EastEnders Paul Coker star now – 9 to 5 job, unrecognisable look and Simon Cowell snub

EastEnders actor Jonny Labey first made his way onto Albert Square as Paul Coker in 2015.

The 30-year-old joined the BBC soap as the grandson of Les and Pam Coke and immediately caught the eye of Ben Mitchell, who at that point, was hiding his sexuality following a stint in prison.

Despite numerous factors keeping them apart, Ben finally confessed his love for Paul and their relationship became a central storyline during Jonny’s 15 month stint in Walford.

READ MORE: EastEnders star teases ‘tension’ with Linda Carter as new family make explosive entrance

But as the couple were making plans for the future, Paul was tragically killed in a homophobic attack while on a night out with Ben.

As Ben struggles to deal with the news that Lola’s treatment is no longer working, Daily Star has looked into his late ex-boyfriend’s life off-screen.

Unrecognisable transformation

Seven years after departing the BBC soap, Jonny looks worlds away from the cheeky character he once played.

Paul’s statement look was a clean shaven face and his signature brown curly locks, but now, the actor has opted for an image overhaul.

Jonny has now ditched his iconic hairstyle in favour of a shorter style and rocks facial hair, but still has fans swooning as they insist he is just as handsome.

Simon Cowell snub

Following his soap stint, Jonny showcased his musical talents when he appeared on X Factor: Celebrity in 2019.

Unfortunately for the singer, he was booted out of the competition in the second week after he landed in the bottom two alongside BBC presenter Martin Bashir.

Jonny revealed he hadn’t been in contact with judge Simon Cowell, after the 63-year-old gave him some harsh comments after one of his performances.

Simon said: “I think you’ve lost the cool factor tonight Jonny. Yeah I do, I didn’t think it was a good version of the song.”

Turning to Louis Walsh, Simon continued: “You said yourself it was like an Elvis impersonation,” before turning back to Jonny and saying: “And I could tell that our team styled you – big mistake.

“It wasn’t as good as last week, I think you are better than that and I really, really like you.

“I thought the last note was great, but it was too corny – too cabaret for me, sorry.”

Jonny confessed he hadn’t been able to watch the show back because he couldn’t face it after his sudden exit.

Health battle

The former soap star discovered he had Type 1 Diabetes while studying for his GCSE’s and admitted the diagnosis was “overwhelming at times”.

The chronic condition causes your blood levels to become too high because your body can’t produce enough insulin.

“So, I got tested as I measured my blood on my Grandad’s monitor and it was 26.6, which is dangerously low, so I went immediately to hospital – and the rest is history!” he told The Sun.

“It was very cautiously measured in the beginning, but didn’t have too much of an effect apart from the occasional realisation moment.”

He added: “It was overwhelming at times, but so long ago that I don’t remember.”

The actor insisted others shouldn’t be embarrassed if they have diabetes before revealing his insulin pump was a “game changer”.

The star explained: “I quite enjoyed all the injections and blood tests but it got quite difficult for my job being a performer,” the star explained.

“[The insulin pump] has been such a game-changer for me. It’s like having a second brain, which if you know me, is a good thing. It’s like having a huge weight lifted.”

Hollywood girlfriend

Three years after splitting with ex-fiancée Chrissy Brooke, Jonny went public with his new Hollywood star girlfriend, Hannah Amin.

Confirming their relationship with a sweet loved-up snap, the couple were all smiles as they posed in the mirror during a weekend away.

“How the other half live… we’re happy we got robes and a choice of flip flops or slippers!,” Jonny wrote on Instagram.

Hannah appeared in the 2019 movie Cats, which also starred Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, Dame Judi Dench, James Corden and Jennifer Hudson.

The dancer and actress also appeared in the 42nd Street: The Musical movie adaption that same year.

Career swap

Jonny’s latest acting roles came in 2022, starring in an episode of BBC’s Doctors and drama mystery series Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators.

He has since undergone a major career swap and is now a barber after getting his diploma from the London School of Barbering in April.

Marking the achievement on Instagram, he wrote: No idea what prompted this journey initially but after considering it for a while I’m so glad I did”.

He told his 54,000 followers that barbering “financially allows” him to make the “right acting career choices” and admitted he “loves” the trade.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk