One of Coronation Street’s most iconic stars decided to retire from the acting business in order to start a new life with a Strictly Come Dancing legend.
Jimi Mistry is best known to ITV viewers as Kal Nazir, who was at the centre of a harrowing storyline on Coronation Street. Joining the cast in December of 2013, Kal was the son of iconic character Yasmeen, and was described as being “charming” and “roguish”.
On the show, Kal was introduced as Gary Windas’ old army pal, and went on to become a personal trainer after he set up shop on the street. However, this did not stop him from causing drama for the residents of Weatherfield, as he started an affair with Leanne Battersby as her marriage to Nick Tilsley began to break down.
READ MORE: Corrie villain unrecognisable in iconic noughties pop video as fans do double-take
READ MORE: Join the Daily Star Soaps WhatsApp for all the latest spoilers and exclusives
Mistry, who had already found fame thanks to his stints on popular films including East is East and The Guru, continued to star on the ITV show until May 2015. After going public about their relationship, Kal proposed to Leanne and were set to tie the knot.
However, things would come crashing down for Kal, who died in a house fire, whilst trying to save Amy Barlow from a blazing inferno. As rescue services arrived to get Leanne, Kal and Amy, a gas canister caught fire and exploded, killing Kal instantly.
Speaking at the time, Jimi said on his exit: “I have had a fantastic 18 months on Coronation Street but I never saw myself staying around forever, my life is in London and I enjoy playing a variety of roles.” This, however, soon changed as he traded his busy city life for a more rural one with his wife Flavia Cacace.
Flavia, who was the Strictly babe during her time on the show, met Jimi when they were partnered together by producers in 2010. The couple made it to the sixth week of the show, before being the fifth couple to be eliminated.
Since then, the couple have gone from strength to strength, getting hitched in 2013 – before moving away from the spotlight to South Devon in 2021. The couple now lives on a farm on the South West coast, in the hopes of becoming fully self-sustainable.
The duo are still living on the farm and have grown their business into a holiday cottage firm. As well as this, the couple also own a micro-bakery, which recently opened to the public with a slew of sweet treats on offer.
Their most recent post on their Our Life at the Barn , which gives fans updates of their lives away from the limelight, is of some of the scrumptious foods Jimi has perfected. The snap, uploaded to the account on Saturday (May 25), features holiday guests tucking into a delicious al fresco breakfast, all loving prepared by the former Corrie star.
For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up for one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk