Emmerdale Carl King actor Tom Lister’s life now – 9 to 5 job and huge body transformation

It’s now been more than 10 years since Emmerdale bad boy Carl King finally met his maker.

Culled during the live 40th anniversary episode, it remains one of the soap’s big storylines – and it left viewers gripped.

In shocking scenes, the troubled character had his head bashed in by callous Cameron Murray and many of the show’s fans are still recovering!

Actor Tom Lister was loved and hated in equal measure, so much has changed since he was supping pints in the The Woolpack.

The 44-year-old first appeared on TV screens back in 2004 and instantly became a hit with viewers.

Tom earned critical acclaim and bagging several award nominations, including a British Soap Award for Villain of the Year.

But after an eight-year stint on the iconic soap – becoming one of the show’s main antagonists – Carl was murdered in 2012.

Carl’s death is still having an impact on the residents of the famous village and the character’s son Tom King (James Chase) has headed back to the Dales once more.

So, as more of the King Family drama entails over upcoming episodes, we take a look at where the Carl King actor is now and life is certainly different!

Epic body transformation

It’s not just Tom’s acting that have garnered a lot of attention.

He’s also been making headlines for his stunning weight loss transformation, which he proudly shared with fans on Instagram.

In a series of topless photos, Lister showed off his impressive physique, explaining that he had been working with an online coach for the past six months to shed the pounds.

As the former soap star himself explained on Instagram the COVID-19 pandemic had taken a toll on his self-esteem and motivation, leading him to gain weight and feel “pretty s****y all round.”

He wrote: “Covid hit me HARD in terms of lack of work opportunities, leaving me feeling a bit bereft and low on self-esteem and motivation.

“This resulted in me piling on the weight and feeling pretty s****y all round.” He then announced: “I have lost over 16kg (2.5 Stone in old money) and I haven’t been this lean for over 20 years.”

Secret rival soap stint

Since his explosive exit from the soap, the Leeds-born star’s career has continued to flourish.

Tom went on to bag roles in several high-profile productions including the likes of the iconic musical 42nd Street and the thriller The Doll.

But prior to Tom’s appearance on Emmerdale, he actually appeared on popular medical soap Doctors in 2002 playing Andy Mills.

He also returned to Doctors, but this time portraying a different role in 2016.

Tom undertook the role of Martin Laws, a dad who’s life began to take a downward spiral as he became caught up in a repetitive cycle of drinking and gambling.

For the guest role, Tom worked alongside Waterloo Road actor Phillip Martin Brown.

Turning down Emmerdale return

Tom has also revealed he was asked to return as Carl King’s ghost in 2021, but the Leeds native said he had to turn it down.

“I was actually asked to go back as a ghost but there was no way I could do it,” he said on Soap From The Box.

“Then in the end they got someone who looked like me from the back and then just pulled out a couple of lines from old audio!

“I was like, ‘What are you doing?'”

Window cleaning job

Last year, it was reported that Tom was working as a window cleaner after struggling to find work.

It was claimed that the soap star set up a company in Blackpool in a bid to bring in extra cash between jobs.

Speaking on Coastal Radio DAB, he opened up about how his new job, which he began during the pandemic.

He explained: “I am still working and I have done lots of things over the last couple of years but it’s probably one of the most tricky periods of my career. I have been very fortunate, I have had over 20 years acting and worked quite solidly through that period, be it on television or I worked on the West End.

“When Covid hit, the work just wasn’t there so Steve Royal and me set up a production company, we made an online pantomime, which we sold to schools locally.”

He continued: “But that was only a really short period of time so I was just doing regular jobs like lots of other people. So I started cleaning windows for my mate’s company and I was doing it for quite awhile and it was great to keep my head sane.

“And then that has really just progressed and I have actually franchised that company and I am now kind of doing it myself. So I have got customers down here in Blackpool. It’s called Aqua Bright.”