Given that they’re on our screens up to five times a week, it’s hard to imagine soap stars have time for a cheeky side hustle. However, the "precarious profession" sometimes doesn't offer up enough stability for the actors to make ends meet.
As a result, famous faces from the likes of Coronation Street, Emmerdale and EastEnders are often forced to take on a second job, while others use their extra funds or joy of hobbies to create a second, steadier stream of income. From collecting trolleys as Asda to waiting tables and creating extravagant toys, it seems there are no jobs out of bounds for some of the UK's most well known celebs.
We take a look at some of the most surprising side hustles that soap stars have taken on.
Richard Lazarus wrote an incredible 55 episodes for BBC soap EastEnders, spanning 2007 up until 2015.
His final episode aired in February 2015 - with characters including Lauren Branning, Max Branning and Ian Beale taking centre stage.
However, Richard has now swapped screenplays for the shop floor by working at ASDA.
The supermarket announced it on their social media page, wriitng: "Meet Richard! Did you know he’s also a TV writer with some seriously impressive credits?
"He’s written 55 episodes of EastEnders (yes, 55!). He’s penned stories for CBBC’s hit drama The Dumping Ground. He’s worked on the Scottish soap River City.
"And he even co‑created the BBC One prime‑time cop drama By Any Means. From the shop floor to the small screen — Richard’s talent knows no bounds!"
(Image: Asda/Instagram)
Emmerdale star Jonny McPherson, best known for his role as Dr Liam Cavanagh on the ITV soap, previously opened up about his secret second job amid his confession that acting is a "precarious profession."
He admitted that he used to own a canal boat which he would rent out to tourists on Airbnb but was forced to give it up due to his busy work schedule taking up all his time.
Speaking to OK! magazine, he said: "Acting is a precarious profession. It can be very difficult to get a mortgage if you are only working for six months of the year. So, when you get two years of working on something like Emmerdale, it allows you to get a mortgage finally. I’ve got a flat now in Leeds and I’ve sold my boat.
"I did put it on Airbnb for 18 months before I sold it, and it really took off. After a while, though, it began to get more difficult to manage. I was having to check in guests at 10pm on a Friday evening on top of my full-time role in Emmerdale and I decided to sell."
(Image: ITV)
Emmerdale star Joe-Warren Plant has a surprising side job that fans may not be aware of. He plays the role of Jacob Gallagher on the ITV soap, but off screen he has another way to make money.
Despite starring on one of the biggest soaps in the UK, Joe-Warren spends his time working as a waiter when he’s not filming at Emmerdale.
He has been getting stuck in to his "weekend job" for years, working his way up from potwash to waiter.
His co-star, Matthew Wolfenden, 44, explained: "It’s true. He waits tables in a restaurant in Blackpool, he still does it now.
"I think with Joe, because he grew up on Emmerdale, you miss out on things like getting a bar job. So one day he just went, ‘oh, I'm. I'm gonna get a job in a restaurant’."
(Image: ITV)
