In the early 1990s, the UK's pop landscape was dominated by polished, clean-cut boy bands. That all changed with the arrival of East 17, a group of four working-class lads from Walthamstow, London, who offered a grittier, streetwise alternative. Comprising Brian Harvey, Tony Mortimer, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell, the band, named after their home postcode, shot to fame with anthems like 'Stay Another Day' and 'House of Love', selling millions of records. But their journey was fraught with controversy, internal strife, and personal demons, leading to an eventual split. Decades on, their lives have taken radically different paths.
Brian Harvey: Controversy, Catastrophe and Council Benefits
Now 51, lead singer Brian Harvey's post-band life has been a relentless series of public dramas and hardships. His time in East 17 ended abruptly in January 1997 after a radio interview where he made controversial remarks about taking ecstasy, comments which prompted condemnation from then-Prime Minister John Major in the House of Commons.
Further trauma followed. In 2002, he survived a savage attack outside a Nottingham nightclub that required reconstructive surgery. Three years later, in a bizarre accident, he was run over by his own car after feeling ill from eating jacket potatoes, suffering punctured lungs and a pelvis fractured in seven places.
Financially, Harvey has faced severe struggles, resorting to benefits in 2015 and fearing eviction. In 2025, he raged on TikTok about "trolls" criticising his welfare claims, stating, "I'm entitled to benefits. I sold 22 million records." He also posted videos destroying the band's platinum and gold records in an alleyway, lambasting the music industry. Harvey has one daughter, Teigan, from a past relationship and has never married.
Tony Mortimer: The Songwriter's Peaceful Farm Life
The band's chief songwriter, 55-year-old Tony Mortimer, first quit in 1997, citing exhaustion from the media storm and a desire to be with his long-term girlfriend Tracey and their two daughters, Atlanta and Ocean. He penned the band's iconic Christmas number one, 'Stay Another Day', inspired by his brother Ollie's suicide.
After leaving the music spotlight, Mortimer focused on behind-the-scenes work and now lives a quiet life on a five-acre property in Essex he calls his 'farm'. He has no contact with his former bandmates, a fact highlighted when they appeared separately for the BBC2 documentary 'Boybands Forever'. Tony also revealed he has at least one grandchild.
John Hendy & Terry Coldwell: Roofing, Touring and Large Families
John Hendy, 54, has completely left the industry behind. He now works as a roofer, a job he says has earned him respect. He revealed the band's million-pound record deal only netted them a wage of £125 a week, explaining their lasting financial woes.
His difficulties peaked when a move to Spain before the pandemic failed, forcing him back to the UK, onto Universal Credit, and into a hostel for a year and a half during Covid. He shares two children with his wife Nina.
Terry Coldwell, 51, is the only founding member still performing under the East 17 name, touring with a new line-up. He has also faced financial challenges, taking jobs like driving cars for Volvo to support his family. A proud father of six, his youngest daughter was born in December 2022. He holds no grudges but confirmed the original members do not speak, making a full reunion unlikely.
A Legacy of Contrasts
The story of East 17 is a stark reminder of the volatile nature of pop fame. From the heights of global success to the realities of roofing, farming, and financial hardship, the lives of Brian, Tony, John, and Terry illustrate dramatically different ways of navigating life after the spotlight has faded. Their legacy endures in their music, but their paths have definitively diverged.
