Nick Berry: What happened to the Heartbeat and Eastenders heartthrob?

27 April 2026, 14:54

Nick Berry was a regular fixture on British screens last century. But where is he now? Picture: Getty

By Thomas Edward

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He was one of British television's biggest heartthrobs.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, Nick Berry was arguably the hunkiest male to appear regularly on our screens at home.

Starting out in EastEnders, he became a staple of soaps, having taken on the lead role in Heartbeat not long after.

For over a decade, Berry would have viewers weak at the knees with his quiet confidence and dashing good looks.

In between his stints on two of UK television's biggest soaps, he was even breaking into the charts as a pop singer.

Seemingly everything he touched turned to gold – ticking off soap stardom and pop chart pin-up from his bucket list, many expected him to break into movies.

But not long after the turn of the century, Berry disappeared from our televisions and has been seldom seen since. So what happened?

How did Nick Berry get his start in television?

Nick Berry behind the bar of the Queen Vic. (Photo by Don Smith/Radio Times/Getty Images). Picture: Getty

Budding East London-born actor Nick Berry made his television debut on EastEnders in 1985.

He was cast as Simon Wicks, with the soap looking for a younger character to balance the age range of Albert Square's characters in the soap's inaugural year.

Starring alongside the likes of Eastenders' hall of famers like Dirty Den Watts, Lofty and Kathy Beale, it wasn't long before local stud "Wicksy" became the show's first meaningful pin-up.

Berry acted in EastEnders from 1985 to 1990, with his most memorable storyline being his adulterous affair with ,, which caused friction and drama with her husband Ian Beale.

In 1990, however, Nick Berry chose to leave the soap in fears he would be typecast as a lothario from London's East End.

A few years later, he discussed his reasons for leaving, revealing that Wicksy was "sort of the boy next door. But then they changed it".

"Dirty Den had left the show and they chose Wicksy as the new romantic lead. I resisted that change as I never really saw Wicksy like that and you have to be consistent with these characters."

When did Nick Berry decide to pursue pop music?

Nick Berry - Every Loser Wins

During his turn as Simon Wicks, the character performed the song 'Every Loser Wins' on the piano throughout several episodes of the soap.

The song featured prominently in several episodes in the summer of 1986, even sparking several plot points.

Due to public reception, Berry went on to record 'Every Loser Wins' properly and released it as a single.

The Cliff Richard-esque ballad was a major success, topping the UK charts for a total of three weeks.

It wasn't Berry's only venture into the world of music, despite his next single coming six years later.

'Heartbeat', a cover of the Buddy Holly classic used as the title track for Berry's new soap, would also chart highly, reaching number two in 1992.

How long was Nick Berry the star of Heartbeat?

Nick Berry as PC Nick Rowan. Picture: Alamy

Set in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield throughout the 1960s, Heartbeat became an instant success.

Not only was it a success off the bat, but the series ended up running for nearly two decades, from 1992 to 2010.

Nick Berry joined the cast from its very beginning, taking on the leading role of PC Nick Rowan, who relocated from London to police the small rural village whilst trying to adjust to its pace and quirks.

Eventually, he outpaced the show, wanting a change of scenery and deciding to leave the series in 1998.

Having made the decision to leave the show, PC Nick Rowan was written off as having emigrated to Canada to join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

This plot formed the basis for the one-off special Heartbeat: Changing Places, though it would mark the end of seeing Berry frequently on-screen.

Why did Nick Berry turn away from fame?

Nick Berry and Rachel Robertson on their wedding day. (PA News, Paul Barker/in.). Picture: Alamy

After Heartbeat, Nick switched back to the BBC to star in drama series Harbour Lights and In Deep, though they were both poorly received.

In 1994, Berry married Levis Jeans model and actress Rachel Robertson, choosing to start their own family soon after.

He first met Rachel when she was 17 and said she completely changed his life: "It was love at first sight for me, but she thought I was just a dirty old man with a flash car."

Obviously, she came round to his charms, marrying in an intimate ceremony in 1994 before having two sons, Louis and Finley.

Only a few years later, Berry decided to quit acting completely to raise his sons and become a full-time family man.

He revealed his thought process in an interview with The Mirror, saying: "When I joined Heartbeat, I wasn't married and didn't have kids. Everything has changed since then."

Where is Nick Berry now?

Ever since quitting fame and fortune in favour of being a family man, Nick Berry has largely stuck by his decision.

He did re-appear for a one-off return as Simon Wicks in 2012, in an episode where the funeral for his on-screen EastEnders mother Pat Evans took place.

Amassing a £5 million fortune before choosing the quiet life, Berry also started a production company, which eventually dissolved in 2020.

Berry was asked in 2011 if he'd return to the limelight after teasing the possibility.

"I always said that when the boys were teenagers I could go back, but the longer you don't do something, the harder it is to do it, and I haven't really missed it," he admitted.

"While I'd never say never, I'm genuinely happy as I am. The job was great. You're driven everywhere, fed every five minutes and told what to do and where to go."

The former actor described how difficult he found life away from his family in the early days when he was on set.

"What I struggled with was that the boys were very young and I felt like I was away filming all the time," he stated.

"I'd been blessed with these little people, and yet I wasn't really there. I realised I wanted to be at home."

He's regularly spotted out and about enjoying life, but has never gone back on his decision.