River City is back filming again for our new series. We are three weeks in and there's a whole host of new faces set to shake up the bold Shieldinch. Dawn Steele is the new doctor, Annie and Sanjeev Kohli is playing her husband AJ. Gayle Telfer-Stevens is the matriarch of a new family related to Leah MacRae's character Ellie and its safe to say they're going to ruffle more than a few feathers. It's so lovely to have them all on board, I think it's a massive pull for the show and we're already having a hoot on set.

Along with our new starts, we had to say some goodbyes. My big pal and onscreen husband, Scott Vickers is offski. After three years of playing DC Will Cooper, the big man is onto pastures new. Scott and I have worked so closely together during his time on River City and I'm really going to miss him. We've seen our characters go through so much - the first ever same sex civil ceremony to be portrayed on Scottish television, gay domestic abuse storyline, fostering and ultimately, it climaxes in the horrendous violence reappearing one last time, shown in this weeks episode. I have completely loved working with Scott - he's a great actor and been such a good friend to me.

All the best in your future endeavours, of which there will be plenty. One last thing! Thanks for being the main one to strip off onscreen over the last few years and saving me the riddy. (He's buff. Dead buff.) Please note producers; now that Scott has gone, the good people of Scotland do not need to see me in my pasty, topless altogether. Ever. Ratings would plummet.

Glasgow Times:

We have a buddy scheme at work where old timers take newbies under their wing for a wee while to answer any questions that they may have whilst settling in. Poor Dawn Steele got me and it mainly resulted in me pointing out the loos and showing her the canteen. (As if I could teach her anything, the lassie has a cracking CV!) We have become instant pals though and spend most of our time nattering in the green room over a tea. Dawn lives down south with her partner Paul and their daughter Coco, so I thought I'd up my buddy ante and take her along to see Paolo Nutini at Bellahouston Park on Saturday to get her reacquainted with Mother Glasgow. We had the best time!

Aye, it rained for a large majority of the night, but we were savvy and bought two ponchos for a fiver on the way in. Now. To anyone who was there this weekend, I'm sure you will agree that the bar situation was shambolic! 35,000 people, who all paid £50 for a ticket and we had to wait upwards of an hour in the bar queue to get a drink. I was bealin. Saturday night in Glasgow and we had no bevvy. What an outrage! I have zero clue what goes into staging such an event, but please get that bar lined up with staff and get yer punters served. I bought four wines and decanted them into two pint cups to last me the whole night and save myself another hour waiting. Class act or what? Big, bad Paolo soon turned my frown upside down and played a blinding set. It was brilliant! I am a huge fan and might be a tad biased, but there was something special about watching him play to a home crowd and knowing that he had everyone on side. I've said it before and I'll say it again - he is a genius at what he does.

Dawn and I went to his afterparty and straight away I was on the hunt for my one and only; his mammy Linda of course. No one can say that The Nutini's don't take care of you, Linda immediately ushered me in to neck a shot of tequila from an ice sculpture (I could only manage one to her three. Wimp.) and kept the fizz flowing. Thank you so much for an amazing night and one last good old boot up the bum to a belter of a summer. I am aff it. My half marathon is looming and a 7am bedtime after caterwauling to a guitar in your pals flat does not an athlete make. I'll still hold you to that fish tea down at Castelvecchi Cafe though Linda. I'll need some sustenance for aw that running...