Nick Berry is an English actor and singer who played Simon “Wicksy” Wicks in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and PC Nick Rowan in the ITV police drama Heartbeat. He also had two hit singles at home, and one of them reached number one in 1986. Born on 16 April 1963, he is 63 and has retired from acting.
His story is unusual because of the order of events. Both of his hit records began as television moments, and both of his biggest roles ended while viewers still wanted more. This article covers how he got there, why he left, and what he has done since.
Nick Berry at a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Nicholas Berry |
| Date of Birth | 16 April 1963 |
| Birthplace | Woodford, Essex, England |
| Best Known For | Playing Simon Wicks in EastEnders (1985–1990) and PC Nick Rowan in Heartbeat (1992–1998) |
| Number One Single | “Every Loser Wins” (1986) |
| Other Hit Single | “Heartbeat” reached number two in 1992 |
| Spouse | Actress Rachel Robertson, married since 1994 |
| Last Regular Television Role | Ended in 2003 |
Early Years and Stage School Training
Berry started acting at eight years old and trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, according to Wikipedia, which cites the school’s alumni page. His first credits were small. They include a 1976 BBC2 Playhouse episode called Kites, the 1983 film Party Party, and a part in the 1984 children’s series The Box of Delights.
Just before he joined EastEnders, he fractured his skull in a car crash. Wikipedia, citing The EastEnders Handbook (1990), says he made a full recovery. He started the biggest job of his young career soon afterward.
Wicksy and the Role That Made Him a Star
EastEnders is a BBC soap opera set in a fictional square in east London, and it began in 1985. Berry joined shortly after the launch and stayed until the end of 1990. Across his original run and one later return, he appeared in 466 episodes.
A Character Written Overnight
Wicksy was not supposed to arrive yet. According to Wikipedia, which cites the 1987 book EastEnders: The Inside Story, the character was thought up overnight and had been scheduled to appear later. The producers moved fast because actor David Scarboro, who played the original Mark Fowler, left unexpectedly and upset the balance of the young cast.
Berry was cast with minimal delay to fill that gap. A career-defining role began as a casting emergency.
The Pin-Up Years
Wikipedia reports that Berry was quickly hailed as the show’s top pin-up and received heavy fan mail from admirers. During this period he was also in a relationship with co-star Gillian Taylforth, who played Kathy Beale.
For American readers who have never watched a British soap, the closest comparison is a daily drama that makes its young cast famous almost overnight. Berry’s fame, though, soon spilled out of the television screen and into the record shops.
Every Loser Wins: How a Soap Scene Became a Number One
In 1986, Berry’s character sang a ballad called “Every Loser Wins” on screen, accompanied by a piano. It was part of a storyline called The Banned, in which the young residents of the square formed a pop group. Berry took a break from the show to tour and record an album.
The single hit number one in the UK and stayed there for three weeks, knocking Madonna’s “True Blue” off the top, according to Wikipedia’s page on The Banned. The same page says it sold over a million copies. Wikipedia’s page on the singer calls it the second-biggest-selling single of 1986 in the UK.
The songwriters, Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James, received an Ivor Novello Award for it. Berry did not write the song. Sources also disagree on the release date, since Wikipedia gives 22 September 1986 on the song’s page and 13 October 1986 on the singer’s page.
Why the Music Career Stalled
The chart success did not carry over to the rest of his output. His debut album, released on 1 December 1986, peaked at number 99. The follow-up single “It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time” appeared in March 1987 with no chart position listed in the discography.
Berry went back to EastEnders after his music career stalled, then left again in December 1990 in an “open to return” storyline. Wicksy returned only once, on 13 January 2012, for the funeral of the character’s mother, played by Pam St Clement.
Heartbeat and the Second Act
In 1992 Berry was cast as PC (later Sgt) Nick Rowan in Heartbeat, an ITV drama set in 1960s North Yorkshire. In the story, Nick and his doctor wife, Kate, move from London to the fictional village of Aidensfield. IMDb describes the character as a country constable.
He played the role for 96 episodes between 1992 and 1998. Later storylines saw Nick lose Kate to leukaemia and find love again, as reported by the Grimsby Telegraph and Hello! magazine.
A Second Hit From a Television Role
Berry also sang the series’ theme, a cover of the Buddy Holly song “Heartbeat.” Released on 1 June 1992, it reached number two in the UK and number 18 in Ireland. A second album, also titled Nick Berry, followed on 9 November 1992 and peaked at number 28.
The follow-up single “Long Live Love” reached number 47 that October. Two albums share the same title, so check the year before searching for either one.
Berry’s real-life wife, Rachel Robertson, appeared in small one-off roles on the show, according to Wikipedia. The series carried on without him and ended in 2010.
Why Nick Berry Left Heartbeat
He left in 1998 at the height of the show’s popularity. Hello! reports that he wanted to focus on family life after marrying Rachel Robertson in 1994 and welcoming a son, Louis, a year later. In the magazine’s account, he said, “I chose to be a stay-at-home dad and have loved it.”
His exit became a one-off twin-episode special called Heartbeat: Changing Places. Wikipedia says it showed his character starting a new career as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer.
Few leading men walk away from a hit while it is still growing. Berry’s choice suggests that his priorities in 1998 were set at home, not at the studio.
After Heartbeat: Harbour Lights, In Deep and Retirement
Berry did not leave screens completely. He moved to the BBC One series Harbour Lights, filmed around Bridport, where he played harbourmaster Lt. Cmdr. Mike Nicholls. It ran for two series, with 16 episodes between 1999 and 2000.
From 2001 to 2003 he played police officer Liam Ketman opposite Stephen Tompkinson in the BBC crime drama In Deep, appearing in 22 episodes. His other credits include The Mystery of Men, Respect, Paparazzo, Duck Patrol, and The Black Velvet Band with Todd Carty.
After that, he retired from acting and ran a production company called Valentine Productions. Wikipedia says he resigned from it in October 2019, though it also flags the company line as needing clarification. Treat the details of this business period as lightly sourced.
Nick Berry’s Family and Personal Life
Berry married actress Rachel Robertson in 1994. Reports about their children differ. Wikipedia says the couple have two sons and marks that detail as needing a citation. The Grimsby Telegraph names two sons, Louis and Finley, while Hello! says they have four children.
Because no primary source settles it, the exact number of children is not confirmed. The two sons named in multiple reports are the safest figures to repeat.
Berry supports West Ham United, according to Wikipedia. He has kept a low public profile since retiring, and the Daily Mirror has run a feature describing him as a house dad.
Nick Berry’s Net Worth
No reliable source confirms Berry’s net worth. Several websites publish figures, but none show how they calculated them, so those numbers are guesses and not facts.
What can be said is that he earned money from long television contracts and two charting records. The songwriters, not Berry, received the awards and writing royalties for his biggest hit. Any figure should be treated as an unverified estimate until a credible outlet publishes one.
Where Nick Berry Is Now
Berry has not worked as an actor since his In Deep role ended in 2003, apart from the 2012 EastEnders cameo. He is retired and keeps a private life, with no regular press tour or television return on record.
This section will need updating if he announces a return, a new project, or a public statement about his career.
Legacy: Two Hits Built on Television
Berry’s lasting mark is the way he moved between soap, pop and drama at a time when that was unusual. Two songs, “Every Loser Wins” and “Heartbeat,” are still tied to the shows that launched them. Some critics later dismissed the first as a dull ballad, but its sales and chart run are on the record.
His Heartbeat role also helped set the tone for a drama that kept running long after he left. For fans of gentle, character-led television, Nick Rowan remains a reference point.
He is remembered mostly for the choice he made in 1998. Walking away from a hit show, he showed a version of success that depended less on staying visible than on knowing when to stop.
