Vera and Byker Grove star quits acting for award nominated new career after TV heartbreak
A Geordie actor who has been on screen in some of the biggest dramas on TV has ditched acting for a successful new career, which has seen him land on the shortlist for a prestigious award. And the nomination comes exactly 20 years since he got his big break on Byker Grove.
After its 90s hey-day made household names out of the likes of Ant and Dec, Jill Halfpenny and Donna Air, Newcastle shot Byker Grove still pulled in millions of viewers to each episode on BBC One after the turn of a new millennium, with Joe MacCabe joining the cast as Kevin McLaughlin, cousin of well known Grover Stumpy in 2004, after years of trying to get on in the show.
Hr actually ended up starring in the hit CBBC programme's last ever episode in 2006, having been left 'heartbroken' at the news it was going to end. Speaking to ChronicleLive, Fenham born star Joe explained: "I wrote to Byker Grove at least 10 times to try and get on the show and ironically ended up getting a part I didn't even audition for!
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"It was such an exciting time for a 14-year-old, getting to be off school to be on a TV show wasn't bad! When it came to an end it was absolutely heartbreaking. I remember coming for from school one lunchtime and seeing a letter on the doormat. I had a feeling it was from Byker because of the stamp and inside the envelope was a statement saying it was finishing. I walked back to school that day sobbing. I was gutted."
After getting over the upset of Byker Grove ending, Joe ended up being signed by an agent, which paved the way for him then being in Vera, landing the role of PC Young in the second series of the much loved ITV drama, having been convinced he'd totally messed up is audition. Following his casting as a young copper, he ended up shooting a scene with Brenda Blethyn, with his 21-year-old self unaware of just how big a star the Oscar nominated actress was.
Other acting credits on Joe's CV include Holby City and being the face of a Fruit Pastilles ad campaign, but, at the age of 24, after 10 years in the TV industry, he decided to walk away from the limelight to train as a teacher. And it was that decision, which saw him getting a job teaching children with learning difficulties, that ultimately paved the way to his new vocation as a wedding videographer.
Explaining how it came about, Joe said: "The school I was working in did a lot of films with the children and, it was after seeing one of them that a friend asked if I'd shoot her wedding video. I said yes and then, after that was shared on social media, more people starting asking to book me and it just snowballed from there really."
Now 34, and a full time wedding videographer and dad of two, Joe and his business UK Wedding Films are on the shortlist for the regional heat of The Wedding Industry Awards, with the final taking place at the South Causey Inn, not far from his home in Stanley, next month. And if successful in the North East final, Joe would then move onto represent the region at national level.
Having no regrets about turning his back on TV and full of enthusiasm for his new career, Joe added: "I've got two children now and making the decision to do wedding videos full time means I can work from home and spend more time with them, so it's worked out well."