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On Sunday 27th September 1998 Sara Cox and Mark Eccleston interviewed Val Lehman on Channel 5's entertainment programme Exclusive. A clip of Bea going mad after hearing her dead daughter Debbie's voice is shown before the interview.
 Sara: Ooh lovely pyjamas there Val.
Val: Very sexy aren't they yes.
Do you remember doing that scene?
I remember doing the scene vividly, I hated it - that whole storyline as it happens and interestingly enough the character of Debbie, Bea Smith's tragic daughter that she thinks she's hearing, was played by my real daughter who only actually really appeared in it in I think episode 1 in a flashback.
Mark: Was it filmed in a real prison?
(Laughs out loud) No Mark! We have studios in Australia too you know.
The walls don't move in real prisons.
Excuse me they don't move in our show either! I threw enough people up against those walls to know whether they moved or not and you could be next!
She's really hard, I tell you if I saw you in a pub Val I wouldn't spill your pint.
Very wise. I wouldn't be drinking pints for a start - Gin and Tonic.
Bea was the original Top Dog, the real head lady. Are you quite tough yourself?
Um tough. Well I work in a completely different sort of situation to Bea Smith. Val Lehman has to operate in an entire world. Bea was a very big fish in a very small pond. I've got a much bigger pond to work in plus I haven't murdered anyone for weeks!
Have you ever been to jail at all?
As a visitor only.
 Did you go round women's jails in Australia?
Had to go to women's jails. Performed actually in a number of men's jails. The whole cast did on one occasion.
What do you mean, you performed in a number of men's jails?
Don't be like that Mark! (Laughs) We gave actually theatrical performances we did plays and shows and musicals and actually he whole cast of Prisoner did a concert on one occasion for the men at Pentridge prison in Melbourne.
Now the whole cast, and no offence, but they did have some incredibly plain looking women in Prisoner.
Well I think that's one of the reasons why it's so popular. We were not like most soap operas or particularly American soap operas glamorous ladies with fabulous make up and dresses, cooking the perfect meal being the perfect lover. I mean we were real.
Unlike Neighbours or something like that. Would you do a soap like that do you think?
Um no thank you!
Do you do a lot of theatre work Val?
Yes I do a lot of theatre work. I've done a lot of theatre work in England actually I was here for 7 years working mostly in theatre, regional theatres mostly.
You were saying in make up you came over for a visit and ended up staying.
I came over to see the fan club as I've come this time just to do about 3 months personal appearance tour and stayed for 7 years!
So what happens on these fan club weekends?
I dish the dirt about what when on back stage and all that sort of thing you see.
What did go on then?
I'm not telling you come to the weekend and find out!
 Do I have to wear my dungarees?
Oh yes you have to. Oh yes there's look a like competitions, you can win having lunch with me if you like and there's an exhibition of Prisoner memorabilia, I've brought over some of my acting awards that people can touch them. (Laughs).
What about the fans are they a bit deranged if you don't mind me saying?
Um I think all celebrities and cult shows ultimately attract some weirdo's, yes. But there not all some of them are quite reasonable.
Now we're going to see Cell Block H back on Channel 5 quite soon. If it all gets re-hashed would you like to do it again? Do you reckon you could go back?
If I ever did it again I would not like to see it remade with the same scripts I would like to see a completely new show with the same format and I would like to play the governor. I mean where do you go from Bea? You can only go up.
What about Cell Block H the movie?
Yes I'm surprised actually they didn't ever do that cause I thought that was actually I viable proposition.
 What happened to Bea in the end did she get released?
Well I quit the show I sort of gave notice and walked off. I said "please kill me" and they refused to initially. My character was then, after her 3rd murder, transferred to a lower security prison. She was sent off to Barnhurst which I thought was a bit weird. Then when I refused to go back, they asked me 3 times to go back and I said "no thank you", well they burnt Barnhurst down and killed me.(Laughs).
That was sweet of them! How many people are going to be at this Cell Block H convention do you think?
I have no idea. It's a disco as well as all kinds of mad goings on, look a like competitions that should be fun, so it depends on how many it would hold... a couple of thousand I suppose.
Excellent. Well have a fantastic time.
Oh I will I will.
Enjoy it thanks for coming on and talking with us.
It's my pleasure. Thank You.
Listen to the whole interview here in low quality MP3 format.
Thanks to Dave for supplying this rare interview. All original copyright remains.
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