BBC actor Andrew Hayden-Smith, known for his roles in Byker Grove and Doctor Who, has been enjoying a holiday in Sitges, Spain, with his boyfriend, posting a series of sun-soaked pictures to his Instagram.
However, the star previously opened up about his journey to coming out as gay. He was compelled to publicly announce his sexuality during his time as a CBBC presenter in the early 2000s, due to threats from others to reveal it on his behalf, reports the Mirror.
Reflecting on the experience in 2018, he shared: “I did a coming out article in Attitude when I was like 21. And I was a presenter on CBBC at the time. We got a call from a newspaper saying they were gonna do a story on it. And my boss was like, ‘We’ve just had this phonecall… do you wanna just do it yourself in Attitude and get it over with? ” So I did it, and then nothing more was said about it.”
In a conversation with QX, he further added: “Some people were quite surprised when I came out though.
“I think because I was from Newcastle, and a little bit laddy, and on Byker Grove. “
Back in 2016, Andrew joined the cast of Hollyoaks for a brief stint as policeman DS Armstrong, but he is perhaps most recognised for his role in Ant and Dec’s teen drama Byker Grove.
Last year, punters were thrilled to hear that the BBC show would be making a comeback.
The refreshed series, now titled Byker, will once again be filmed and produced in the North East of England. Ant and Dec, who portrayed the fun-loving best friend duo PJ and Duncan in the original series, will take on the roles of executive producers and creative consultants for the exciting reboot of the orignal show.
Ant couldn’t hide his enthusiasm as he said: “We owe such a lot to Byker Grove and the North East so we can’t wait to start working with the team to bring this iconic series back to life.
“Already talking characters and storylines has us all buzzing at the possibilities ahead. The original series was the starting point for a lot of North East talent so we’re excited to see what the new team will bring.
Meanwhile, Dec shared his delight: “Byker Grove will always be very special to us as the show which gave us our break, so we are beyond excited to be working together on bringing it back. We are looking forward to bringing this fresh incarnation to a whole new generation as well as those who remember it as fondly as we do.”
The pair, passionate about their roots, also expressed: “As proud Geordies, we’re looking forward to help shine a spotlight on the North East and the talent the region has to offer both in front of the camera and behind it.”
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