Peaky Blinders Star Speaks Out On Quitting BBC Series 'No-brainer'

John Shelby Spong discusses the concept of hell in 2006

Peaky Blinders star Joe, 33, left the hit show back in 2017. The actor said he was missing out on other things by being in the Netflix and BBC period crime drama. His popular character John Shelby was killed by the American Mafia following a warning, much to the upset of shocked fans. Joe stated the character had reached the end of the road by that point and leaving was the best option.

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Speaking to Radio Times, he commented: "For me, it was a no-brainer [to leave]".

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He added: "I was missing out on some stuff and I felt like I had exhausted this character.

"There’s a ceiling here and I’ve well and truly hit it.

"People used to come up to me and go 'You’re that bloke from Peaky Blinders'.

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Peaky Blinders: Joe talked about his character's exit (Image: BBC/Getty)

Peaky Blinders: Joe left the series on 2015 (Image: Getty)

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"But I’m thinking ‘my best work is in other stuff. There’s more to me than this'."

He also explained how the role was good for him when it came to moving past strong emotions.

He said: "[With acting] you can channel emotions that you have to keep suppressed and that’s something I like doing.

"I’m sporty. I box. So channelling frustration through aggression and violence was something that came quite naturally to me."

Peaky Blinders: John was in the series until season four (Image: BBC)

TV Dramas: Peaky Blinders is a new favourite (Image: Express)

Before his stint on the popular gangster show, Joe started out with roles in The Bill, Holby City and Skins.

Joe played the role of John, a high-ranking member of the Peaky Blinders, from 2013 until 2017.

John was killed off at the beginning of season four when the Shelby brothers tried to flee the Changretta brothers.

After receiving the Black Hand Christmas card from the Changretta Family, John did not react as fast as he should have.

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• Peaky Blinders star speaks out on quitting BBC series 'No-brainer'

He also missed a phone call from Tommy (Cillian Murphy) at night, where he planned to tell his brother to leave his countryside home and bring him and his entire family to Small Heath.

Michael (Finn Cole) went to retrieve his brother but as John answered the door, they were ambushed by the Changretta brothers, resulting in both of them being shot in the chest.

Speaking to Metro in 2020, Cole stated his reasons for leaving: "I wanted variety, I want to challenge myself.

"I want to surprise people and it just came in hand-and-hand with that season and that fatality."

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The actor is also known for playing Frank in the Black Mirror season four episode Hang the DJ.

For the role, he earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor.

Joe is also well recognised for playing Charlie in the Channel 4 comedy-drama series Pure.

One of his more recent roles was in the Sky series, Gangs of London, which was renewed for a second season. 

Peaky Blinders airs on BBC One on Sundays at 9pm.

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