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On the night that , Timothy Watson joined us in the studio to answer listeners' questions with our host Angela Barnes.

He revealed how playing Rob Titchener has changed his life, what advice he would give to Rob and how he REALLY feels about tuna...

When I started to work on The Archers there were certain aspects of that were apparent from the word go. He had the traits of a narcissistic personality which I picked up on very quickly. But did I know that he was going to develop into an abusing psychopath? No, I didn’t. was wonderfully crafted by the writers. It seemed to be a very natural arc for the character.

For a good eighteen months people would come up to me and say "I haven't quite made my mind about you". We called them 'good-Rob’ and 'bad-Rob' episodes. He’d say something where everyone would say "ooh that’s really worrying" and then there’d be a couple of weeks where he’d be just charming, loving, helpful, very caring and nurturing of Henry.

I’ve never thought of him as a ‘villain'. I think that undermines the complexity of the process. I think of him as a very, very fascinating and complex character who has . There’s a spectrum - a huge spectrum - of narcissism and he is right at the very top of it.

It’s a very sad fact, , that this is such a tragically widespread problem.

There was a scene quite early on when there was a party when he’d got back with and she had moved into the village. Rob was dealing with it particularly badly. And there was a whole fish on a platter which ended up on the floor.

I got to walk up the stairs - we very rarely get to walk up the stairs - and say “I don’t want to be in bloody Ambridge” and it was a bit of a key thing in The Archers because profanities are rare. So I got to swear and walk up the stairs simultaneously.

Lots of people said “I’ve been in The Archers for 25 years and I haven’t walked up those stairs… or sworn!”

It involved a sodden towel…

He doesn’t like tuna...

I can’t stand it! Genuinely I don’t like tuna but the reason for that is that I’m vegetarian so I don’t eat fish of any sort.

Actually I really like custard. I was telling my daughter about cold custard when it’s been in the fridge - lovely! She thought I was insane.

I grew up with The Archers… I was a big fan of it. I’d do a lot of drama in Birmingham and I’d go and sit in the green room and think “this is where The Archers is made.”

Very early on, I did a scene with and she was very activated about the badger cull. I’d just arrived in the village and she grabbed me and said “I want your opinion of this” and I remember standing at the mic doing a duologue with Lynda - Rob Titchener and Lynda Snell - and I thought “I really am in The Archers… to be told off by Lynda Snell - I have arrived!"

I do stand sometimes in the queue at the supermarket after school drop-off and you see one or two people look round and say “that’s a familiar voice.” In the same way as if you’re a famous face off the telly, people will come up to you and say “Where do I know you from?” 99 times out of 100, people are very positive and very complimentary.

He believes that Rob really does love Henry...

I absolutely don’t doubt that when he says a very tearful goodbye to Henry in - he may have been crying significantly for himself but, wherever he goes, he will miss Henry hugely.

I think Rob Titchener believes absolutely in the love that he feels for Helen, for Henry and their son. There’s no lack of sincerity in that sense.

I would hope for his sake that he will seek help. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this process - there’s a question that’s asked a lot, 'why did they stay for as long as they did?' And a question that’s asked rather less is 'why did the abuse happen?’

Whilst I completely understand and agree with the clamouring for Rob Titchener to get his comeuppance and to be thrown in jail and prosecuted for what he did... in the longterm, people like him need to be helped to find out why it is that they came to behave as they did. And maybe down the line there’s that explanation to be had. Seek help because behaviour invariably repeats itself.

It’s changed my life on a simple level I’ve spent four years working on one of the most wonderful programmes that is made in any media. Being part of The Archers is something I’m so incredibly proud of. It is the most gorgeous community, family of people. Actors always say those sort of things but it’s true.

It’s been an amazing journey in the last four years. And I have learnt so much about a subject that I freely admit I knew very little about and that has been a life-changing experience.

This is an abridged version of the Facebook Live interview with Timothy Watson on Friday 3 February.