Soap stars who quit fame for ‘normal’ jobs – from EastEnders legend pulling pints to Corrie actor working as butcher
WORKING on a soap means regular fame and fortune for the stars.
But when that comes to an end, it’s not always easy to continue getting roles in other TV shows – and not every soap star makes it in Hollywood.
So it’s no wonder a number of former soap stars have shunned fame for ordinary jobs.
Coronation Street icon Steven Arnold is the latest former soap actor to be revealed as working a ‘normal job’ these days, more than 14 years after he was axed from the soap.
Steven, 49, became a household name playing butcher Ashley Peacock on the ITV soap between 1995 and 2010.
And just like his character, the actor’s turned to flogging meat at a local shop in Leeds, in a shock twist that has left fans gobsmacked.
Steven is currently an employee of Bennett’s of Yorkshire Quality Butchers and has been spotted on numerous occasions working shifts at their high street shop over the past couple of months.
But he’s not the only former soap star fans can expect to find serving them.
Here’s a round-up of celebrities who have traded the limelight for a more normal 9-5 occupation…
Georgia May Foote
Coronation Street and Strictly star Georgia has swapped the cobbles for cuticles after training as a nail technician.
The actor played tragic Katy Armstrong on the ITV soap and partnered Giovanni Pernice in the BBC dance show in 2015.
She got ner beauty qualification in 2021 and opened her own business, GMF Nails, in Manchester.
Georgia still takes on acting and voiceover work, according to her social media, but runs her salon as her day job.
She offers 1-1 lessons – for between £150 and £400 – as well as gel bail as well as gel polish for £30 and a variety of nail art.
Alfie Browne-Sykes
Hollyoaks star Alfie Browne-Sykes hates it when people recognise him – now that he’s a roofer.
Alfie, who played Jason Roscoe for three years, told Joseph James’s Just Real podcast he is still pursuing acting roles, but the coronavirus pandemic made it particularly difficult for him.
After leaving the Channel 4 programme in 2016, Alfie struggled with anxiety and panic attacks as he felt the pressure of trying to land another acting job.
He said: “Going to work every day, working on people’s roofs and them recognising you from Hollyoaks is a hard thing to deal with at first – especially when they make comments and don’t realise what they are saying to you.”
He landed a part in Tracy Beaker spin-off Dumping Ground in 2017 followed by a theatre tour of Sebastian Faulks’ war drama Birdsong
Charlie Clements
EastEnders fans were left heartbroken in 2010 when lovable Bradley Branning, played by Charlie Clements, plummeted to his death after falling off the Queen Vic.
Last year, the actor revealed that he had been working as a chef in order to make ends meet during lockdown.
Charlie proudly posted a photo in his uniform, but added that he is returning to acting as he teased rehearsals for a mystery project.
However, unfortunately it doesn’t seem as though that project ever materialised.
Adam Rickitt
Adam Rickitt is basically soap royalty having first found fame playing Nick Tilsley in Coronation Street back in the ’90s.
He went on to star as Kyle Kelly in Hollyoaks, but after his final appearance in June 2020 he turned his attention to craft beer and posh gins.
The actor and his GMB correspondent wife Katy Fawcett bought their own shop in Cheshire at the end of 2019, and ran takeaway and delivery services during lockdown.
They now run the shop and bar Dexter and Jones, serving more than 300 small batch gins and more than 200 wines.
The bar also serves coffee and cakes.
Hetti Bywater
Stunning Hetti Bywater took over the role of Lucy Beale in 2012, and was central to a huge Whodunnit? storyline two years later.
The nation was rocked when it was revealed that the character’s little brother Bobby had murdered her – with Hetti previously admitting that she “hated” Lucy.
The 27-year-old has had other acting roles since leaving Walford, but has also been spotted pulling pints in a London pub while in between jobs.
Katie Jarvis
Katie Jarvis found fame as Kat Slater’s boisterous cousin Hayley in EastEnders until February 2019.
But after departing from the Square, Katie decided to take a break from acting.
She did a stint on the door at her local B&M in Romford, East London.
She revealed at the time: “I’ve taken a step back from acting. I’ve got a job and I’m looking after my kids.”
Ruxandra Porojnicu
Coronation Street’s Ruxandra Porojnicu – who played lovable Alina Pop – revealed she worked a gruelling job in a cafe in the summer of 2019 alongside filming to make ends meet.
She revealed on Twitter at the time: “I worked all summer in a cafe and I will keep this job for as long as I can while also going up to Manchester and film.
“And yes, it wasn’t easy after six months of living any actor’s dream to work on set full time.
“I wanted to quit and I cried a lot because it’s so stressful working in customer service!
“Also, I couldn’t believe I have to do it again. Imagine having a family to take care of. It’s not easy being constantly with or without a job. It’s true it affects your mental health as an actor.
“But hey! There was no other alternative right away, didn’t know what the future will bring and I couldn’t just wait without doing anything.
“There’s no shame in working. I would rather feel ashamed being lazy and complain I don’t have money or ask my family to provide for me.”
Sean Wilson
Sean Wilson had a long stint in Coronation Street as Martin Platt, but eventually decided to trade the cobbles to pursue his passion for the fine art of cheese-making.
After quitting Corrie in 2005, Sean started dating actress Susie Fenwick and the pair set up a cheese-making business, Saddleworth Cheese Company.
Sean went on to win three gongs at the British Cheese Awards.
In 2013, the top cheesemaker published The Great Northern Cookbook which was accompanied by a four-part Channel 5 TV series of the same name.
And in 2018, Sean announced he was returning to Reaseheath College to become a lecturer in cheese.
He explained at the time: “I’ll be returning to the class where it all started 10 years ago, as the lecturer.”
Tom Watt
Tom Watt rose to fame as one of EastEnders’ original cast members, Walford’s biggest geek Lofty.
Tom was involved in a number of dramatic storylines including being jilted at the altar by teen mum Michelle Fowler.
But Tom eventually swapped his role to follow his passion for sport and became a successful football writer and podcaster.
Tony Discipline
EastEnders actor Tony Discipline played Tyler Moon in EastEnders, but he refused to let fame go to his head – and became a firefighter after quitting his role on the soap.
However, Tony recently admitted that his time on the popular BBC show still comes back to haunt him.
Speaking about how fans still assume his fire brigade uniform is for a new role, he revealed: “I was walking back to the fire truck and someone walked past and said: ‘oh my God, what are you filming?’”
Tony recalls. “I said: ‘no, I’m a firefighter,’ and he said: ‘no, what is it? What show’s it for?’
“There have been a few occasions like that.”
Kevin Kennedy
Kevin Kennedy played Corrie’s unlucky-in-love supermarket manager Curly Watts for a whopping 20 years but left the soap in 2003 to focus on other projects.
The ex-Corrie star launched the Kennedy Street Foundation, an addiction recovery charity, after going on his own journey of recovery from alcohol addiction for 22 years.
Kevin previously told Manchester Evening News: “The Kennedy Street Foundation is my passion; all we want to do is help people who find themselves in the desperate situation I was in 22 years ago.
“Our national recovery helpline is receiving calls every day and we really need to raise as much money as possible in order to be able to help each and every one start their own Road2Recovery.”
Jeremy Edwards
Serial soap actor Jeremy Edwards played Kurt Benson in Hollyoaks between 1995 and 1999, before going on to play Danny Shaughnessy in Holby City.
When acting work dried up, he announced he was “happy to graft to pay the bills” and became a labourer.
In 2011, he was pictured grafting for a friend’s landscape gardening business.
The former Hollyoaks star also tried his hand at being a security guard.
He couldn’t stay away from the spotlight forever, however, and appeared on the celebrity version of X Factor in 2019.
Bill Ward
Ex-Emmerdale star Bill Ward revealed last year that he was making ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic with a new job as a Tesco delivery driver.
Bill played James Barton in Emmerdale until 2017, and also had a stint in Coronation Street back in 2003 as Charlie Stubbs, but turned his hand to stage acting a few years ago.
But when his tour with The Glee Club was cancelled, the former Emmerdale actor announced he’d switched to a career on the road.