Former EastEnders star Jonny Labey has retrained as a barber seven years after leaving the show.
Labey starred as Paul Coker on the Square for over a year before being brutally killed off in a violent homophobic attack.
Paul was a controversial character, with topless scenes with Ben Mitchell leading to complaints from viewers to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom.
READ MORE: EastEnders Graham star’s life – soap return, rival BBC stint and career U-turn
Coker would then become Ben’s boyfriend, as Mitchell opened up and came to terms with his sexuality.
But things would end in tragedy for the couple when Paul was attacked by four men during a night out with his boyfriend, leaving him fatally wounded.
(Image: We Love TV)
Since his time on the show, Labey – now 30 – has appeared on a variety of shows, including ITV’s X Factor Celebrity and fellow BBC soap Doctors.
He has also appeared in several TV commercials for companies including furniture giant Oak Furnitureland throughout the 2010s.
Earlier in the year, however, the actor revealed he was now a qualified barber.
(Image: Instagram)
Posting his diploma on his social media, he said: “No idea what prompted this journey initially but after considering it for a while, I’m so glad I did.
“It redefines ‘side hustle’ into a career I can proudly build and that I love.”
Jonny also opened up about being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a teenager.
Unlike Type 2, which is caused from excessive eating of sugary foods, Type 1 is a condition where the pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep the body functioning.
(Image: Instagram)
The former Square star revealed that he was diagnosed with the chronic illness during his GCSEs.
“I was unexplainably tired and felt that no matter how much or quickly I drank, I’d still be thirsty,” he recalled.
He added that he would get his blood sugar levels measured on his grandad’s monitor.
“It was 26.6, which is dangerously low, so I went immediately to hospital – and the rest is history!”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
