EastEnders star Charlie G Hawkins played Darren Miller on the BBC soap – but left in 2011Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeEastEnders star Charlie G Hawkins has swapped the drama of Albert Square for a completely new career after leaving the soap 13 years ago. The actor is best known for playing Darren Miller on the popular soap, making his debut in 2004 as the mischievous Walford child. Throughout his time on the show, viewers watch as Darren started up a relationship with Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu), fathering a child with Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison) and his affair with Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa). Charlie, now 33, remained a regular on the soap until 2011 and while he continued acting for three years after, he now has a completely different job – as the host of NFL podcast Ice The Kicker, where he chats about all things American football.
Charlie G Hawkins has given up acting to pursue a new career as a podcast host
(Image: Getty Images)
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In a candid chat last year, the former soap star revealed how fame nearly ruined his life and led him to leave EastEnders. Joining the show in his teens, Charlie stayed until he felt the need to “chill out and enjoy being a normal 20-year-old”. Speaking to the Distinct Nostalgia podcast, Charlie shared: “I went from being this cheeky chappie who was really confident, to being someone who wanted to be at the back of the room.” Despite the many positives that came with being part of EastEnders, he confessed that the show didn’t prepare him for the level of fame it brought. “I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that people only want to talk to me about EastEnders,” he admitted. He also found certain aspects of the soap’s fan community challenging, reports Birmingham Live. As Charlie put it: “You may have got 100 good comments but you’d get one bad one. I would stare at that one comment and it absolutely broke me. It really affected me.”
Charlie G Hawkins as Darren Miller alongside co-star Joe Swash, who played his brother Mickey
(Image: BBC)
However, when asked if he would ever consider returning to the soap as Darren, Charlie responded with “never say never”. His most notable roles are Darren Miller in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he was in from 2004 to 2011, and a cub scout named Tyrone in Ali G Indahouse. He also had roles in the likes of Casualty and even had a small role in the 2013 film Nymphomaniac. Charlie now hosts Ice The Kicker alongside comedian and radio DJ Tom Deacon, with the pair recording an episode every week and discussing the latest stories in the American football world. EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday from 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayerStory SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnCasualtyEastEndersDrama
