matt and Karen will be settling down to watch Doctor Who christmas special along with the rest of the country. "I love christmas!" says Matt "There's family, food,presents and Doctor Who- which we're in! Im definetly going to watch it. Does that make me sound appallingly vain?" And with that Matt and Karen are gossiping about their best ever christmas presents, and we're playing third weel again. With their on-screen, on-off romance and such strong real life chemistry, it's certain that Matt and Karen will be keeping us - and viewers hooked for a while yet....
