Joe Swash
Encyclopedia
Joseph Adam Swash is an English
actor
and presenter
. He once played Mickey Miller
in the British television
soap opera
EastEnders
. He is the older brother of Shana Swash
, who played his on-screen younger sister Demi Miller
until July 2006. He also won the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! on 5 December 2008. He reprised his role as Mickey Miller for 2 episodes in order to coincide with his onscreen brothers departure.
in Islington, and attended Anna Scher Theatre School on the advice of his mother's friend, actress Linda Robson
. Swash attended the school with Natalie Cassidy
, James Alexandrou
and Brooke Kinsella
, with whom he later worked in EastEnders.
When Swash was seven, he made his first TV appearance in an Andrex
advertisement, and at the age of eleven he was cast in the movie The Adventures of Pinocchio, with Dawn French and Griff Rhys Jones
. He made minor appearances in several television series such as Casualty
, The South Bank Show
, The Bill
and Nickelodeon's LOL: Laugh Out Loud. In 2002, Joe Swash appeared as a participant in the ITV
documentary Club Reps
, and on 8 November 2008 Joe and his family appeared in Family Fortunes
. He also appeared with his sister on the CITV
Saturday morning show Ministry Of Mayhem.
He was about to give up on the idea of becoming an actor when he won a role in BBC's EastEnders. He was cast as Mickey Miller
and made his first appearance in EastEnders in April 2003 as a recurring character. Owing to a positive viewer reception, producer Louise Berridge
turned Mickey into a regular character, and his on-screen family arrived a year later, including Mickey's little sister Demi, who was played by Swash's real sister, Shana. His son, Harry Swash, also appeared in the soap as his niece Summer Swann for a minimal period. On 26 February 2008, it was announced that Joe Swash, along with the actor who plays his stepfather, David Spinx
, were being written out of EastEnders in a "big explosive storyline". He made his final appearance in July 2008. Since the announcement of his departure, Swash has been critical of the direction producers took with his character. He has blamed his three-month screen absence in 2005 (due to meningitis) for Mickey becoming little more than "light-relief". However, he has expressed an interest in returning.. He later reprised his role of Mickey Miller in early 2011 in order to coincide with his on screen brothers departure from the soap.
Swash has expressed an interest in presenting, as well as appearing in "Brit-flicks".
In November 2008 Swash entered the Australian jungle to appear in the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, which he went on to win. Swash subsequently performed as Buttons in the pantomime
Cinderella, at the Central Theatre in Chatham, Medway
.
He also appeared on The Weakest Link
twice: once in 2006 and once in 2008 on the Eastenders
special. He got voted off on both appearances.
In December 2008, he appeared on The Graham Norton Show
, and on the 11th January 2009 he appeared during the "Who Knows The Most About The Guest Host" segment on The Sunday Night Project
.
In February 2009, Swash, along with TV presenter Tim Vincent
, became the Guinness World Record Holder
for throwing the most pancake
s to a partner as part of a challenge on Channel 4
's The Paul O'Grady Show
.
Swash was announced as charity Meningitis UK
's patron in April 2009. The disease led to his grandmother Betty's death in 1999.
From September 2009, Swash, along with ex-rugby player Austin Healey
will be appearing in the new series of Hole In The Wall
as a team captain for Series 2.
Joe took part in a celebrity version of TV show Total Wipeout
which aired on 26 December 2009, however receiving an injury being forced to quit.
In 2009/2010, Swash, appeared in the pantomime Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs in Bristol.
In 2010 he was a team captain on What Do Kids Know?
along with Rufus Hound
and Sara Cox
on Watch
. He has also appeared in the celebrity edition of the Cube.
He is currently presenting the children's show "Gimme A Break" on the CBBC Channel since 2011.
From 2009, Swash has presented spin off series ' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, NOW!' alongside Caroline Flack
and Russell Kane
. In 2011, Flack was replaced by Laura Whitmore
.
On 5 March 2011, Swash and Caroline Flack
participated in Let's Dance for Comic Relief, dancing to My Humps
by The Black Eyed Peas
. But they were voted out by the panels vote.
As of 2011, after Flack departed I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Now, in order to work on commitments on The Xtra Factor, Swash and Flack have now joined together once more on new ITV2 game-show Minute to Win It and BBC kids-take-control show Gimme A Break.
In October 2011 Swash appeared in an episode of The Real Hustle
.
Later in Novemver 2011, Swash's new show for CBBC, Driving Academy was aired.
, Scottish
and Italian (Swash's great-grandmother, Maria Christina Swash (née Raimo) (1899–1973) was Italian.) He grew up in Islington
in north London
. His father Ricky William Swash (1955–1994), a London cab driver, died of a heart attack when Swash was 12, and he and his two younger sisters, Caisie and Shana
, were subsequently raised by their mother, Catherine M "Kiffy"(née O'Connor), who had married Ricky (sometimes mistakenly spelt as Riccie or Richky) in 1978. Swash has said that he is particularly close to his youngest sister Shana, as he took on a paternal role towards her following their father's death. He has commented, "Shana's more than just a sister to me. I look out for her. If I go away, I miss her so much. It was hard when my dad died – it was so sudden. Shana was only little so it's been tough for her. We've got a special connection there – we look the same and have the same personality [...] Dad dying made me grow up pretty fast – I've learned a lot from it. And it makes you appreciate your family more."
Swash was dubbed the "Swashbuckler" by the British press, due to his regular appearances on the London club circuit. He has admitted that he was regularly reprimanded by EastEnders
bosses for his alcohol-fuelled partying. Swash was forced to take a three month break from EastEnders
in 2005 after he contracted meningoencephalitis
. Swash has commented, "I couldn't talk. Half my face was numb and I couldn't get the words out. I was constantly sick and couldn't stand." He spent a fortnight in intensive care and doctors told him they were not sure he would live; however, he recovered with no lasting damage.
On 16 June 2007, Swash's fiancée, Emma Sophocleous, gave birth to their first child, a boy named Harry Swash. On 19 January 2008, it was announced the couple had separated, and in December 2008, Swash stated that he was in a relationship with his former EastEnders co-star Kara Tointon
, who played his onscreen sister Dawn Swann
.In May 2010 it was announced that the two had split due to a lot of arguments. On 3 November 2009, Swash was declared bankrupt
by London's High Court after failing to pay a £20,000 tax bill. Swash's agent Becca Barr said it was a mix-up and the actor is not in financial difficulty.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
. He once played Mickey Miller
Mickey Miller
Michael "Mickey" Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Joe Swash. He made his first appearance on 15 April 2003. Introduced as a guest character, Mickey proved popular and was turned into a regular by executive producer Louise Berridge. The character is...
in the British television
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. He is the older brother of Shana Swash
Shana Swash
Shana Frances Swash is an English actress best known for playing the role Demi Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders...
, who played his on-screen younger sister Demi Miller
Demi Miller
Demi Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shana Swash. She made her first appearance on 6 September 2004 and made her last on 7 July 2006 when she was axed by EastEnders executive producer Kate Harwood....
until July 2006. He also won the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! on 5 December 2008. He reprised his role as Mickey Miller for 2 episodes in order to coincide with his onscreen brothers departure.
Career
Swash studied at Highbury Grove SchoolHighbury Grove School
Highbury Grove School is a co-educational comprehensive secondary school in the London Borough of Islington. It covers the age range 11 to 18 inclusive and currently has about 1,100 pupils. It is classified as a Community School, specialising in business, enterprise studies and music . The head...
in Islington, and attended Anna Scher Theatre School on the advice of his mother's friend, actress Linda Robson
Linda Robson
Linda Patricia Mary Robson is an English actress. She played Tracey in the BBC comedy, Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998.-Personal life and education:...
. Swash attended the school with Natalie Cassidy
Natalie Cassidy
Natalie Ann Cassidy is a British actress, most commonly known for appearing in the television soap EastEnders where she played Sonia Jackson for many years. She has also appeared in the BBC Two sitcom Psychoville and was a contestant on the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing.-Career:As a...
, James Alexandrou
James Alexandrou
James Alekos Alexandrou is an English actor of Greek Cypriot descent, best known for playing Martin Fowler in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life:...
and Brooke Kinsella
Brooke Kinsella
Brooke Kinsella, MBE is an English actress and author. A graduate of the Anna Scher Theatre School, Kinsella has been acting since childhood. She has had various roles on television and in film...
, with whom he later worked in EastEnders.
When Swash was seven, he made his first TV appearance in an Andrex
Andrex
Andrex is a British brand of toilet roll. It is a owned by the American company Kimberly-Clark. The "Andrex Puppy", a Labrador Retriever puppy that appears on the company's television adverts, is synonymous with the brand.Sold in the U.S...
advertisement, and at the age of eleven he was cast in the movie The Adventures of Pinocchio, with Dawn French and Griff Rhys Jones
Griff Rhys Jones
Griffith "Griff" Rhys Jones is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, television presenter and personality. Jones came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Mel Smith...
. He made minor appearances in several television series such as Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, The South Bank Show
The South Bank Show
The South Bank Show was a television arts magazine show, originally made by London Weekend Television , presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast on ITV and seen in over 60 countries worldwide — including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States...
, The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
and Nickelodeon's LOL: Laugh Out Loud. In 2002, Joe Swash appeared as a participant in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
documentary Club Reps
Club Reps
Club Reps was a factual entertainment programme made for ITV by STV Productions . It ran from 2001 to 2004. The programme has been repeated on Sky Real Lives and Pick TV.-Main Series:...
, and on 8 November 2008 Joe and his family appeared in Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes...
. He also appeared with his sister on the CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
Saturday morning show Ministry Of Mayhem.
He was about to give up on the idea of becoming an actor when he won a role in BBC's EastEnders. He was cast as Mickey Miller
Mickey Miller
Michael "Mickey" Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Joe Swash. He made his first appearance on 15 April 2003. Introduced as a guest character, Mickey proved popular and was turned into a regular by executive producer Louise Berridge. The character is...
and made his first appearance in EastEnders in April 2003 as a recurring character. Owing to a positive viewer reception, producer Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge is a British writer of historical fiction. Before she became a novelist, she was best known as a television producer and script editor. The most famous post being the executive producer of BBC's EastEnders between 2002 and 2004...
turned Mickey into a regular character, and his on-screen family arrived a year later, including Mickey's little sister Demi, who was played by Swash's real sister, Shana. His son, Harry Swash, also appeared in the soap as his niece Summer Swann for a minimal period. On 26 February 2008, it was announced that Joe Swash, along with the actor who plays his stepfather, David Spinx
David Spinx
David Spinx is an English actor, probably best known for playing Keith Miller in the BBC television soap opera EastEnders since 2004. He has previously appeared in EastEnders as a guest character in an episode in 1999 as the cellmate of Steve Owen and provided the voices on the radios in Barry...
, were being written out of EastEnders in a "big explosive storyline". He made his final appearance in July 2008. Since the announcement of his departure, Swash has been critical of the direction producers took with his character. He has blamed his three-month screen absence in 2005 (due to meningitis) for Mickey becoming little more than "light-relief". However, he has expressed an interest in returning.. He later reprised his role of Mickey Miller in early 2011 in order to coincide with his on screen brothers departure from the soap.
Swash has expressed an interest in presenting, as well as appearing in "Brit-flicks".
In November 2008 Swash entered the Australian jungle to appear in the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, which he went on to win. Swash subsequently performed as Buttons in the pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
Cinderella, at the Central Theatre in Chatham, Medway
Chatham, Medway
Chatham is one of the Medway towns located within the Medway unitary authority, in North Kent, in South East England.Although the dockyard has long been closed and is now being redeveloped into a business and residential community as well as a museum featuring the famous submarine, HMS Ocelot,...
.
He also appeared on The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
twice: once in 2006 and once in 2008 on the Eastenders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
special. He got voted off on both appearances.
In December 2008, he appeared on The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show is a British comedy chat show that is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. It was originally shown on BBC Two from February 2007 to May 2009 until it moved to BBC One from October 2009...
, and on the 11th January 2009 he appeared during the "Who Knows The Most About The Guest Host" segment on The Sunday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project was a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title The Friday Night Project...
.
In February 2009, Swash, along with TV presenter Tim Vincent
Tim Vincent
Tim Vincent is a Welsh actor and television presenter who was a presenter on the popular children's programme Blue Peter between 1993 and 1997...
, became the Guinness World Record Holder
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
for throwing the most pancake
Pancake
A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side...
s to a partner as part of a challenge on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
.
Swash was announced as charity Meningitis UK
Meningitis UK
Meningitis UK is a national charity based in the United Kingdom. Its sole focus is on prevention and funding lifesaving research to eradicate all forms of meningitis.- History of Meningitis UK :...
's patron in April 2009. The disease led to his grandmother Betty's death in 1999.
From September 2009, Swash, along with ex-rugby player Austin Healey
Austin Healey
Austin Sean Healey is a former English rugby union player, who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and has represented the England national rugby union team and the British Lions....
will be appearing in the new series of Hole In The Wall
Hole in the Wall (UK game show)
Hole in the Wall was a game show that airs on BBC One in the United Kingdom. This game is an adaptation of the Japanese game Brain Wall in which players must contort themselves to fit through cutout holes of varying shapes in a large polystyrene wall moving towards them as they stand in front of a...
as a team captain for Series 2.
Joe took part in a celebrity version of TV show Total Wipeout
Total Wipeout
Total Wipeout is a British game show, hosted by Richard Hammond and Amanda Byram, which first aired on 3 January 2009. Each week 20 contestants compete in a series of challenges in an attempt to win £10,000. These challenges are based in large pools of water or mud and generally involve large...
which aired on 26 December 2009, however receiving an injury being forced to quit.
In 2009/2010, Swash, appeared in the pantomime Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs in Bristol.
In 2010 he was a team captain on What Do Kids Know?
What Do Kids Know?
What Do Kids Know? Is a brand new family entertainment show exclusive to Watch, where celebrities and children celebrate the humour and bewilderment of Britain's generation gap. Hosted by Rufus Hound with resident team captains Joe Swash and Sara Cox. It has similarities to Small Talk...
along with Rufus Hound
Rufus Hound
Rufus Hound is a British comedian and presenter. He is also the winner of 2010 "Let's Dance for Comic Relief".-Career:...
and Sara Cox
Sara Cox
Sara Cox , known as "Coxy", is an English TV presenter and radio DJ, most well known for presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1 between 2000 and 2003...
on Watch
Watch (TV channel)
Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of the UKTV network. The channel launched on 7 October 2008 on satellite through Sky and on cable primarily through Virgin Media.-History:...
. He has also appeared in the celebrity edition of the Cube.
He is currently presenting the children's show "Gimme A Break" on the CBBC Channel since 2011.
From 2009, Swash has presented spin off series ' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, NOW!' alongside Caroline Flack
Caroline Flack
Caroline Louise Flack is a British television presenter. She is known for presenting I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! from 2008 to 2010....
and Russell Kane
Russell Kane
Russell Kane is an English writer, comedian, actor and media personality. In June 2006, he became the face of digital station Five US. He has been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, winning the main prize in August 2010...
. In 2011, Flack was replaced by Laura Whitmore
Laura Whitmore
-Early life:Laura was born in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland.She attended St Patricks Primary School and Loreto Bray Secondary School until she was 18 years old...
.
On 5 March 2011, Swash and Caroline Flack
Caroline Flack
Caroline Louise Flack is a British television presenter. She is known for presenting I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! from 2008 to 2010....
participated in Let's Dance for Comic Relief, dancing to My Humps
My Humps
"My Humps" is the third single by The Black Eyed Peas from their fourth album, Monkey Business. It samples a section of the song "I Need a Freak" by Sexual Harassment, as well as the 1989 song "Wild Thing" by Tone Lōc and "It's Automatic" by Freestyle. Released in 2005, it reached number three in...
by The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
. But they were voted out by the panels vote.
As of 2011, after Flack departed I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Now, in order to work on commitments on The Xtra Factor, Swash and Flack have now joined together once more on new ITV2 game-show Minute to Win It and BBC kids-take-control show Gimme A Break.
In October 2011 Swash appeared in an episode of The Real Hustle
The Real Hustle
The Real Hustle is a BBC television series made by Objective Productions and written by Alexis Conran and Paul Wilson. The show demonstrates confidence and magic tricks, distraction scams and proposition bets performed on members of the public by presenters Conran, Wilson and Jessica-Jane Clement...
.
Later in Novemver 2011, Swash's new show for CBBC, Driving Academy was aired.
Personal life
Swash's background is a mix of IrishIrish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and Italian (Swash's great-grandmother, Maria Christina Swash (née Raimo) (1899–1973) was Italian.) He grew up in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
in north London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
. His father Ricky William Swash (1955–1994), a London cab driver, died of a heart attack when Swash was 12, and he and his two younger sisters, Caisie and Shana
Shana Swash
Shana Frances Swash is an English actress best known for playing the role Demi Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders...
, were subsequently raised by their mother, Catherine M "Kiffy"(née O'Connor), who had married Ricky (sometimes mistakenly spelt as Riccie or Richky) in 1978. Swash has said that he is particularly close to his youngest sister Shana, as he took on a paternal role towards her following their father's death. He has commented, "Shana's more than just a sister to me. I look out for her. If I go away, I miss her so much. It was hard when my dad died – it was so sudden. Shana was only little so it's been tough for her. We've got a special connection there – we look the same and have the same personality [...] Dad dying made me grow up pretty fast – I've learned a lot from it. And it makes you appreciate your family more."
Swash was dubbed the "Swashbuckler" by the British press, due to his regular appearances on the London club circuit. He has admitted that he was regularly reprimanded by EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
bosses for his alcohol-fuelled partying. Swash was forced to take a three month break from EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
in 2005 after he contracted meningoencephalitis
Meningoencephalitis
Meningoencephalitis is a medical condition that simultaneously resembles both meningitis, which is an infection or inflammation of the meninges, and encephalitis, which is an infection or inflammation of the brain.-Causes:...
. Swash has commented, "I couldn't talk. Half my face was numb and I couldn't get the words out. I was constantly sick and couldn't stand." He spent a fortnight in intensive care and doctors told him they were not sure he would live; however, he recovered with no lasting damage.
On 16 June 2007, Swash's fiancée, Emma Sophocleous, gave birth to their first child, a boy named Harry Swash. On 19 January 2008, it was announced the couple had separated, and in December 2008, Swash stated that he was in a relationship with his former EastEnders co-star Kara Tointon
Kara Tointon
Kara Louise Tointon is a British actress, best known for playing Dawn Swann in BBC soap opera EastEnders. Tointon was the 2010 winner of BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing.-Early life:...
, who played his onscreen sister Dawn Swann
Dawn Swann
Dawn Roxanna Swann is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kara Tointon, who first appeared on 26 September 2005...
.In May 2010 it was announced that the two had split due to a lot of arguments. On 3 November 2009, Swash was declared bankrupt
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
by London's High Court after failing to pay a £20,000 tax bill. Swash's agent Becca Barr said it was a mix-up and the actor is not in financial difficulty.