Andrew Hayden-Smith played Ben Carter in the original Byker Grove (Picture: BBC Archives)
It’s the reboot nobody saw coming, nearly two decades after last gracing our screens Ant and Dec announced they were reviving Byker Grove.
The original BBC series ran from 1989 until 2006 and followed the lives of teenagers in the North East, among them Ben Carter, played by Andrew Hayden-Smith.
The Hollyoaks actor, 39, spoke to Metro.co.uk on the day the reboot, which will be simply named Byker, was announced and he was just as surprised as everyone else.
‘It was totally unexpected,’ Andrew admitted. ‘I’ve always wondered if we’d ever get to see the old series again shown somewhere because I get a lot of messages asking about that and you can’t find it anywhere, which is strange. But it was a total shock.’
The Cucumber star joined Byker Grove for its eighth season in 1996 as ladies’ man Ben, who eventually rose from youth club member to leader, before being run over and killed.
He recalled: ‘I was there for seven series and then had sort of outgrown the show and I’d stayed for so long that I sort of began working as a youth leader at the youth club just in the show and then I got killed off.’
Andrew’s character was killed off but he hasn’t ruled out a return to the reboot (Picture: BBC Archives)
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But despite Ben’s demise, Andrew hasn’t ruled out a return to Byker, explaining: ‘I would love to be involved in the reboot, obviously, would have to be a new character, maybe? I don’t know.’
The Doctor Who actor joked he could have a ‘Dallas: JR Returns’ limit, referencing the Dallas spin-off film which revealed that the gunshot fired at JR (Larry Hagman), who had been presumed dead, was at the mirror and not himself.
‘I would have to be – I don’t know, a parent or a youth leader – to be involved, I guess. But yeah, I’d be totally up for that,’ he added.
Andrew said he was in ‘total shock’ when he learnt about Byker(Picture: Getty Images)
As well as a cameo from Ant and Dec, Andrew said he would like to see North Shield popstar Sam Fender, 29, on the cast, stressing the wealth of talent from the North East.
Aimed at a young adult audience, the original drama tackled hard-hitting subjects such as drug addiction, child abuse, homelessness, teen pregnancy and abortion.
Byker Grove also featured the first gay kiss on UK children’s television in a beautiful scene where Noddy (Brett Adams) smooched his friend Gary (George Trotter) at the back of a cinema.
Ant and Dec will be producing the series and it’s hoped they’ll make a cameo (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)
Andrew, who came out as gay in 2005 at the age of 21, reflected on the shocking reaction to the kiss and said he hoped the reboot would include a wealth of LGBTQ+ storylines.
He said: ‘The gay kiss at the time caused uproar and it was really innocent peck on the cheek. Everyone remembers the scene in the cinema with Noddy and Gary.
‘I would hope that the new series would definitely have some LGBTQ+ storylines. And I’m sure they will tackle them very sensitively. It will be interesting to see how they’re gonna do it.’
Andrew would like to see Sam in the Byker Grove reboot (Picture: Backgrid)
Ant, who along with Dec played best pals PJ and Duncan, teased what’s to come in Byker, which is currently in development.
He said: ‘Already talking characters and storylines has us all buzzing at the possibilities ahead.
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Dec, meanwhile, added: ‘We are looking forward to bringing this fresh incarnation to a whole new generation as well as those who remember it as fondly as we do.
‘As proud Geordies, we’re looking forward to help shine a spotlight on the North East and the talent the region has to offer both in front of the camera and behind it.’
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Andrew was one of the longest-running cast members.