Former Hollyoaks actor Jeremy Edwards has revealed he has left the acting industry to become a drama teacher. The 52-year-old, best known for playing Kurt Benson in the Channel 4 soap, decided to quit his talent agency after a brief return to the show in 2020.
Speaking to The Sun, Edwards explained his motivation: 'There are so many reasons why you can be out of work and I thought, this is so unpredictable and I have a family. I thought I’ve got thirty years of experience here, what am I doing? I could be helping people.' He began teaching classes on scripts and speeches, which evolved into a business. He now works with various groups and teaches children in Hampshire.
Edwards first appeared as Kurt Benson in 1995 and left in 1999, with his character presumed dead in a jet ski accident. He returned in 2020, hoping for a longer stint, but the Covid-19 pandemic cut his time short. He said: 'I was supposed to be there for six months to a year, but COVID impacted that massively. I was in and out in less than three months with the promise that they’d bring me back properly when things calmed down but I haven’t heard anything.'
During his return, it was revealed that Kurt had survived because a roommate was mistakenly identified as him. Edwards now balances his teaching work, sometimes doing five or six classes a week, sometimes just one or two.
