Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale star Jay Kontzle has opened up about Billy Fletcher’s upcoming scenes, sharing that he was quite “nervous” about filming the fight choreography.
Billy has been engaging in high-stakes boxing fights over the past month in order to provide for his family, with upcoming scenes seeing the storyline continue as Billy participates in another unlicensed bout.
Kontzle, who debuted on the ITV soap in 2018, spoke about his experience of filming the scenes, sharing that it was tough work as he said: “I actually thought I was getting in the ring with an actual fighter, I thought we were doing it for real! I was quite nervous at times, because you did have that audience, and a lot of them were riled up and ready to go.
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“It was a great atmosphere, and director Matt Hilton was incredible. We really put the work in to make it right, a lot of work was done before we even started shooting. It was really good fun, a really long day but it felt like it was really worth it.”
He continued: “Just before we started shooting, I went down to my local gym and I had a personal trainer there who was incredible. He has a background in Mixed Martial Arts, so we did a lot of boxing training together. I think one of the best things about it is it puts you in a good mindset for the day.”
Whilst Kontzle found the scenes intense to film, the star also spoke about the developments for his character, explaining that Billy is torn between providing for his family and keeping himself safe amidst concerns from his wife Dawn.
“I think they’ve [the fights] been going quite well, but at this point Billy isn’t quite thinking about the repercussions that may come from doing what he’s doing,” explained the actor. “I think he feels that he’s had a lot of positivity coming out of it.
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“He’s getting paid, and he knows there’s money coming in so he can provide for his family.”
The actor added: “Subconsciously, it is massively difficult for Billy to hold this back and not say anything, because realistically, how long can it go on for? He’s obviously going to get injured at some point.
“It’s going to be visible, and how long can you hold off these injuries for before (Dawn’s) going to clue onto what’s actually going on. There’s only so many times you can say it’s a boxercise injury before it starts looking quite serious! I think it is really difficult, and obviously it’s a profession that risks your life as well.
“It’s not something that Dawn will want to deal with, especially when it’s something that’s in Billy’s control and it’s his decision. I think he is concerned, but at the moment it’s not just a financial thing, it’s for Billy to free up his mind as well.”
Dawn isn’t the only person worried for Billy’s safety, with Aaron Dingle and Mack Boyd’s concerns also growing after Billy continues to fight, with Kontzle explaining: “Because Aaron’s got a background in unlicensed boxing himself, he understands what’s in store for Billy.
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“And given the fact that they’ve had fights between each other, he probably thinks that Billy’s not up for the fights at all! So I think he’s concerned, but I think at the same time, he knows that there’s still a bit of friction between the two of them.
“I think there’s been mistakes from the likes of Mack, building up Billy’s confidence and pushing him a little bit too far, not realising what he’s got in store. But it’s out of his comfort zone, it’s a new venue.”
The other character involved in the storyline is newcomer Jade, a boxing promoter who shows a ruthless streak when Billy tentatively asks to withdraw from a fight, with Kontzle sharing that the character has some hidden motivations.
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“I think she’s ambiguous,” he said. “The fact that Billy doesn’t really know much about her and she just turns up with heavies every now and again… he knows that he’s in over his head a little bit. And she’s obviously got something a little bit scary about her that Billy won’t want to cross.
“He doesn’t want that to fall back onto his family, if anything else. He’s obviously got history with past characters who have tested his family, and he knows it could be telling for his family if he doesn’t do what Jade’s asking.”
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
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