Advertisement

Hollyoaks' Jeremy Edwards addresses decision to rule out Kurt Benson return

From Digital Spy

Hollyoaks star Jeremy Edwards has explained why he wouldn't want to reprise his role as Kurt Benson on the Channel 4 soap.

The actor, who appeared on the show between 1995 and 1999 before returning for a brief stint late last year, opened up about how he'd rather spent time concentrating on his wife Lydia Metz, their three-year-old daughter Scarlett and the family's new addition, who is expected to arrive in March.

"With the imminent second baby due, and being away for long periods, I was always going to be on the fence about returning to Hollyoaks," he told The Sun, before going on to admit that less-than-positive comments from viewers about his appearance on social media are another reason why he's not keen to cameo again.

Photo credit: Karwai Tang - Getty Images
Photo credit: Karwai Tang - Getty Images

Related: Hollyoaks' Tony Hutchinson makes huge mistake over Diane's pregnancy test

"People being mean on Twitter just makes me question 'what is the point?' Sometimes it's better just to step away and regroup rather than struggle on," Edwards noted.

"It's the smart thing to do. Especially with everything else going on. You have to look out for yourself and your family."

Edwards went on to say that the criticism he received while taking part on spin-off The X Factor: Celebrity in October 2019 has stayed with him, because his weight "wasn't something [he'd] really thought about" before.

Photo credit: Lime Pictures
Photo credit: Lime Pictures

Related: Hollyoaks star Jeremy Edwards shares disappointing news over Kurt Benson's future

During his time in the competition, he was labelled derogatory terms such as "fat pig" and "hot mess minus the hot."

"When it started, I thought, 'Oh come on, I'm a dad, everyone puts on a few pounds'. Then I thought, 'Wow people actually expect me to rock up with a six-pack,'" he said. "I've had a back problem and as you get older, your metabolism changes."

Hollyoaks airs on weekdays at 6.30pm on Channel 4.


Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.

Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage

Want up-to-the-minute soaps news, spoilers and gossip on your social feeds? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Soaps Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @soapscoop Twitter account.

You Might Also Like