GLEN MURPHY, THE SUN, THE TV MAG, 10 - 16 MARCH 2001.

FLAMING UNLUCKY

after a shout goes wrong, is it the end for Blue Watch's George Green?

The past 12 months haven't been good for Blue Watch firemen George Green. But with theft allegations behind him and a new romance on the go, things are looking up - until fate takes another cruel swipe at George, played by Glen Murphy, in this week's London's Burning. And it's one which could have fatal consequences.

Called to a shout at a warehouse, George goes into the fire to resuce a worker, played by Glen's cousin Tom Lucy, a stuntman on the show. However, on his way out, the building starts to collapse.

"George puts up his arm to shield him and he's stuck by falling debris," explians Glen, 43. "He goes back to work with a broken arm, feeling a bit groggy, and suddenly collapses. He slips into a coma and is diagnosed as having a subdural haematoma, a bruising of the brain. It's a very serious condition."

He's visited by girlfriend Andie (Joanne Adams) as well as ex - wife Kelly (Vanessa Pett), who are told he may not pull through.

Glen's not giving anything away what happens next, but London's Burning without him is unimaginable. "I've been here since episode one and it frightening where the time goes," he says . "The show has been good to me, and I've been good to the show. We haven't seen the best of London's Burning yet."

Like his character, Glen has found himself at the centre of a real - life medical drama. "When I was a professional athlete 15 years ago, I was having a few aches and pains so I went for a check - up," he recalls/

"They were injecting dye into my nerves in my face so they'd show up on examination, but they knocked the nerve by mistake. I was half - paralysed. I went away but one half of my face is still slower than the other."

While things have been far from good for George, life couldn't be better for father of four Glen, who lives in Essex with his wife Linda. "I'm lucky the writers still come up with stuff for me," he says. "There are some actors who are far better than I'll ever be who they run out of ideas for.

"Perhaps it's because of all the cast, I'm the most likely to be a fireman. I'm an East Ender, an ex - boxer and it's the type who become firemen. I speak their language."

This year he hopes to start work on a film with his best pal, Ray Winstone. "We go way back," says Glen. "Now he's famous and can kick - start a film, he canb drag a mate along!"

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