Who is Jeremy Edwards? The X Factor: Celebrity, Hollyoaks and Holby City star
JEREMY Edwards is gearing up to impress the judges in this year’s The X Factor: Celebrity, which commences next month on ITV.
He’s taking a break from acting to show off his vocal abilities, but what else should you know about Jeremy before he hits the stage? Here’s the lowdown…
Does Jeremy Edwards have any singing experience?
Despite his many talents, Jeremy isn’t exactly known for his singing abilities - most people would only know him to be a famous television actor.
But that shouldn’t rule out the chances that Jeremy could take viewers by surprise and shock us all with powerful vocals and a show-stopping performance.
After all, we already know that he’s great on-screen and knows how to put on a show - otherwise, he wouldn’t have held a recurring role on so many TV shows.
How does he know Brendan Cole?
Jeremy and Brendan have been friends for years, so when the opportunity came about to star in a singing competition as big as The X Factor, it seemed to be a no-brainer for the two.
The two are entering the talent show as a duo, with sources telling The Sun that they initially didn’t think it was going to happen - but producers were clearly interested in the idea.
A source close told The Sun: "Initially it started out as a bit of a novelty idea but they're really enjoying it and have started to feel pretty optimistic about making a mark on the show."
"They've already filmed their first scenes, so there's no going back - but Strictly probably won't be too impressed when they find out he has jumped on board with their biggest rival after al those years."
Who is Jeremy Edwards?
Jeremy Edwards is an English actor and TV presenter, undoubtedly best known for his role-playing Kurt Benson in Hollyoaks.
He was born in London on February 17, 1971, and went on to acquire a degree in Politics and Public Administration from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Jeremy landed himself a number of big opportunities from a young age, having modelled for Armani and Vogue Hommes, worked as a television researcher as well as an accountant.
His not-so-glamour jobs prior to that included delivering burgers in Soho and washing up the canteen at Reading railway station for a week.
In 1995, Jeremy was offered the role of Kurt Benson in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, where he stayed for four years before going on to make appearances in BBC’s medical drama Holby City.
This time, the Londoner portrayed the role of Danny Shaughnessy from 199 to 2003.
Other shows that followed soon after included Celebrity Big Brother, Lily Savage’s Blankety Blank, and, of course, his portrayal of Fraser in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale on February 12, 2008.
In 2017, Jeremy had opened up about some of the jobs he did prior to landing a successful career in entertainment, saying: “I was a merchant banker once... walked out within a month... couldn't stand the snobbery, wine bars, the suits and the Tube in the morning.”
Jeremy is a regular panelist on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff and in 2013, he returned to Hollyoaks as Tony Hitchinson’s guardian angel for the spin-off edition titled Hollyoaks Later.
Aside from his career in television, however, the famous star has also appeared in several pantomimes, including Aladdin in 2011 and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 2015.
When did Jeremy Edwards get married?
Jeremy Edwards married his longtime partner Lydia Metz on May 2, 2009.
The doting couple is parents to their daughter, Scarlett, who is often seen on both of their social media pages.
In an interview with CelebsNow, Jeremy had previously told the outlet: “Scarlett is the greatest thing ever, as is my wife!”
Prior to marrying Lydia Metz, the X Factor contestant was previously engaged to former S Club star Rachel Stevens, having proposed to the blonde beauty on Valentine’s Day 2002.
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The relationship didn’t last, however, and the two went on to split by the end of 2013, which Jeremy as “a tough time for me.”
"After Laura's death, I got really messed up. I was drinking a hell of a lot and got seriously depressed.
Losing such a close friend pushed me off the rails and, sadly, Rachel got caught up in my mess. It was at this point that she confronted me about my problems and we decided to have a break."
"I realised what my behaviour was making me lose. Rachel means the world to me and I couldn't believe what was happening to our relationship. I needed a serious reality check and that's what I got."