Former Hollyoaks actor James Sutton has revealed he is shutting the door on his acting career to focus on his OnlyFans subscription page.
The 43-year-old performer, who spent two decades playing John Paul McQueen on the Channel 4 soap, said he emotionally checked out from television acting prior to his departure.
Sutton left Hollyoaks in February after twenty years on the long-running series, where his character featured in some of the show's most prominent drama storylines.
Two months after his exit, in April, the actor announced the launch of his personal subscription profile on the digital platform OnlyFans.
Hollyoaks is a British television soap opera first broadcast on Channel 4 in 1995. Set in a fictional suburb of Chester, the serial drama revolves around a large cast of characters and is known for addressing social issues affecting young adults.
Speaking in an interview with The Daily Mail, Sutton confirmed that he has no immediate plans to pursue further television or stage acting roles.
"Right now, I'm not looking for acting work. I've kind of shut that door," Sutton said.
"I'm really enjoying having autonomy over everything that I'm doing. I'm really enjoying being in control of what I'm doing, you know, running my own website, and writing and speaking, and sharing my thoughts and being of service," he added.
Control and autonomy in a changing career
Sutton explained that the unpredictable nature of working in the entertainment industry led him to seek greater control over his professional life.
"As a 43-year-old man, being in and out of work was not something that interested me," Sutton stated.
"I have nothing but respect for people who can have that resilience to keep going, you know, even if they're not booking jobs and stuff," he continued.
"As I say, I think I just wanted some control over everything that I was doing for a change instead of kind of outsourcing everything to an industry."
Reflecting on his soap departure
Reflecting on his decision to step away from Hollyoaks, Sutton admitted that his commitment to the show had waned before he officially exited the cast.
"I kind of emotionally checked out some time before I left," Sutton said of his final period on the soap.
"The direction of travel was clearly not in my favour on the show. It's an ensemble," he explained.
"They've got a big cast and there's only so many people can get storylines. I had definitely fallen down the pecking order a little bit."
OnlyFans is an online content subscription platform based in London. While the site is widely known for hosting adult media, creators across fitness, lifestyle, wellness, and entertainment also use the service to share exclusive video and photo content directly with subscribers.
Body confidence and mental health focus
Sutton said he is using his profile on the site to promote mental health awareness, personal life goals, and body positivity, challenging public perceptions of the platform.
Since launching his page, the actor undertook a significant overhaul of his fitness and diet routines to improve his physical health.
He now trains five days a week to maintain his physical condition, describing himself as being in the best shape of his life.
Sutton admitted that he previously lacked body confidence while working on Hollyoaks, despite the programme's reputation for glamorous characters.
"I never had much body confidence on Hollyoaks, which is kind of a sexy show," Sutton said. "I never felt like a sexy kind of character or performer, so I wouldn't do scenes with my top off or anything like that."
He described creating subscription content as a positive personal development that has boosted his self-esteem.
"So, yeah, OnlyFans has been a really, really lovely experience. It's made me feel really confident in the way that I look," he said.
"It's nice to feel sexy, you know, for the first time, and you know, at 43 years of age, it's nice to have a place where I can be a bit sexy."
Sutton noted that the platform allows him to connect directly with followers in a candid manner.
"I'm on OnlyFans and I'm having these really interesting conversations with men and I'm sharing a side of myself that I've never really shared before," he said.
"A sexier side where I'm like, this is the result of all where I'worked and this is how I got there, and this is what my life looks like."
"I don't think you can get any more authentic than that really. I feel very, very fulfilled," Sutton added.
"I'm not a man with a plan. I speak a lot. I encourage people to do the same just to find something that you're really passionate about and find something that really excites you."
New game show and future projects
In addition to his independent subscription content, Sutton has partnered with former Hollyoaks co-star Sarah Jayne Dunn for a new broadcast project.
Sarah Jayne Dunn is an English actress who previously starred alongside Sutton on Hollyoaks before establishing her own digital content presence. OFTV is a free-to-view video streaming service operated by OnlyFans featuring original series from platform creators.
The pair are starring together in Race of Wits, an eight-episode competition series produced for OFTV and hosted by British internet personality Emily Black.
The series features teams of two OnlyFans creators completing three fast-paced challenges across London locations and solving puzzles in the Puzzle Room to compete for a cash prize.
Sutton expressed enthusiasm about working alongside Dunn again on the competition show.
"She's such an adorable, wonderful lady, I was always a big fan of hers," Sutton said.
"I think we've got really, really good chemistry together. We kind of bounce off each other a lot. I'd love to work with her again."
The first episode of Race of Wits is currently available to stream on OFTV. The specific episode featuring Sutton and Dunn will be released on Tuesday, September 1.
