19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Milkybar Kid star unrecognisable with jaw-dropping job after bullying hell
While Milkybar Kid Conrad Coleby enjoyed fame advertising the white chocolate treat in the 1990s, he also endured a difficult time at school and now has an amazing career
For many youngsters, the allure of fame or a spot on telly is the ultimate dream. While snagging Oscar and Golden Globe nods before you're even a teen is a rarity reserved for a select few, plenty of actors have climbed their way to the top by kicking off their careers in the world of adverts.
Yet, for some child stars, choosing a life out of the spotlight becomes the more appealing path after experiencing intense fame at such a tender age. Conrad Coleby is one such star, who found fame in the 1990s advertising Nestle's Milkybars. Known as the Milkybar Kid, he starred in one of the firm's Western-themed adverts, riding into town on a horse like a cowboy, only to utter the immortal line, "The Milkybars are on me!"
Son of British actor Robert Coleby, 45 year old Conrad shot to stardom early on but later spoke of the dark side of the business. "As the Milkybar Kid in my younger days, I copped quite a bit of bullying for being one of the only kids in my neighbourhood to be on TV," he confessed.
"I obviously enjoyed being teased so much that I decided to give everyone more ammunition and become a professional actor later on!"
Fittingly, Conrad has gone on to great success. Since his Milkybar days, he made a name for himself in Australia, with roles in Home and Away – as Roman Harris – and Disney's Sabrina Down Under. He also landed a part in Sea Patrol playing the dashing Dylan 'Dutchy' Mulholland and shared screen space with Hugh Jackman in Wolverine, playing Red Beard.
However, in 2016, he switched up his career to a move behind the camera and works as a photographer focusing on portraits, property and sporting events. His pictures have featured in multiple exhibitions and publications including the work Home, which was an awards finalist.
That didn't stop him returning to acting in 2019, playing a guest role as Vance Abernethy in another popular Aussie soap, Neighbours. Vance arrived in Erinsborough to meet up with his girlfriend Roxy Willis, who revealed to Leo Tanaka that her share of the money used to purchase half of a popular bar came from Vance, making him Leo's new partner.
Conrad has just over 600 followers on his Instagram account, where he describes himself as "an Australian actor, voice artist and photographer." With blond hair and a goatee, he now looks very different from his MilkyBar kid days. In one picture, taken way back in September 2020, he is wearing sunglasses and a black beanie hat paired with a black T-shirt and smiles at the camera with a cup of takeaway coffee in front of him. He captioned the image: "Spring us outta the cooooooovid winner blues thank ya lor jeezus."
In another picture, captioned simply: "Red leather, yellow leather" he is covering one eye with a visitor pass, as someone comments: "It's always cool seeing the many facets of your career."
Back in 2012, Nestle's first-ever Milkybar Kid revealed that eating the bars while making the firm's commercials put him off chocolate for life. Terry Brooks, then 59, said: "When I started doing the ads in 1961 I couldn't stop eating them. But I've not had a single bar since my last ad."
