Harry Hepple plays Leo, one of the two characters at the centre of the love story around which Boy Meets Girl is set.

Hi Harry. Could you explain in your own words what Boy Meets Girl is about...

Boy Meets Girl is a romantic and family situated comedy set in the North East that happens to have a transgender character at its heart.

What particularly attracted you to the role?

Firstly, how well written it was. It was such a well observed, well nuanced script that the characters came off the page instantly and were incredibly likeable and relatable.

Is comedy a genre you'd like to work more in now?

Comedy is definitely a genre I'd like to work more in. Although, it's very difficult to film. Usually with comedy, you get a response from an audience, but when you're filming, everybody on set has a very important job to do, you're looking for the 'clean take', so no one laughs. Ever. You can't help but think "Oh my God! No one's laughing. I'm murdering this!". It can be tough psychologically to put that out of your mind.

You've got a fantastic cast around you in the show. What's it been like to work with people who have such great comedy credentials?

Incredible! They are all at the top of their game, I think, and well seasoned in every kind of genre, which helps with comedy. It was a very creative set, everyone constantly thinking, tweaking, which made it very exciting. You couldn't help but feel you were in safe hands.

What, if any, was your experience of the transgender community and issues before Boy Meets Girl?

None whatsoever. I worked with the wonderful performer and gay rights activist Bette Bourne at the Globe a few years ago. He is not trans, but more gender non-conforming. His stories and experiences educated me enormously. That was the only experience I'd had in dealing with anything close to trans. Until Boy Meets Girl, it just hadn't been part of my world.

Joking around the area of transgender issues is potentially wrought with accidental risk of offence? Presumably any fears were quickly allayed by the scripts?

Yes, the script was so delicate and precise that those fears never reared their head. It was so well researched and observed.

I suppose in the hands of someone else the topic could be offensive. But with a team like Elliott Kerrigan (writer), Margot Gavan Duffy and Sophie Clarke-Jervoise (Tiger Aspect) and the BBC, that was unlikely. The whole concept of this project was to portray transgender issues in a more positive and diverse fashion. That, to me, has been well and truly achieved.

Do you think the show has the potential to change any opinions of, or stigma around, transgender relationships then?

Absolutely. It completely lifts the lid and demystifies the whole thing. I think there's a misinformed general perception about transgenderism; that it's borne out of a sexual promiscuity, and maybe for some people it might be, but more importantly it's about identity. Gender identity. And that's not something a cis-gender person will necessarily have any understanding of unless they've experienced Trans first hand.

As part of the publicity around this show, you must have been asked a lot questions around transgender issues. Is it getting tiresome that everyone is focusing on this particular aspect of the show?

Yes and no. It is about Transgender issues, and it's the first show of its kind to tackle them in this way in the UK, so it requires discussion. It's an honour to be part of something that shines a much needed (and long-overdue) light on an area that is an important part of our rich fabric of society. When it airs, people will see that the show also covers multiple issues like employment, unemployment, body image, parenthood, single parenthood, gender roles (not just in a Trans sense) and family.

Presumably you'd be up for making a second series?

In a heartbeat! I've no idea about plotlines but would love to see Denise and Nigel do karaoke. And maybe Rebecca and I could take a trip to Ikea. There's always a drama at Ikea.

'Boy Meets Girl' is on BBC2 on Thursdays at 9:30pm.