am a bit embarrassed... I don't get off on it. I walk into the living-room in the morning in my jogging pants, with my hair all over the place, and my flatmates say: 'So, you're supposed to be one of the sexiest men in the country?' And I go: 'I know. I don't get it either.'" Characterisation Dennis is characterized by his roguish manner, a "bad boy" cast in the mould of a "young Dirty Den". Harman described his character as "a bit of a rough diamond" but with "a sensitive side". During his time on the show, Dennis often butted heads with various alpha-males, including hardman Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and crime boss Johnny Allen (Billy Murray), but was friends with mobster Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs) and developed a warm relationship with local gossip, Dot Cotton (June Brown). The representation of Dennis as "smouldering thug" was apparent from his first appearance in Walford, when he hit resident top dog Phil Mitchell. In an interview with the Daily Mirror Harman declared, "He is a total bastard and if I met him in real life, I'd be bloody scared. [But] that's why he's such a brilliant part." According to the official EastEnders website, "Dennis may well be able to turn on the charm with the ladies, but he has a certain sinister edge." Reception Dennis Rickman was described in a 2004 article as the show's "bad boy pin-up character". The character of Dennis Rickman quickly became established as the show's leading man and a "soap sex-symbol", with Harman noted for his "dark good looks" and "fantastic" physique. In 2003, Harman won the "Best Newcomer" award at the National Television Awards, and for two years straight (in 2004 and 2005) won both "Best Actor" and "Sexiest Male" categories at the British Soap Awards and Inside Soap Awards. See also List of EastEnders characters (2003) List of soap opera villains References External links Fictional bookmakers Fictional criminals in soap operas Fictional murderers Fictional murdered people Fictional gangsters Television characters introduced in 2003 Male villains Male characters in television Watts family Fictional henchmen