Emmerdale’s Carl on the trail of modern slavery

HE may have played the bad boy of Emmerdale for nearly a decade, but actor Tom Lister is definitely one of the good guys.

Next month Tom, who played Carl King in the Yorkshire soap until he was killed off in the live episode last year, will ride from Riga, Latvia to Southampton, UK in just 19 days.

Covering approximately 100 miles every day, together with a team of cyclists, he will push his body to the limit, crossing through six countries and cycling in challenging and gruelling conditions.

He is doing this cycle ride because of Zoe.

Zoe was trafficked from Latvia into the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation. She was repeatedly raped for profit, until, after months of investigation, the charity Hope for Justice found and rescued Zoe.

Now she’s living in freedom.

Tom, who lives in Ingleton with his primary school teacher wife and two sons, is a patron of the charity.

“The idea is not only to raise money for Hope for Justice but also to raise awareness that human trafficking does happen and it does happen in this country.”

All the money raised by the Zoe Challenge will be used to help Hope for Justice rescue more victims of human trafficking here in the UK.

“I was shocked when I met Hope for Justice’s CEO Ben Cooley who is doing the ride with me and he told me the extent of the problem we have here with regards to human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.”

Tom, who is in training for his marathon effort, including intensive fitness sessions at Sheffield Hallam University, will be joined on the four-day UK section of his journey by a host of celebrities including England cricketer Jonny Bairstow, (Comedy) Dave Vitty and athlete Iwan Thomas.

Members of the public are also invited to join him, especially on the legs from Hull to Leeds (May 29) and Leeds to Leicester (May 30).

“It’s not the most sexy of routes, taking in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands, but it will be challenging and fitting as we follow the route taken by Zoe.”

Tom first got into fitness challenges when he was still in Emmerdale, when some fellow actors persuaded him to take part in the Great North Run.

“I like setting challenges for myself,”says the 34-year-old who has since competed in four marathons and a number of triathlons. “I think I just got the bug for doing this type of thing. I’d raised money for leukaemia charities but wanted to find something I could personally get involved in.” And that’s when he met Ben Cooley.

“I’d come across Hope for Justice and just wasn’t aware of the extent of human trafficking in this country. I went for a coffee with Ben. He’s incredible. He’s only 30. Within an hour I was on board.”

Tom was shocked by what Ben told him. During 2003 there were an estimated 4,000 victims of trafficking for prostitution in the UK at any given time. Children as young as three have been trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation.

“It is just wrong and people are not aware that it is going on here. It is a human problem and we need to do something about it.”

What Tom is doing about it is donning his Lycra and cycling 2,700km across Europe and into Hull.

“I wanted to come into Hull because it is the birth place of William Wilberforce. He was an incredibly proud Yorkshireman who stood up for what he believed in. I believe there is a need now to echo that now and stand up for something. Human trafficking is the modern-day slavery and it happening here.”

It is five months since viewers saw evil Carl King meet his maker in the live episode to mark Emmerdale’s 40th anniversary.

“I loved every minute of Emmerdale and I feel very privileged to have been in it for so long and with so many big story lines. I’d been thinking of taking a breather from the show, but they wanted a big death for the live show. It was a bit of a shock but it gave me a wonderful exit.”

As a result Tom is now up for two National Soap Awards for best actor and best villain.

Since leaving Emmerdale he has appeared in panto and is having meetings about future projects.

But for now he is concentrating on the bike ride.

“I knew I had this coming up and so I didn’t want to commit to anything else until it over at the beginning of June.”
His wife would like to see him in Downton Abbey, he says and admits he wouldn’t mind appearing in a period drama.

Tom first got into acting while at school.

“I’d always been a bit of a show off and when someone asked our football team to audition for a play I jumped at the chance, got a part and loved it and really got the bug,”

He studied English and drama at university and 
then spent two years 
working in Theatre in Education, performing in schools and colleges before enrolling on a three-year acting course at Birmingham School of Speech and Drama.

A committed Christian, Tom Lister is about as far from his Emmerdale alter ego as is possible.

As he starts a new phase in his acting career it is not clear what the future holds, but what is clear is that he really wants to make a difference and to use his fame to help those less fortunate than himself.

• For more information on the Zoe Challenge, or to take part, visit www.zoechallenge.com.