A Coronation Street actor has been left with a black eye after sustaining an injury. Ben Price, who portrays Nick Tilsley on the ITV soap, spoke about his “second career” in jujitsu and a particular fight that left him bruised.
Ben first arrived on the cobbles in 2009 and has gone on to be a part of some of the show’s major storylines. He also co-hosts the On The Sofa podcast alongside his co-stars Jack P. Shepherd (David Platt) and Colson Smith (Craig Tinker).
In a recent episode, Ben raised concerns that producers will have to create a storyline to explain why his character has a black eye. Away from the cobbles, Ben takes part in the combat sport jujitsu, which he refers to as his “second career.”
He told his friends on the podcast: “We were having a scrap for like 30 minutes, having a little fight. The strange thing about jujitsu is, you won’t know when you’re in the middle of it; you only know afterwards.”
He explained he didn’t feel any pain at the time, and it was only when he got home that his children noticed the mark around his eye. The actor explained: “You don’t feel any pain, rarely; you’ve got a bit of adrenaline going on. It’s only when you stop and start to count how many fingers you’ve got left or if my ears are ‘cauliflowered.”
After the fight, he said he recalled someone mentioning his eye, but he “looked and I couldn’t see it.” He added: “Then one of the kids said ‘What’s wrong with your eye?’.”
Thinking about how he could play it off while in character on Coronation Street, he joked: “Imagine Nick’s bistro I suppose I’d have to throw someone out wouldn’t I.”
The Nick Tilsley star explained to listeners: “We’re not in any [jujitsu] competitions any time soon.” He joked: “I’m in a corner crying to myself with a black eye.”
The drama on the cobbles continues tonight as Debbie Webster comes to terms with her dementia diagnosis and finally opens up to her family.
Fans have seen Debbie push her family and friends further away over the past few months. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Debbie discovered that her illness is incurable and she will eventually die.
In a preview of Friday’s (June 20) episode, viewers will see Debbie finally confide in her family and friends about her diagnosis. Sue Devaney spoke about the “slow burn” storyline of Debbie’s journey living with dementia. The actress hopes to help other people start the conversation.