Since their initial snog (and subsequent sleepover) in January, when Mike declared: ‘I’m 40, I should be sleeping with a hot water bottle, not a girl half my age,’ their relationship has grown stronger and more ‘official’ – although no one’s thinking of moving in together and settling down just yet – and recently they shared their first nude scene.

But next week things get complicated when the ever-troublesome Michaela McQueen starts trying to make her fantasy of a love life with Mike come true – with occasionally hilarious results.

With all these sexual shenanigans at work, we reckoned Zoë and Mike’s real-life alter egos – actress Zoë Lister, 26, and actor Tony Hirst, 41 – might relish the chance to cool off a little and enjoy some hard-earned lunch before rushing back to film more racy scenes.

And while we’re not suggesting they’ve got their heads in the clouds, where better than Britain’s highest restaurant, the stunning 34-floor high Panoramic in Liverpool – where on a clear day (but not this day!) you can apparently see Mount Snowdon…

What’s it like playing Hollyoaks’ most controversial couple?
Tony: I think the controversy has subsided somewhat. It’s not an illicit affair, it’s known about now. It was shocking to some people at the beginning, but it wasn’t by any means illegal.

Mike was single, his wife Kathy had left, and Zoë was single, so there wasn’t any deception – but they had to keep it quiet from his daughters, because Zoë is his eldest daughter Sarah’s best friend.

So there were some complications! But they’re grown-ups.

Zoë: It’s a proper relationship, but neither of them want commitment, or a cosy domestic set-up, so they’re very open and honest with each other, without being a traditional couple – which is quite interesting for our viewers to deal with!

I think it shows that two people can have a sincere and honest relationship on different terms from the norm.

Zoë, how is it that you’re playing someone called Zoë? Were the producers worried you wouldn’t be able to cope with two names?
That is sheer coincidence, though it makes life on set quite easy for everyone.

A cab driver was chatting to me the other day and he said: ‘Did you ask them if you could play someone called Zoë?’ and I said: ‘No, I didn’t!’ Can you imagine it? ‘No, I don’t want that character – I couldn’t possibly play someone who’s not called Zoë!’

How do the two of you feel about your sexy scenes together?
Tony: Zoë and I shared our first nude scene not long ago. How would I describe it? Cold!

There’s no heating on the set. At first you’re a bit reticent, but after about the first minute, to be honest, it’s like: ‘Who gives a monkey’s?’ We were home alone and I was ironing, ready for a night out, dressed just in a towel after a shower; she comes out of the shower with her towel; she whips the towel off me, I do the same to her, and then my daughter walks in on us!

It wasn’t too revealing on screen – the camera always finds those flowers in a vase, or the iron conveniently placed, like an Austin Powers sketch – or Calendar Girls! It was a fun scene, with a nice dynamic, and by the end of the shoot I’d actually forgotten I was naked!

Zoë: Whipping off Tony’s towel was fine – I averted my eyes! But then he took my towel off and that was completely embarrassing.

It’s meant to be a closed set, but you’ve got half the gallery watching in another room anyway, and then suddenly there are 15 more electricians on set than usual.

Things are strategically taped and slightly covered on your body but it’s still well embarrassing. I’ve had my whole bum out on Hollyoaks – I’m sure I’m the only girl who has! Zoë was doing a naked protest against CCTV – outdoors!

I wore a sandwich board, but then you saw her bum. Classy, eh?

When you see a scene like that coming up in the script, do you ever think you might protest and not do it?
Zoë: No, because those scenes have always been fairly valid, and Hollyoaks has a bit of a licence to be a bit saucy now and then – but it’s 6.30 in the evening, so it’s not going to be anything too full on.

They always try and get the new girl in her underwear on her first day’s filming – that happened to me!

One of the flatmates walked in on Zoë getting dressed, and I screamed: ‘Get out!’ I was completely gutted at the time, but the director was so sensitive about it.

Zoë, do you have to fight against the blonde stereotype image?
I haven’t faced any problems yet. Maybe when and if I leave the show, people might go: ‘Oh, you’re just another blonde from Hollyoaks,’ and I might have to prove my worth then, but I’m definitely not a dizzy blonde, and neither is my character anyway – she’s quite a tomboy and street-smart.

Are you a bit of a tomboy yourself?
I wouldn’t say I’m a tomboy, but I have tomboyish tendencies. I can be a bit of a scruff, and I like chilling out. But like any girlie girl, I also love dressing up for awards nights and the red carpet.

It’s all about being together and having a fabulous time. I do get nervous walking down the carpet. Photographers shouting at me make me really embarrassed.

At the Soap Awards last year I shot down the red carpet and didn’t hang around!

You were up for Sexiest Female at the Soap Awards – were you gutted not to win?
Not at all! It was lovely to be nominated, and also a bit hilarious, but beyond that, I wasn’t desperate to win.

I really wasn’t bothered! I was more than happy that Roxanne McKee [who plays Louise Summers in Hollyoaks] won it – and I guessed she might do anyway.

Tony, do you get teased by your mates about your ‘older man-younger girl’ on-screen relationship?
No, they’re profoundly jealous, because Zoë is absolutely gorgeous. And everyone on the street is cool about it too. It’s like: ‘You lucky so-and-so! Good on you, mate! Well in, son!’

There’s no: ‘You dirty old man!’ It’s nice, because essentially Mike is a likeable character, he’s not seedy. People respond to this character.

You’re a dad in real life too – any similarities in your situations?
Not massively! I get on very well with my kids, who are actually older than my screen kids. My son Jack is 18 and my daughter Kate is 26. Kate’s an actress – she played the young Nana Moon in the EastEnders special, which she won an award for.

She’s called Kate Colgrave Pope. Jack is doing his A levels – he’s just played Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, so he’s probably going the same way.

Are you proud that your children are following in your footsteps?
I think they’re fools, but apparently they’re doing something that they want to do, and we’ve never pushed them.

The only thing my partner Sue and I have ever said is that if they’re going to do it, they’ll have to train, and they have to take some time out from between school and college.

Sue is a theatre director, so they kind of grew up with the business. We haven’t dissuaded them, but we’ve made sure that they’re clear about what the pitfalls and demands are.

Zoë, you’ve done one or two sexy shoots in lingerie – how do you find them?
Sometimes I enjoy them, sometimes I don’t, it just depends. Sometimes it can be embarrassing, but other times they’re just fun. You get to dress up, someone’s doing your hair and make-up, so that can’t be bad.

I think it’s part and parcel of the Hollyoaks gig these days – a rites-of-passage thing for the Hollyoaks girls. I guess deep down I’m more into the acting! I’ve got no great ambitions to be a model.

You two competed against each other in Ready, Steady, Cook – how did that go?
Tony: Zoë beat me by one vote – not that I’m bitter. And Zoë had a friend in the audience and I had none! It was very funny.

I’m a better cook for doing the show. I was with Nick Nairn, who was just fantastic. I had a gourmet bag, darling! I brought some turbot and saffron. He gave me quite a lot to do, which I think was quite a good thing. But to be honest, Zoë’s dish wasn’t cooked.

It was some very pink pheasant. And she did a butternut squash which wasn’t cooked!

Zoë: Excuse me, my pheasant was cooked! Someone sounds very bitter. True, the butternut squash wasn’t cooked, but it needs longer than 20 minutes.

Gino D’Acampo, my chef, was like: ‘Don’t taste that on screen!’ I’m a rubbish cook, although I did do a Thai curry for my flatmates the other night.

I had to thicken the sauce up a bit and I didn’t wash the starch off the rice. It was accidentally sticky rice!

Would you do any other reality TV shows?
Tony: I’d go on Dancing On Ice, just to take someone a cup of tea while doing it. It’s very hard to take yourself seriously as a celebrity and I wouldn’t be obsessed about winning. I’d probably like dressing up in the sequins too – what actor wouldn’t?

Zoë: A show with a skill would be fun, and it’s not too invasive into you as a person. I’d like either Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing On Ice. I think it’s great to learn a skill while having a laugh – and hopefully entertaining millions!

Tony, do your kids watch you in Hollyoaks?
Yes, they watch it just to get ammunition to mock me mercilessly. They criticise it, constructively.

They’ve got really good judgement. They like the show – but then they watch everything from Family Guy to Coronation Street to The Wire. I do the voice-overs for The Wire so that made me ‘cool Dad’ for about two days!

‘HOLLYOAKS’ IS ON CHANNEL 4, WEEKDAYS AT 6.30pm, WITH THE OMNIBUS ON SUNDAY MORNINGs.

PANORAMIC RESTAURANT, WEST TOWER, BROOK STREET, LIVERPOOL L3 9PJ. TEL 0151 236 5534; WWW.PANORAMICLIVERPOOL.COM.


GRILLED MACKEREL, SHALLOT PUREE AND TOMATO CONFIT

Mackerel is one of the most versatile and flavoursome fish, but make sure the fillets are cleaned and headed before cooking.

4 x large (100g) mackerel fillets
6 large shallots
50g butter
50ml olive oil
200g rocket
2 cloves garlic (finely sliced)
4 tomatoes
Salt and pepper
A little sugar

1) Peel the tomatoes, cut into quarters and remove the seeds. Lay tomatoes on a baking sheet and place a slice of garlic on each, season with salt, pepper and a little sugar, then drizzle with olive oil. Place in oven on lowest setting for 2 hours. Remove and store on a flat tray.

2) Cook peeled shallots in butter and a little water until soft, drain off liquid and reserve. Blend shallots in blender until smooth; if too thick, add a little of the cooking juices.

3) Brush mackerel with soft butter and grill for 3-4 minutes. Place a spoon full of shallot puree in centre of each plate, place 3 slices of tomato on top and put cooked fish on tomato. Season and dress the rocket with olive oil and place around edge of the plate.


RUMP OF MUTTON, KIDNEYS, BULGAR WHEAT AND PEPPERS

Bulgar wheat is a highly nutritious cereal food made from several different wheat species, with a light and nutty flavour.

4 x 150g rumps of mutton
2 red peppers
30ml olive oil
1 lemon
1 orange
1 lime
4 lamb’s kidneys
1 bunch coriander
1 clove garlic
200g bulgar wheat
Salt and pepper

1) Rub the peppers with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes in a 170˚C oven. When cool, cut into quarters and remove all seeds.

2) Put the bulgar wheat in a pan with water, juice from the fruit, garlic and salt and boil until soft. Chop the coriander and add to the wheat.

3) Season the mutton with salt and pepper and roast at 170˚C for 25 minutes. At the last minute fry the kidneys in hot oil for 2 minutes on each side, then serve immediately with the mutton, wheat and peppers.


CHOCOLATE FONDANT, VANILLA MASCARPONE AND ORANGE

Moist and sweet on the inside, soft and fluffy on the outside – we’re drooling already!

250g dark chocolate (55%)
250g butter
125g sugar
50g flour
5 egg yolks
5 whole eggs
200g mascarpone cheese
1 vanilla pod
2 oranges

1) Melt the chocolate with the butter over a pan of hot water. Whisk the sugar with all the eggs. Sieve the flour and add to the chocolate mix, then slowly add the eggs.

2) Flour and butter four small metal rings or cups, and fill three quarters full with the mix. Cook at 180˚C for 11-12 minutes.

3 Mix mascarpone with vanilla seeds and the juice from the oranges and serve in a glass alongside fondant.