Stephen Tompkinson "lost control" of his private life when he was starring in 'Ballykissangel'.
The 45-year-old actor - who played Father Peter Clifford in the BBC drama - admitted his personal life went "bonkers" when it was revealed he was romancing his co-star Dervla Kirwan.
He said: "Working on 'Ballkissangel' was wonderful, but it was the one time when I felt I was losing control of my private life. It was getting fantastic ratings and became big news.
"When people got wind of Dervla Kirwan and I being together in real life, it all went a bit bonkers."
Meanwhile, the 'Wild At Heart' star - who has a 10-year-old daughter Daisy with ex-wife Nicci Taylor - explained he has got used to playing "Mr. Everyone" throughout his career because he knows he can't get by on his looks.
Stephen added to Reader's Digest magazine: "I remember realising I was never going to play the romantic lead. Some actors can get by on charm and good looks - let's face it, I'm not one of them. Ladies of a certain age may find me appealing, but I know that I'm never going to be hunk of the month.
"I suppose I see myself as Mr. Everyone. Luckily, most stories have that easy-going, bloke next door character, which hopefully means I'll never be out of work."
Read the full interview with Stephen in the February issue of Reader's Digest.