Sometimes Tim DeKay just can’t help himself. He has to sneak a look inside the fridge and he can confidently report that New York’s rich and famous do seem to have not much other than champagne and cream cheese on hand. At least from his limited sampling.

It’s odd where you find yourself some days but, as FBI investigator Peter Burke in the TV show White Collar, DeKay and the cast often get to shoot scenes in some of the most luxurious homes in the city.

“You do look at what’s on their bookshelves but you also try and be very respectful,” DeKay says. “I always love to open their fridges and see what they eat and most of them are spotless. They don’t seem to cook too often.”

The glamour of these homes segues nicely into one of the things 48-year-old DeKay loves about White Collar – how it makes his native New York look fabulous. The view is of art and opulence rather than dumpsters and muggers.

“The audience sees a beautiful and gleaming part of New York,” he said. “Every scene is aesthetically pleasing. There’s lots of blue sky too and multi-million-dollar town houses to shoot in. First you’re standing outside and then you go inside and realise there’s a pool on the second floor.”

At first glance, White Collar seems like a crime investigation show set in an elite world but what’s more important is the unique and tense relationship between Burke and co-star Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer from Chuck and Tru Calling). Caffrey is an ex-con and confidence trickster specialising in stealing artefacts. So who better for the FBI to recruit than someone who knows exactly how a con works?

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