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Home / Interviews & Articles / Neighbours Stars Pop Round to Honour Kids |
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This page was last updated on 22nd July 2007. Page launched on 22nd July 2007. Site launched on 24th January 2004.
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INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES
Neighbours Stars Pop Round to Honour Kids by Sarah Crabtree Sheffield Star, UK, 14th July 2007
THE stars of Neighbours swapped Erinsborough for Sheffield - and declared the city "spiggin' awesome"!
Aussie actors Ben Nicholas and Kyal Marsh - aka Ramsay Street residents Stingray Timmins and Boyd Hoyland - were star guests at a colourful Hawaiian-themed presentation evening for schoolchildren from across Sheffield.
And both agreed meeting their young fans in South Yorkshire made a refreshing change from learning lines.
Ben - whose character Stingray coined his own unique phrases including "spigging" for "totally" and "hufters" for "idiots" - said: "From what we've seen of Sheffield so far it looks awesome. The people seem really nice. We get recognised quite a lot in the UK but we get a lot more respect here too. In Australia it really isn't cool to be in Neighbours, but it's cult viewing here."
The pair, both aged 19, were in Sheffield to congratulate kids who have completed the Flower 125 Health Programme, an award-winning project to raise 11 to 16-year-olds' self-esteem and educate them about growing-up issues like drugs, drink and sex.
Both actors' on-screen characters have plenty of relevant experience.
Exercise-obsessed Boyd was once hooked on steroids before secretly marrying his teen sweetheart but sleeping with another girl behind her back. Stingray suffered from hyperactivity disorder and alcoholism, spent time in jail, and had to undergo DNA testing to prove he wasn't the father of his brother's girlfriend's baby.
Kyal joked: "I think Boyd and Stingray could have done with taking part in the Flower 125 Health Programme! I think they could both have learned something from it!"
Ben and Kyal have both now left the soap which made them famous. Stingray was killed off last month and Kyal filmed his final scenes as cheating love-rat Boyd in April. He will bow out from British screens in the autumn and revealed: "I absolutely hated my character at the end. I couldn't believe what they made me do.
"I thought it was a stupid storyline and I copped a lot of flak over it, I was really upset. My contract didn't get renewed but I was pretty happy to leave by then. I was ready to go. I was 14 when I joined. It was time to leave."
Both actors now live in London where they share a flat, and are spending their time travelling around Europe, making personal appearances at universities, and auditioning for West End theatre roles. Ben has also put together a band.
Their trip to Sheffield for the dance and music-filled presentation evening at The Hubs students' union on Paternoster Row was only a flying visit. They arrived in the city tired from a big night out with friends in Leicester Square, and the next day were off to Norwich for an appearance at the students' union.
But Ben especially said he was looking forward to returning to Sheffield as soon as possible.
"I'm in pantomime in Stevenage this Christmas, as Buttons in Cinderella, but I'd love to come back and do panto here," he said. "I'm hoping they will give me a part in Sheffield next year."
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