Heartbreaking Reason Tommy Shelby's Brother Had to Exit Peaky Blinders

One question has been nagging at the viewers of the gritty British drama Peaky Blinders ever since season 4 — why did John Shelby have to leave the show? Was it a creative decision, or was there more to it?

If you watched the show, you can’t possibly forget the heartbreaking moment when John Shelby, Tommy's younger brother, was killed off in season 4. That was really a tough one. But did you know there is a real-life reason the character was killed off?

Joe Cole, the actor who portrayed John Shelby, revealed in an interview (via Cosmopolitan) that one of the main reasons he left the show was that it was primarily centered around Cillian Murphy 's character. Joe mentioned that he felt like he "never really got out of the gates" with his role, and he wanted something different.

After hitting it big with Peaky Blinders, Joe got a bunch of offers for more gangster roles. But he passed on them. He's been saying in interviews that he wants to try new characters and stories. He believed doing the same kind of role over and over would just hold him back as an actor.

Joe was also drawn to new opportunities. He was particularly interested in a show called Gangs of London, which he felt allowed for a deeper exploration of characters.

At first, Joe wasn't too keen on the whole Gangs of London thing. When he heard about it, he was like, "nope." But after checking out the synopsis, he thought it could actually be pretty awesome. So, he changed his mind and took the role.

Interestingly, Joe's real-life brother, Finn Cole, continued to star in Peaky Blinders as Michael Gray. Finn even mentioned that it was Joe who helped him get the role on the show. So, while Joe may have left, a part of him still remained in the series through his brother.

Losing Joe Cole was a bummer for Peaky Blinders, but it looks like it worked out for him. Leaving gave him the opportunity to play other roles with and be part of something new.

Sources: Cosmopolitan, Mirror