Inside Hollyoaks’ Nick Pickard’s off-camera life with Hollywood movie role, famous co-star ex and music video fame
HOLLYOAKS star Nick Pickard has lasted longer in a soap than most actors and actresses have managed.
But after a staggering 28 years of playing Tony Hutchinson in Hollyoaks, Nick is taking a brief break and heading Down Under.
Nick, 46, will be testing his nerves in the Australian jungle after signing up to this year’s series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!.
As he prepares to go up against tanks of snakes and goblets of animal innards, we take a look his life away from the small screen.
Hollywood before Hollyoaks
Nick was 18 years old when he first stepped foot on the set of Hollyoaks.
Created by screenwriter Phil Redmond, his character Tony Hutchinson was one of the first leading roles in the gritty Channel 4 soap.
Nick is now the longest serving cast member, but there was life for him before Hollyoaks.
He studied at both Sylvia Young Theatre School and Corona Theatre School and had already starred alongside Hollywood actor Christian Bale.
In 1987, Nick played the lead role in the movie Mio in the Land of Faraway. Christian – now best known for playing Batman – starred as his on-screen best friend.
Nick also had small parts in EastEnders, Grange Hill, Brookside: Double Take!, Us Girls and the smash hit comedy You Rang, M’Lord.
Music man
Nick has not only appeared in TV shows and movies, he has also experienced life as a music video star.
In 1993, Nick played a young lad in the music video for Roxette’s hit song Almost Unreal.
The track was the lead single on the soundtrack for the movie Super Mario Bros and Nick was seen playing a video game while watching parts of the film in a futuristic chair.
Two years later, Nick also starred in a Mike + The Mechanics music video.
He played the role of a teenage school boy who had sneaked out of school with his girlfriend for the day.
Co-star ex and fatherhood
In 2001, Nick began dating his Hollyoaks co-star Joanna Taylor.
The pair met on the set of the soap, with Joanna starring as Geri Hudson at the time.
Nick and Joanna enjoyed a one-year romance before parting ways.
Joanna left Hollyoaks around the time they broke up and later went on to star in the BBC police drama Merseybeat.
While filming the series in Liverpool, she began dating Match Of The Day pundit and ex Liverpool footballer Danny Murphy.
They were married for 14 years and had two children before they separated.
Nick, meanwhile, is very quiet about his private life.
He is in a long-term relationship with a lady called Sarah and has shared several photographs of her on Instagram.
Nick is also a dad and has a 25-year-old daughter called Ellie from a previous relationship.
In 2009, when Ellie was 11, he told OK! magazine: “She’s a bit funny with Hollyoaks.
“When she was younger she watched it avidly, and she didn’t used to get it. Now she’s going to ‘big’ school and I think she’s more impressed with her mates being impressed, rather than me being in it.”