Fans may not be aware that Jay Kontzie’s career didn’t begin with the soap, but many people only know about it from his Emmerdale role.
Jay Kontzle is currently best known for playing Billy Fletcher in Emmerdale, where he is now a fan favourite. However, long before he was tangled up in dramatic soap storylines from dodging punches in the illegal boxing rings or his young son’s leukaemia diagnosis, he was belting out tunes on national TV, which found him with Simon Cowell’s stamp of approval.
Many fans haven’t been able to connect the dots, but he was a member of The Mend, a Manchester-based group formed in 2008 by the former Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith. They first appeared on TV on The X Factor in 2011. However, their stint quickly came to an end when, at boot camp, producers discovered they had a management deal, which is against the rules.
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However, they made the decision to try it again in the following year, this time auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent. A young Jay stated during their performance, “We all have problems at home, but we’ll keep playing music until we can resolve them.”
They performed a part-rapped, part-sung cover of Otis Redding’s Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay, blowing the audience away—and Cowell, too. “I’m very happy you auditioned. I like you a lot,” he told them.
The Mend made it all the way to the final, eventually finishing in seventh place. The group later supported Little Mix on their 2013 DNA tour, which helped them gain a solid teenage fanbase.
The group made the decision to leave in 2015.
He stated in a statement to Cheshire Live, “Being a part of The Mend was a huge life experience for me and some of the best times of my life.”
Being on tour and performing live on television gave me some experience, but as we got older, we realized we couldn’t keep reinventing ourselves as a boy band.
He acknowledges that the music industry wasn’t for him despite years of rubbing shoulders with music aristocracy. He did enjoy the performing aspect, but there was a side he didn’t like.
He told Inside Soap, “The best aspect of being in a band was the insight I gained into the industry.”
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“We collaborated with professionals like Simon Cowell,” Cowell said. However, I ultimately detested the music business side. It was a great experience! I’ve kind of moved on, so I don’t really talk about it right now.
And he made a different decision after being tipped off by Hollyoaks star Jamie Lomas’ casting session in 2018, where he was cast as Billy Fletcher, a recovering bad boy who turned into a devoted Husband to Dawn. Although Billy has been hiding some significant secrets in recent episodes, including that he’s risking his life to support his family, fans love the couple.
This isn’t his first explosive, though it includes their son Evan’s illness and a wedding that was hacked by serial killer Meena Jutla.
However, his acting work included a role in Diana and I, a cheeky Moonpig advertisement, and behind-the-scenes work on the movies Underwater and Bring Back My Bonnie. His acting work includes Fresh Meat with Jack Whitehall, and a role in a Moonpig commercial.
Despite the various career paths he has chosen, his career appears to be exactly where he was intended to go. “It wasn’t until I started that everything clicked, and the position really suited me.” He said, “I’m very happy that it’s been such a busy and exciting time since then,” and that it’s been a lot of fun.
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Source: Mirror
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