It might be hard for many ITV viewers to believe that it has now been 10 years since Emmerdale bad boy Carl King last appeared on our screens when he finally met his maker during the 40th-anniversary episode.
And to this day his murder is still viewed as one of the soap's biggest storylines which left fans gripped on the edge of their seats in shocking and tense scenes that saw the troubled character get his head bashed in by callous Cameron Murray.
Actor Tom Lister worked on the show from 2004 to 2012, sipping on pints in The Woolpack, but it seems his life has changed quite drastically since his eight-year stint.
The 44-year-old actor bagged several awards of recognition for his time on Emmerdale, including a British Soap Award for Villain of the Year, and his legacy lives on in the famous village with the character’s son Tom King heading back to the Dales once more.
Whilst more of the King Family drama entails over upcoming episodes, we take a look at where the Carl King actor is now - and life is certainly shaping up a lot differently, according to reports in the Mirror.
Tom's outstanding body transformation
It's not just the acting star's performance on screen that has gained him a lot of attention, with his self-image hitting headlines over recent months after he shared some body transformation updates showcasing his incredible weight loss on his social media.
Tom flaunted his new physique on Instagram in a series of topless photos where he explained he had been working with an online coach for the past six months in a bid to shed the pounds.
Tom candidly spoke of how the Covid pandemic had taken a toll on his self-esteem and motivation to keep fit, which led to him gaining weight and feeling "pretty s****y all round."
He wrote: "Covid hit me HARD in terms of lack of work opportunities, leaving me feeling a bit bereft and low on self-esteem and motivation.
"This resulted in me piling on the weight and feeling pretty s****y all round." He then announced: "I have lost over 16kg (2.5 Stone in old money) and I haven’t been this lean for over 20 years."
Turning down Emmerdale return and secret soap stint
Following Carl King's explosive exit from the ITV soap, Tom's career has continued to flourish within the industry, having gone on to bag roles in several high-profile productions including the iconic musical 42nd Street and thriller The Doll.
But many people might not be aware that prior to his debut on Emmerdale, he actually appeared on the rival medical soap show Doctors in 2002, playing Andy Mills.
He then returned to the show in 2016 playing a different character when he took up the role of Martin Laws, a dad whose life began to take a downward spiral as he became caught up in a repetitive cycle of drinking and gambling.
The Leeds-born star worked alongside Waterloo Road actor Phillip Martin Brown in his guest role on his return.
Tom has also previously revealed that he was asked to return to the Dales as Carl King’s ghost in 2021 but said he had to turn it down.
"I was actually asked to go back as a ghost but there was no way I could do it," he said on Soap From The Box.
"Then in the end they got someone who looked like me from the back and then just pulled out a couple of lines from old audio!
"I was like, 'What are you doing?'"
Window cleaning side hustle
It was reported last year that Tom had returned to the routine of a 9 to 5 job as a window cleaner after struggling to find work gigs, with it being claimed the actor started up a company in Blackpool in a bid to bring in extra cash between jobs.
Speaking on Coastal Radio DAB, he opened up on his new job, which he began during the Covid pandemic.
He explained: "I am still working and I have done lots of things over the last couple of years but it’s probably one of the most tricky periods of my career. I have been very fortunate, I have had over 20 years acting and worked quite solidly through that period, be it on television or I worked on the West End.
"When Covid hit, the work just wasn’t there so Steve Royal and me set up a production company, we made an online pantomime, which we sold to schools locally."
He continued: "But that was only a really short period of time so I was just doing regular jobs like lots of other people. So I started cleaning windows for my mate’s company and I was doing it for quite awhile and it was great to keep my head sane.
"And then that has really just progressed and I have actually franchised that company and I am now kind of doing it myself. So I have got customers down here in Blackpool. It’s called Aqua Bright."
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.
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