Coronation Street’s Ben Price reveals why he’s really leaving the cobbles – to ‘make papier-mâché volcanoes’ with his kids
The dad-of-two wants to focus on spending time with his kids after seven years on the soap
CORONATION Street star Ben Price has revealed he is going to devote himself to "making papier-mâché volcanoes" with his kids as he prepares to leave the soap.
The 45-year-old actor, who has been playing Nick Tilsley for the past seven years, is preparing to bow out of the role in the upcoming months after feeling he was spending too much time away from his wife and two children.
Speaking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning today, he said: “It's been amazing, I love the show, I work with amazing people, I've had extraordinary storylines, could not have been any better.
“But I live 200 miles away, I see my wife and children on a Saturday and I go back on a Sunday ... after seven years. It took me quite a while to think about, it was a big decision, but in the end it's my family and I miss them."
Ben is the father of 10-year-old Paloma and 7-year-old Max, and has been married to his wife Alexandra Wheeler for the past twelve years.
As for his future career plans, he added: "I'll be making papier-mâché volcanoes and reading stories to my kids and taking them to school and then we'll see. I don't know.
“I've just got to go home. I lose one family and I gain my family back and I think that's a perfect trade."
It was revealed that Ben had decided to end his time playing Nick Tisley on 27 January 2017 after 900 episodes in the role.
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Explaining his decision to leave at the time, Ben told the Daily Mirror: “The decision to leave is purely personal - I want to spend more time with my family.”
He added: “I have been supported by a terrific cast and crew and have had the most glorious storylines and for that I am most grateful.”
Ben's character will his exit in the wake of the shock that his fiance Leanne’s new baby is the result of a one night stand with Steve McDonald – who has just lost a baby with his wife Michelle.
Although speculation has been rife about Nick's final plot, Ben claims he's as in the dark as anyone else about the storyline that sees him leave.
He said: "I said don't tell me, let's just see how it rolls out. She's been amazing, just fantastic and understood exactly why I had to go. I want them to decide [how I leave], it's their show. Whatever serves the show best.
“I think it's in a few months-ish, I can't tell you, but not long ... I think Nick wants the perfect family doesn't he? He wants to stand by Leanne, he wants to be that guy. He wants to be the good man.”
However, he warned: “But it's going to come out. I think he's always tried to make it right in the best way he can and it's not maybe going to be right."
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