Hollyoaks And Brookside Star Kristian Ealey Dies

Soap stars have paid tribute to the Brookside and Hollyoaks actor Kristian Ealey, who has died at the age of 38.

Suzanne Collins, his co-star in Brookside, said Ealey was working in Italy when he passed away - and had failed to wake up after going to sleep with a pain in his arm.

"I'm very privileged to have called him a friend," she said.

"It has shocked us all to the core. Kris was full of life, full of smiles and so full of music."

Ealey was the first actor to play the same character in two soaps.

He appeared as Matt Musgrove in Brookside between 1998 and 2000, as well as Hollyoaks between 2000 and 2004.

As well as acting, Ealey had a loyal following as a musician in Liverpool.

He was well known for singing in the city's pubs and clubs as part of the band Tramp Attack, and also appeared as Ringo Starr in the film In His Life: The John Lennon Story.

Gemma Atkinson, his co-star in Hollyoaks who now appears in Emmerdale, tweeted: "Just awful. What a lovely, lovely man!

"Had many laughs with him at work back in the day … RIP."

Lime Pictures, which produces Hollyoaks, told Digital Spy: "The news has been met with shock and sadness on set and everyone's thoughts are with his family at this time."