30 August 2023 , 17:00
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Nate Robinson has enjoyed his fair share of drama since joining Emmerdale, including kisses with Rhona, before moving on to Amy Wyatt and Tracy Metcalfe. The fictional character's first entrance in 2019 wasn't exactly drama-free either.
He entered the Dales having an affair with Moira Dingle, Cain's wife only to find out he was actually his secret son. But with all these dramatic storylines, how does actor Jurell Carter's real-world life compare to his chaotic character's?
The Mirror takes a look into the 29-year-old soap star's real-life, from his early career aspirations and path to become a professional footballer, to his more recent 'sex tape' scandal, which saw the actor forced to make an urgent online statement.
Jurell burst onto ITV screens in 2019 as Nate Robinson (ITV)Forgotten footballer past
If he wasn't starring in the hit-ITV soap opera, Jurell would still be on-screen no doubt after getting incredibly close to a bright career as a professional footballer. However, his dreams to one day play for Birmingham City all came crashing down.
Before breaking into acting, Carter had bagged himself a partial scholarship to head for America and play football all over the US. Unfortunately for the potential sporting star, his parents were unable to afford the rest of the deal, meaning he couldn't go.
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Despite the setback, to this day Jurell says the depressing ordeal was actually 'fate' and he admits being okay with he fact it didn't 'work out'. He recently told New magazine: "I 100% think it is fate I didn't become a footballer and got into acting instead.
"I love it so much! Since I was a kid, football was my life. I literally played all the time, in school and out of school. I was confident with football and even though I loved acting, if you put me on a stage, I would crumble."
He added: "I wasn't confident to get up in front of everyone. I am now so grateful football didn't work out." Years later, he joined Emmerdale after starring in several shows including Now You Know, Kiri, Vs., Doctors and Home.
He was once tapped to become a professional football player (ITV)'Sex tape' scandal and major mix-up
It was two years ago that fans thought Jurell had shared a brazen sex tape on his Instagram. He was forced to make a speedy statement, clearing up the hilarious confusion after his followers were convinced he'd posted a raunchy clip.
The video in question saw Jurell moving up and down while topless, with just his upper torso in view. He looked straight down the lens as he appeared to shake. "Physically I'm sweating on a dull day in Yorkshire," he had captioned the upload.
"Mentally I'm in Jamaica on the beach sippin couple cocktails... we move," he added before the comments began flooding in. His exposed body, sweating and movements caused some to believe the video was sexual, however not was all as it seemed.
"Let a man live. I was on my spin bike," Jurell clarified, laughing off the scandal before deleting the clips from his page to be never seen again. Some eagle-eyed fans had already kept screenshots and circulate the clips to this day.
He actually learnt a major new skill while filming Emmerdale (ITV)Behind-the-scenes swimming secret
In one of Jurell's early Emmerdale episodes, Cain finds out about the affair between Nate and Moira and is told by Pete Barton. One scene saw Moira's partner come to blows with Nate and Moira on a boat, leaving the three of them in danger.
But the water scenes were actually way more dramatic for Jurell, who admitted until then he didn't actually know how to swim. Jurell spoke to presenter Christine Lampard on Lorraine about the scene and how he had to learn the new skill.
"Before the story, I couldn't swim," he revealed. "It was a massive swimming stunt and a massive panic but I think it was the nudge I needed. I had swimming lessons with Dominic and now I can swim. I loved every second of it. It's amazing being a part of a soap I've watched growing up."
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