He was known for portraying Sid Summer in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.
But actor Billy Price, 23, left the serial in 2022 after three years and took a career turn in a very different direction.
Billy joined Hollyoaks, which has now moved to Channel 4’s sister channel E4, in 2019 as a guest but he was kept on as a regular, and tackled some heavy storylines involving drug dealing and even had one of his legs amputated after he was run over by Peri Lomax (Ruby O’Donnell).
Today, Billy has branched out into business, having launched brand Pasii which specialises in socks and sells other items of clothing.
A pair of socks from Billy’s brand’s premium range costs £9.99, not including postage and packing, and he also sells T-shirts, jumpers, tracksuits and sports towels.
Branching out: Actor Billy Price, 23, left Hollyoaks in 2022 after three years and took a career turn in a very different direction after launching a clothing brand (pictured in June last year)
While Billy is now an entrepreneur, he has not turned his back on acting completely, having played Kyle Mainwaring in a episode of BBC One soap Doctors this year.
Prior to Hollyoaks he starred in a number of theatre productions including Peter Pan, Oliver!, Goodnight Mister Tom and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Billy also went for a part in EastEnders having auditioned for the role of Bobby Beale, which has been played by Clay Milner Russell since 2019.
Recalling how his Hollyoaks role was extended, Billy explained to the Soap From The Box podcast: ‘I think I was supposed to be in four or five episodes. To be honest, it was absolutely crazy.
‘I did five episodes, then they said they needed me to do one or two more. So I went back and did those, so it ended up being about seven.
‘Then when I went off, I actually auditioned for EastEnders. I auditioned for Bobby Beale.
‘I’ve been for so many EastEnders auditions! They’re so lovely over there.’
He continued: ‘I’ve been up for Bobby Beale and Hunter. I actually got quite far down into those auditions. I got quite far into the Bobby Beale – I think there was three others left.
On sale: A pair of socks from Billy’s brand’s premium range costs £9.99, not including postage and packing, and he also sells T-shirts, jumpers, tracksuits and sports towels (Billy pictured as his Hollyoaks character Sid Summer)
‘I didn’t actually get the part, as you do as an actor. You don’t get the part all the time.
‘A couple of days after I didn’t get the part, I got a call from my agent saying, “They’re going to promote your Hollyoaks character to a regular”.
‘I was over the moon. Everything happens for a reason.
‘It was an honour – Sid is such a nice character and I really wanted to redeem him. There was so much to explore.’
It comes after it was reported the cast of Hollyoaks were planning to ‘quit the show’ following fears that the Channel 4 axe would leave jobs at risk.
The report comes after Channel 4 cancelled the soap from its regular 6:30pm TV schedule and switched to E4 for a scheduling switch-up.
According to The Sun, its sparked concern amongst the cast who are wondering if their role on the series will be safe.
A source said: ‘Cast have been reassured that budgets will stay the same but a lot of people are worried.
Announcement: Channel 4 bosses recently cancelled Hollyoaks from its regular 6:30pm TV schedule and switched it to its sister station E4
‘A couple of key cast have quietly asked their agents to keep an eye out for new roles and shows they could appear on if things don’t work out at Hollyoaks.
‘It’s made a lot of people nervous about job security – despite bosses insisting nobody’s job is at risk.’
The MailOnline contacted Hollyoaks for a comment.
As part of the new plans episodes will become available online the day before they premiere on linear TV on E4.
Bosses have pulled the plug on the soap being aired on its main channel, in a new digital strategy to freshen up viewing experiences with the state-owned broadcaster.
The broadcaster announced that the new schedule pattern would launch on Monday 25th September and promised viewers ‘a massive stunt week of spectacular and standout storylines’ with ‘scenes shot in sensational new locations’.
Fans of the show, based in a drama-filled Chester village, will still be able to catch the weekly omnibus which will continue to be broadcast on Channel 4.
Episodes will also be uploaded onto Youtube to suit younger audiences, and will be made available to watch on YouTube the week after streaming and broadcast on E4.
Channel 4 has been the home to Hollyoaks for nearly three decades, and this latest change suggests an effort to keep up with a digital age, and reflects the increasing appetite for on-demand entertainment.
64 per cent of viewers watched the soap by streaming episodes or E4 this year which meant that 556 million minutes of the show being streamed in the first half of the year – signalling a shift in viewer habits..
