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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

Channel 4 Hollyoaks: Real life of Tony Hutchinson actor Nick Pickard - co-star ex and famous brother

He's nothing short of a Hollyoaks legend having appeared on the soap from the very first moment it came to air - but what do we know about Nick Pickard's off-screen life.

The actor is best known for playing Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap. Having joined it at its inception in 1995, Nick remains the longest-serving cast member having spent 25 years in the fictional Chester village.

Nick has seen his character go through many ups and downs in Hollyoaks. From experiencing the death of his daughter Grace to sudden infant death syndrome, Tony has also seen the discovery of his long-lost son Harry Thompson, his battle with testicular cancer and his many marriages.

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But compared to Tony, Nick's life is a lot more settled. The 46-year-old studied at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and Corona Theatre School worked extensively in the theatre before joining the cast of Hollyoaks, however, that wasn't his first TV role.

One of his first roles was as Mio in the 1987 fantasy movie Mio in the Land of Faraway, and before landing the role of Tony, Nick played the minor role of a young homeless boy in EastEnders, the Daily Star reports. He also had parts in You Rang, M’Lord? and music videos for Roxette and Mike + The Mechanics.

Nick two years into playing Tony in 2001 (Mersey Television)

Away from his acting and in his love life, Nick actually dated Hollyoaks co-star Joanna Taylor, who played Geri Hudson in the Channel 4 soap for two years. The couple started dating in 2001 after meeting on the set of the serial drama, but they parted ways a year later with Joanna later marrying Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy in 2004.

But the couple, who share two children, separated in 2017. Apart from their brief relationship, not much else is known about Nick's private life, apart from the fact that he's a dad of one.

However, what we do know is that he has a famous brother who also starred as his half-brother in Hollyoaks back in the early noughties.

John Pickard played Dominic Reilly in the ITV soap for five years. A few years into joining the soap in 2007, Dom married Tina McQueen, however, the marriage ended when Tina sadly died in October 2008.

And before his exit in 2010, John's character unintentionally took the lives of two people when he reverted to arson after being coasted into burning down his brother's business at the time, Il Gnosh by Warren Fox. After going to prison, Dom was released by 2013 and appeared in the sixth and final season of Hollyoaks Later.

Nick's brother John also appeared in Hollyoaks (Mersey Television)

But, before he was ever on Hollyoaks, John starred in EastEnders during the 90s as Kevin, the close pal of Robbie Jackson, played by Dean Gaffney, MyLondon reports.

In the three years he was in the BBC soap, Kevin got himself into all sorts of trouble - including stealing Frank Butcher's car, nicking alcohol from The Queen Vic, and even once caused a riot.

But John is best known for playing David Porter in BBC sitcom 2poing4 Children and he also appeared in series 13 and 14 of Grange Hill as the character Neil Timpson.

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