{"id":67840,"date":"2023-10-29T17:19:43","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T17:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/talkcelnews.com\/?p=67840"},"modified":"2023-10-29T17:19:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T17:19:43","slug":"eastenders-sid-owen-on-how-dads-lengthy-prison-sentence-inspired-banged-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talkcelnews.com\/tv-movies\/eastenders-sid-owen-on-how-dads-lengthy-prison-sentence-inspired-banged-up\/","title":{"rendered":"EastEnders\u2019 Sid Owen on how dads lengthy prison sentence inspired Banged Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sid Owen grew up with his dad behind bars, and now the ex-EastEnders actor is going to jail too \u2013 all in the name of television.<\/p>\n

The 51-year-old, who is best known for playing Ricky Butcher in the BBC soap, is one of seven brave celebrities taking part in the reality series Banged Up. They will live at HMP Shrewsbury with reformed ex-prisoners who have been told to act as they did while doing time.<\/p>\n

For Sid, it will show him what his father David Sutton went through after he was handed a life sentence for armed robbery.<\/p>\n

From sharing cells to acquiring prison contraband, Sid and his famous pals will find out just how tough life inside can be.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to leave from the minute I walked in there,\u201d confesses Sid. \u201cWhen you get your freedom taken away from you, it\u2019s hard-hitting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gogglebox star Marcus Luther also struggled to cope. \u201cThe thing that got to me was the noise,\u201d he says. \u201cThe only way that people feel like they can be the top dog is by making their voice the loudest.\u201d <\/p>\n

Alongside Sid and Marcus are Friday Night Dinner actor Tom Rosenthal, former Tory MP Neil Parish, singer HRVY, columnist Peter Hitchens and politician Johnny Mercer.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

While the reformed prisoners couldn\u2019t necessarily harm the celebs, Sid insists he \u201cnever felt safe\u201d. And Marcus almost got into a physical fight after being asked to G-check Sid \u2013 the process of checking someone\u2019s toughness and whether they will join a gang.<\/p>\n

Sid and Marcus also reveal they could have ended up in the slammer as young lads. \u201cI grew up in rough parts of south London,\u201d says Marcus, 38. <\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t been squeaky clean. I moved with boys that have ended up going to jail, or been killed. At the time I had the opportunity to go down the illegal path and I opted out.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And Sid admits, \u201cI was still up to a little bit of skulduggery as a kid.\u201d Sid, who tragically lost his mum Joan to pancreatic cancer when he was just eight, adds, \u201cMy mum died when I was young, so you do lose your way a bit. When I was growing up, my brothers and dad were in prison \u2013 I wanted to do this so I could step into their shoes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took our own paths and I got into acting – I joined EastEnders at 16. But if that hadn't happened, I\u2019m sure I\u2019d be banged up somewhere, I could have easily gone down the same path they did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Banged Up starts on 31st October, 9.15pm, Channel 4<\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n