20 August 2023 , 20:44
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An EastEnders star has launched a totally different career, seven years after leaving Albert Square.
Jonny Labey, who played Paul Coker in the BBC soap, has swapped acting for singing in a completely different career move. The actor has already dropped his first single, much to the delight of fans. Jonny has shared a snippet of his upcoming music video for track Keeps Me Up. The song also features new musician King Khamelion.
In the short clip, Jonny, 30, could be seen strutting down the street to the beat of his track, wearing a cream suit and holding a trilby hat. He is seen combing his hand through his hair as his blazer falls down his arms. Jonny captioned the video: "KEEPS ME UP with @kingkhamelion First registered track of a 3 year journey which is now all coming your way! COMMENT IF YOU WANT THE WHOLE VIDEO Dropping 11/08 with a link to PRE-SAVE."
Jonny shared a short clip from his new music video (John Labey/Instagram)
He left the soap seven years ago after playing Paul Coker (BBC)Fans were quick to share their support as one said: "Lets goooooo." Mathew Lewis-Carter added: "Yes mate!" While someone else wrote: "Keen [flame emoji]." Jonny played Paul Coker in the soap for over a year before being brutally killed off in a violent homophobic attack. It's not the first time he has showed off his singing talent, as he appeared on The X Factor : Celebrity in 2019. He was said to be a front-runner after wowing the judges in LA during his audition. A show source told the Daily Star at the time: "Jonny has really impressed the panel with his vocal ability.
"They weren't expecting him to be as good as he is. Everyone working on the show is saying he'll be one to watch. The public know him for his acting, but this will be his chance to show he can sing too". The celeb contestant – who also competed on and bagged the trophy on reality show Dance, Dance, Dance –was given a safe seat along with Jenny Ryan and Try Star in week one. However Jonny was eliminated in week two after landing in the bottom two with Martin Bashir as the result went to deadlock. He finished the show in tenth place.
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The X Factor show was one of two rebooted versions of the singing series that Simon Cowell created, along with a Champions edition featuring former contestants in a bid to increase the ever sliding ratings. The Only Way Is Essex star Megan McKenna took home the top spot of the show, as she impressed with her country singing.
Just last year Jonny opened up about his Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis, admitting it has been "overwhelming at times". The actor discovered he had the chronic condition during his GCSEs, when he felt "unexplainably tired" and "thirsty" no matter how much water he drank. "So, I got tested as I measured my blood on my Grandad's monitor and it was 26.6, which is dangerously low, so I went immediately to hospital - and the rest is history!" he explained.
"It was very cautiously measured in the beginning, but didn't have too much of an effect apart from the occasional realisation moment." He added to The Sun : "It was overwhelming at times, but so long ago that I don't remember." On World Diabetes Day on Monday, he told followers on Instagram to get checked if they lost weight, are tired and thirsty. Type 1 diabetes causes the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood to become too high and it occurs when the body can't produce enough insulin, which controls blood glucose.