Jay Kontzle has revealed the heartbreaking family tragedy that saw him raised by his grandparents. 

The Emmerdale star, 34, first found fame with his band The Mend, who went on to support Little Mix, before he joined the soap as Billy Fletcher.

But Jay’s childhood ahead of his career in the limelight was rocked by tragedy when his single mother Louise died when he was just four years old.  

Louise, a DJ at Manchester’s Hacienda club, was tragically killed in a car accident while on her way to a gig in Derby.

Jay was then raised by grandparents Ann and Mike Kontzle, who he says ‘gave up their whole lives to push me forward’.

‘They got nothing for it and had no reason to do it other than their love for me’ he told The Mirror. 

Jay Kontzle has revealed the heartbreaking family tragedy that saw him raised by his grandparents after his mum died when he was four 

The Emmerdale star, 34, first found fame with his band The Mend, who went on to support Little Mix, before he joined the soap as Billy Fletcher (Seen as Billy)

‘I would have been put in foster care and not enjoying the life I have now if my grandparents hadn’t taken me in.’

Jay first appeared in the spotlight as one quarter of boyband The Mend, who originally auditioned for The X Factor, before appearing on Britain’s Got Talent a year later.

They band it to the semi-finals of the variety talent show, before being sent home by the public vote – with Jay then turning his hand to acting. 

He joined Emmerdale as the son of Jessie Dingle in 2018, and has been at the forefront of a slew of the show’s dramatic storylines.

The actor is married to artist Mimi and the couple live in Yorkshire with their kids Kaibo, eight, Zian, six, and Xiao, two. 

Announcing the birth of Xiao in 2022, Jay took to Instagram by sharing an adorable family snap. 

Jay uploaded a pH๏τograph of his two older children standing either side of the newborn in a woven basket, and joked: ‘Here’s hoping it’s our last!’

Sharing the baby news with OK! Online, Jay reᴀssured fans that both his wife and their newborn were safe and well after the labour. 

Jay first appeared in the spotlight as one quarter of boyband The Mend, who originally auditioned for The X Factor, before appearing on Britain’s Got Talent a year later (Seen on BGT)

The actor is married to artist Mimi and the couple live in Yorkshire with their kids Kaibo, eight, Zian, six, and Xiao, two 

He told the publication: ‘We’re excited to announce that on Friday 18th November we were blessed with our third child. Mummy did amazing and both her and the baby are healthy and well.

He jokingly added: ‘Here’s hoping it’s our last!’

In July of that year, Jay announced that he was set to become a dad again, admitting that while Mimi’s pregnancy had come as a ‘shock’, it’s was nice surprise for the growing family.

The pair, who wed in 2017, shared a ‘Family of 5 pending’ post to Instagram as they prepared to add to their brood.

Breaking the news to OK! Magazine, Jay detailed just how impromptu the announcement was, as he found out at work: ‘Mimi called me during my lunch break on set and told me.

Announcing the birth of Xiao in 2022, Jay took to Instagram by sharing an adorable family snap

‘I was sitting eating lunch in the sun and all of a sudden I went H๏τ and started dripping with sweat. I was a bit shocked!’ 

The pair had jested about having another baby prior, with Mimi admitting she had been ‘winding Jay up’ about falling pregnant another time.

She explained: ‘I’d been winding Jay up for months before, saying I really wanted another child – but his answer was always no. 

‘So I think that made me want another one more, basically just to be spiteful. But then it kind of backfired and I did end up getting pregnant.

‘The main thing that made me want another one is Zian and KaiBo are getting so grown-up now and there’s not a baby or little one around the house any more. I’ve really missed that,’ continued Mimi.