Emmerdale star reveals heartbreaking family tragedy before finding fame on ITV soap
EMMERDALE star Jay Kontzle has opened up about the family tragedy that rocked him when he was just a child.
The actor, 34, has spoke about how his mother Louise died in a car accident when he was four years old.
5
Emmerdale's Jay Kontzle has opened up about a childhood tragedy
Credit: ITV
5
The actor, pictured here with his wife Mimi, lost his mother when he was four
Credit: Instagram/jkontzle
Louise, 23, was a DJ at Manchester's legendary Hacienda club at the time and was killed on her way to a gig.
She had been raising Jay as a single parent but thankfully his grandparents jumped in and raised him.
Jay, who has three children of his own, has now shared his gratitude for Ann and Mike Kontzle "giving up their lives" and stepping in.
His nan Ann even had to take on two
jobs
to financially support Jay throughout his childhood.
READ MORE ON EMMERDALE
Speaking to
"They got nothing for it and had no reason to do it other than their love for me.
'I would have been put in foster care and not enjoying the life I have now if my grandparents hadn't taken me in.'
Jay went on to say his grandparents' support coupled with therapy was "life-saving" for him.
Most read in Soaps
He said he felt "valued as a kid" as he took part in toy therapy.
Jay spoke to the publication in connection with Mental
Health
Awareness Week.
Emmerdale's Joe Tate and Dawn Fletcher affair 'rumbled' - as villager plots sneaky revenge
Jay has played Billy Fletcher in Emmerdale since December 2018.
He had previously worked as a teaching assistant and dabbled in a pop career with boy band The Mend.
The group was formed by Take That mastermind Nigel Martin-Smith in 2008 but they failed to hit the big time.
In 2011, Jay and his The Mend bandmates - Kris Evans, Dean Kelly and Craig Worsley - made it to boot camp on The X Factor.
The group then went on to make it to the semi-finals on Britain's Got Talent the following year.
Now in Emmerdale,
It comes after he discovered the bad boy had been
Taylor
behind his back.
Jay told The Mirror he identifies with his character Billy, who together with Dawn are trying to protect their adoptive daughter Clemmie amidst the drama.
Clemmie, whose real mum was a drug addict, is believed to be Joe's real attacker after she was told by the menace that she would 'go back into care' if she exposed his affair with Dawn.
Jay explained: "Although Dawn is not related to Clemmie, she was her mother's friend who stepped in to look after - rather than see her in foster care, so it's very similar to kinship care."
5
Jay found fame in boyband The Mend
Credit: PA:Press Association
5
He says he can relate to his current Emmerdale storyline with on-screen daughter Clemmie
Credit: ITV
5
Jay has three children with Mimi
Credit: Instagram/jkontzle
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I was a telly star on X Factor & toured with Westlife performing to thousands but packed it all in to become a teacher
THIS former X Factor star has traded his pop star dreams in to become a teacher at a secondary school. In 2015, the Athlone native auditioned for Advertisement 2 Joe McCaul appeared on the X Factor in 2015 2 Joe and his sister Donna represented Ireland in the 2005 Eurovision Joe McCaul first found fame back in 2005 when himself and his sister, Donna, represented The sibling made it all the way to the semis with their catchy tune, You're A Star. However, after the duo failed to make it through the final round, Joe admitted: "I felt shame and embarrassment and rejection." The Irish singer added: "I thought we were the bees knees, but that didn't last for long, I thought we were going to be millionaires. Advertisement READ MORE IN TV "I thought I was going to be able to buy my mother out of the council estate. "We were being chauffered around in limousines and we were being given a fee by He continued: "But, I had to go back to playing in pubs and stuff and I used to drink a lot before the gigs." Fast forward to 2015 and Joe was approached with an opportunity to audition for The X Factor. Advertisement read more on the irish sun The He said: "They did lots of filming with me when I was over in Top 10 Funniest X-Factor moments "I was then invited to sing for the real judges at the time, it was Joe sang his own rendition of A Change Is Going To Come by Sam Cooke. Advertisement He recalled how Simon Cowell stopped his audition half way through and told him he was a "horrible performer". The musician confessed: "I just wanted that moment to be over there and then, but they asked me to sing another song and I went off stage." SWEET MOMENT Joe remembered how late TV host He gushed: "God love her, she was so, so kind and nice and helped me to pick a song and she was even singing it with me, which they never aired. Advertisement "But oh my God, Caroline had a gorgeous voice, she could really sing." Joe got through to boot camp after his second audition and said: "It was all very pressurised, very scripted, very staged. "The things that went on during the likes of X Factor were disgusting. Thankfully I didn't experience a lot of it." One particular moment stood out to Joe as his most "humiliating" experience on the show. Advertisement 'WORST TIME OF MY LIFE' He said: "I remember I did the Six Chair Challenge and I got a seat and I thought I was going to be taken off. "But the producer stood at the front of the stage telling the audience which chair to vote for and he said three, and I was three and I thought, 'Just f***ing kill me now'. "The shame I felt then was probably one of the worst times of my life." When asked if he regretted ever going on The X Factor, Joe immediately replied: "Yes." Advertisement After his stint on singing competitions over the past 20 years, Joe has now taken "a complete 360 turn" and become a teacher. The star now teaches music and is a special needs education teacher in a secondary school in
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Emmerdale star quits as character refuses to return to the village after holiday of a lifetime in a brutal letter
EMMERDALE has confirmed a beloved character WON'T be returning to the village after her shock exit. The ITV soap dropped the bombshell tonight that the long-running character will not be returning after their holiday. Advertisement 2 Eric Pollard was left devastated by the news Credit: ITV 2 Brenda Walker will not be returning to the village Credit: ITV Brenda Walker left the village earlier this year after winning a round the world cruise. She took stepdaughter Cathy Hope with her and as far as anyone in the village knew, she would be returning after three months. However, in today's episode, Eric received a letter from Brenda with some bombshell news . With Eric celebrating his birthday with grandson Jacob and carer Kerry, he got the post and saved the letter for later. Advertisement Read more on Emmerdale Kerry asked him what Brenda had to say. 'She's not coming back,' Eric told her. 'She's rediscovered herself. A new lease of life and unfortunately I'm not included in it. 'And who can blame her with the way that I've treated her so badly? Thank you Brenda for letting me know on my birthday.' Advertisement Most read in Soaps He added: 'I don't know why I'm so upset. 'Having gambled away her lifesavings, I was hoping she would come back refreshed and we'd star a new chapter in our lives. Alas, not to be. Eric Pollard sinks to shocking low in Emmerdale - as he betrays fiancee Brenda Walker 'I just hope that she finds happiness, she deserves it. 'I don't know why it is that I always find a way to get rid of the ones I really care for. Advertisement 'I'm afraid I'm a little bit too old for any change.' Actress The Sun revealed how after leaving the show,
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Sharon Osbourne AXES rock band from husband Ozzy's huge farewell gig and takes furious swipe
SHARON Osbourne has claimed she's axed a rock band from husband Ozzy's epic final farewell concerts. Rocker Ozzy will be taking to the stage alongside his legendary band Black Sabbath one last time for the Back to the Beginning concerts at Birmingham's Villa Park. 4 Sharon Osbourne has told how she had one rock band thrown off the bill of one of Ozzy's final gigs Credit: Getty 4 Black Sabbath will be performing together one last time Credit: Getty Images - Getty 4 Sharon has revealed all on the furious bust-up Credit: Rex But there already appears to be some backstage drama with Sharon claiming to have axed one band from the line-up after a furious bust-up with their manager. In an interview with Sharon took aim at the unidentified music manager and told the publication: 'I had a huge, huge to-do with a manager over this celebration for Ozzy and Sabbath. "And it was probably the worst way I've felt in years. Read More on Sharon Osbourne "I don't care what this person says about me, thinks about it, because he doesn't know me. "He's now going around making up bulls*** lies because I threw his band off the bill . "I don't care what people say. Because do you know what? I don't love them." Sharon then added: "I care about people who love me, what they say about me. Most read in Celebrity "You can't care what an industry says, because you don't love them, so how can it hurt you? It doesn't.' Although Sharon did not names, some fans speculated that she could have been referring to rock band, Tool. Black Sabbath play 'Paranoid' before bowing out of music for good The band were originally lined up to play but soon disappeared from the official announcement. Despite this, it has been confirmed the band will still be playing at the event and as such casting doubt on such speculation. Elsewhere, Sharon spoke to the publication about the perception that people are often scared of her. The former The X Factor star said: 'Yeah, I think that a lot of people are [scared of me]. Because the thing is, I'll tell on you. "Things that you've done, things that I know about you, if you rattle my cage, I will tell. I don't give a s***. "You look at the billionaires in the world today, how dangerous they all are because they're all power hungry. "And I've never wanted that. "But if you f*** with me, I'll tell on you.' 4 The final gigs have been planned by Sharon Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd
