Kristian Ealey, the actor and musician best known for playing Matt Musgrove in Brookside and Hollyoaks, died at the age of 38 in May 2016 after retiring to bed with arm pain while in Italy. He did not wake up.
From Bread to Brookside and Hollyoaks
Ealey made his acting debut at age nine in the Liverpool-set drama Bread. He later portrayed Matt Musgrove on Brookside from 1998 to 2000, then transferred the same character to Hollyoaks, making British television history. He remained with Hollyoaks until 2004 and also appeared in spin-offs Hollyoaks: Indecent Behaviour and Hollyoaks: After Hours.
Alongside acting, Ealey was a well-regarded musician in Liverpool, performing with his band Tramp Attack. He also portrayed Beatles drummer Ringo Starr in the film In His Life: The John Lennon Story.
Tributes from co-stars and friends
Following his death, former Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson said: "Just awful. What a lovely, lovely man! Had many laughs with him at work back in the day. RIP."
Ealey's Brookside co-star Suzanne Collins, now appearing in Hollyoaks, said: "I'm very privileged to have called him a friend. There were a gang of the young ones who grew up on the set of Brookside, we called ourselves the Brookie Brat Pack and have an incredible bond."
Former Hollyoaks actress Helen Noble wrote: "So saddened to hear the news about Smithdownslim - one of the nicest guys I knew at the oaks. Always smiling. RIPKris."
Hollyoaks production company Lime Pictures said: "Many crew worked with Kristian on both Hollyoaks and Brookside and enjoyed following his musical success after leaving the show. The news has been met with shock and sadness on set and everyone's thoughts are with his family at this time."
Former Hollyoaks star Ben Hull said: "Shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Kristian Ealey. He was such a talented actor and musician, and a really lovely guy. RIP."
Legacy and anniversary tribute
The exact cause of Ealey's death remains unknown. He is survived by his son Jake.
On the tenth anniversary of his passing earlier this year, grassroots music festival Smithdown in Liverpool paid tribute on social media, saying: "Today marks 10 years since we lost a local legend, so we want to pay tribute to one of the biggest champions of local music Kris Ealey, who died on 3rd May 2016." The post added: "As news spread through the festival it was hard to fully comprehend that we'd lost 'Smithdown Slim' at such a young age. Kris was the singer for indie band Tramp Attack, ran Cahoots music venue (where Decent Donuts is now) and also played the role of Matt Musgrove in Hollyoaks and Brookside. We also named our main outdoor stage after him in 2017 and 2018."
