The Eastenders star tells us how family illness led him to go vegan and how it’s transformed his career

Mitchell works as a wellness coach when he’s not acting

As a young male actor handling storylines that involve serious issues like sexual consent, Mitchell Hunt might not be your average vegan stereotype. But after converting to veganism in early 2018, he’s on a mission to spread the message that plant-based is best…

What made you go vegan?

I was introduced to the Skinny Bitch book by a friend while I was at drama school, which opened my eyes to the cruelty of the meat and dairy industry. After that I read The China Study which further educated me on the health risks of consuming animal products. I’ve devoted a lot of time to researching the effects of eating animal products as my father died from bowel cancer and my mum battled breast cancer twice – I think it’s a shame that more attention isn’t placed on nutrition in the prevention of diseases. I went vegetarian after reading those books and was vegan on and of for years. My girlfriend, Carla, and I ran a Spartan Race to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support earlier this year and went vegan for our training. We quickly realised we wouldn’t go back and are 100% committed to it now.