Dramatic moment Sid Owen attempts to escape prison in new TV series Banged Up
As a soap actor for more than three decades Sid Owen, who plays Ricky Butcher in EastEnders, has led a relatively comfortable life.
In the past he has claimed that if it wasn't for acting he would have ended up behind bars like some of his relatives. So it's perhaps understandable that Sid, 51, jumped at the opportunity to take part in the Channel 4 documentary Banged Up, to see what his family members had gone through.
But it's quite clear that he struggled to cope as he attempts to make an escape, leaving the show in chaos. Sid is joined by other famous faces including actor Tom Rosenthal, Gogglebox star Marcus Luther, singer HRVY, Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens, former MP Neil Parish and MP Johnny Mercer.
Sid Owen tries to escape prison documentary Banged Up as he struggles to cope (Channel 4)They are all imprisoned with real convicted criminals, all of whom have served their time and are reformed. Sid is the first to arrive at the prison. Both his brothers and his dad, who was a bank robber, spent long stints in prison and he is keen to see what life would have been like for them.
The star is locked in his cell for more than 13 hours a day, which he clearly can't cope with. In a clip shared ahead of the show airing tomorrow night, Sid is seen popping his head outside his cell to check if the coast is clear. Once he notices that the two prison guards are distracted by their conversation, he checks to see if he still has a clear exit.
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
Within seconds, Sid then runs along the landing, down the stairs and out of his wing. Wearing just a vest top, a pair of shorts and a pair of black trainers, it is quite clear he had not planned his escape, but noticed an opportunity and took it. As he made it out of the first set of doors, viewers will hear the guards shout his name for him to stop but he simply ignores them.
The father-of-one is one of four brothers. His father David was allegedly an alcoholic who left the family home when Sid was just six years old and two years later his mother, Joan died from pancreatic cancer.
Sid Owen fooled prison guards as he slipped past them to make a run for it (Colin Hutton / Channel 4)Stepping away from his beloved character while filming the Channel 4 show, Sid is incarcerated at HMP Shrewsbury, which is a Victorian decommissioned prison from 2013. The show focuses on how the celebrity inmates cope with being stripped of their home comforts and find out first hand what it is like to have their life heavily restricted.
Speaking about joining the show, he told OK!: "I wanted to leave from the minute I walked in there. When you get your freedom taken away from you, it’s hard-hitting."
Gogglebox star Marcus Luther also struggled to cope. He said: "The thing that got to me was the noise. The only way that people feel like they can be the top dog is by making their voice the loudest." The celebrities are sharing their cells with criminals ranging from reformed contract killers to international drug dealers.
Banged Up Tuesday, 9.15pm, C4. Available to stream for free on Channel 4
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