Don Gilet plays DS Nicky Cole

Fighting crime on the streets of Newcastle may be Nicky Cole's lifestyle, but for actor Don Gilet, increased fan attention has quickly become a way of life.

"I know I'm not in a boyband or anything, but since the last series I've been getting a lot more fanmail," smirks Don. "I haven't had a chance to reply to them all, but there's always a few from some lovely ladies."

As far as Don's concerned, his appeal lies in the fact that his on-screen alter ego is an all-action kind of guy. "I reckon it's because I love all the physical action stuff and Nicky likes to get stuck in too.

"He seems to do a lot of rolling on top of cars, but you know, he's got to show his macho side. That's probably why I get housewives writing to me saying: 'I like the way you roll over cars, I'd love you to roll over my bonnet sometime…'"

If only Nicky's emotional life was as straightforward. Despite their best efforts, series two sees Nicky's relationship with strong-willed CPS lawyer Claire Maxwell (Dervla Kirwan) facing an uncertain future.

"They are constantly playing cat and mouse with each other and in many ways are like big kids - and I think that's a really interesting game to watch. You almost don't want them to get a room, because you know that will spoil the fun.

"I guess the audience is just as frustrated as they are that they never find the time to say what they really want to say to each other," says Don.

"There's no doubt they really dig each other and as friends they've grown. But they both have their own family lives to deal with and those lives don't particularly fuse well together. There are obstacles in their way so it's very difficult to actually define their relationship; it's very ambiguous. They both fancy the pants off each other but then - who wouldn't?

"This is Dervla Kirwan we're talking about after all," adds Don. "She's great - a very intelligent, attractive Irish lady and we get on very well in real life - which I think comes across on screen.

"And obviously - if her other half is reading this - there was no joy in the kissing at all. I hated every minute of it."

But in time, romance does rear its head for Nicky through a blossoming friendship with his nephew Matty's schoolteacher, Miss Robson (Claire Calbraith): "He does genuinely like Miss Robson and there's a definite attraction there.

"But while he enjoys being with her and she feeds his ego, she's not the perfect woman for him. His mind is constantly on what Claire is doing."

While his romantic life remains confused, Nicky's work relations appear to be improving. After a shaky start in a new city, at last, the hardworking detective is finding his roots in Newcastle and is now making the vibrant city his home.

With the arrival of gruff new boss DI Bing (Mark Lewis Jones), for the first time, Nicky no longer feels like the outsider. Bing is difficult with everyone and suddenly Nicky has the opportunity to find common ground with his colleagues - and to be accepted.

"Bing's arrival takes the pressure off Nicky and allows him to become one of the gang and fit in," explains Don. "He hasn't got to prove himself to anyone anymore, but at the same time he doesn't feel the need to be liked so long as he's respected.

"He respects Bing as a copper but it wouldn't cross his mind to creep up to him. He just needs to know in his own head that he has done his job correctly and that's enough for him, that's his job satisfaction," adds Don.

On the home front, Nicky helps his Uncle Errol (George Harris) set up a community youth centre, creating a boxing camp for unruly Newcastle kids.

But as the family settle into life up North, he is faced with some emotional issues when Matty (Jaeden Burke) starts to ask questions about his father - Nicky's imprisoned brother, Adam (played by Karl Collins).

"Everything's fine at home until Matty begins asking about his dad, digging up family history that Nicky doesn't want to have to face," Don reveals.

"Nicky doesn't have anywhere he can go to get away from his troubles. Some people go to work to get away from home and sometimes you can go home to get away from work. But there are times in this series where Nicky doesn't actually have anywhere to go to escape and block the world out.

"There are lots more social and domestic challenges for Nicky this time around, which are very exciting for me to play."

The Walsall-born actor has starred in numerous hit shows including Babyfather, Silent Witness and Cutting It.

As well as making him a household name, 55 Degrees North has brought love into Don's life. He met his actress girlfriend Tracy Whitwell - who plays former prostitute Angela Milburn in 55 Degrees North - on the first series and the couple will be reunited on-screen later in the new run.

He says: "To be playing the lead in a big show like this is a perfect dream scenario and meeting Tracy in it, well, it's just the icing on the cake.

"It was a learning curve for me this time around, because it's the first time I've had to be in front of someone I'm going out with on-screen. There were moments where we had to make sure we didn't catch each other's eyes or else we'd have been sniggering away during a really serious scene - at the weirdness of it all."

The actor admits he's extremely happy with his leading man heart-throb status. After all, it could have all been very different, thanks to his stint as a children's TV presenter alongside Floella Benjamin.

"It was a sort of Playschool remake on Sky called Playabout - - and if anyone ever digs that out of a cupboard that would be so humiliating. I had to do all that kiddie stuff, like being a big wobbly jelly," he laughs.

"When I look back on it, I loved doing it, but the further I get away from it, it just makes me cringe. Back then I had more hair and I had it greased back in what I thought was a very slick kind of way.

"Actually I looked like one of the Pasadenas. A Pasadena doing a jelly - that was me! How not cool is that?"