‘I was Emmerdale actress who quit Dales for Thailand – now I sell weed for a living’

Sometimes, the grass is greener on the other side…

This is the case for former Emmerdale star Kelli Hollis, 47, who is living the high life in Thailand where she runs her own “weed bar”.

And in an exclusive interview with the Daily Star, Kelli – who played Ali Spencer on the soap – says she’s never returning to live in the UK.

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She spoke to us from her new home in Thailand where smoking cannabis for personal use was decriminalised in 2022. She runs her La Choza Pratumnak bar in Pattaya with her partner Martin and the pair are loving their new lives in Asia.

Kelli said: “I am never coming home, never going home. Obviously I miss England and there are aspects of my life there like I have two grown up children at home and a grandson.

“But you only live once and I have learned that a lot over the last few years, losing friends to things and my friend losing a child and it just makes you access a lot of things in your life.

“You just have to do what you have to do because you are not promised tomorrow are you? My mentality now is I am nearly 50 f*** it will just do it. There is no point having that ‘oh god I can’t do this and I can’t do that’ attitude. I have been so fortunate in my life that opportunities have come my way.”

One such opportunity was being in Emmerdale from 2011 until 2015, where Kelli played the mum of Sean and Amelia.

The Leeds lass said she fell into the world of acting but that her favourite memories of being on the Dales was being with the Spencer gang.

She said one of her greatest joys was on day one – when she was introduced to a six-year-old Amelia (played by Daisy Campbell) who had her two front teeth missing. Kelli said she still speaks to her old colleagues now and that her time on the show was precious.

So how did the former actress, who also starred in Shameless, go from starring in much loved shows to selling cannabis abroad?

To understand that, you need to go back to her childhood in Leeds where she was first introduced to the psychoactive drug as a rebellious teen.

“I remember being at a friend’s house in Beeston and I am not going to name them because I don’t know where they are now or what they are doing so I won’t grass them up,” she giggled.

“It was 20 odd years ago, oh god, it would be more than 20 odd years ago, but I just remember being about 15 and being at a friends’ house and I already had started smoking with mates in the park and all that. I remember it being hash that you burn and I just remember a lot of blistered fingers and a lot of holes in my clothes.”

And asked what her teenage self would have made of her current way of living, she laughed: “This would probably have been more likely than me being an actress.

“I was just smoking a little bit here and there but as a youngster I would never have been a big heavy smoker. I actually don’t like the feeling of being stoned and I know some people do.

“I don’t know if it is because I have always worked and I’ve always had kids so I suppose it is like anything you can have a little cheeky glass of wine but you are not going to drink the whole bottle so I suppose it is the equivalent of that.

“But honestly yeah I actually don’t like the feeling. But to be honest I have become a little partial to the edibles here obviously because I have to test the products. But that is not to be stoned. I promote ours for rest and for aches and pains for people who don’t want to smoke so I will have mine before bed.”

Kelli’s new venture came about by “total accident” and said she moved to Thailand from Leeds after her partner was offered a job with a car company in Bangkok.

They did some travelling and met someone who had just got a licence for selling weed before the actress took a leap of faith.

Many of her customers are older expats and many have recognised her from the show and she said her way of life is a complete contrast to “wet and miserable” Britain.

Kelli, who has 129,000 TikTok followers, said: “I fell in love with Thailand pretty much straight away. The people are exactly like what you read about and hear about and it is not called the land of smiles for nothing.

“The people are amazing, the weather is amazing, the food is fantastic. I think the mentality and the culture has really grow on me. I think at my age it is just really nice to have that easy going feel. Even when it comes to general day-to -day stuff, nothing is too much bother.

“You have to always see the good and positive and obviously it is a buddhist country and I am not a religious person but I really like that mentality and it has really grown on me and it has helped me as a person.”

To keep up to date with Kelli’s life in Thailand, you can do so via her TikTok page here

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk