Former Brookside Actor Jailed for £13.6m Modelling Scam After Extradition, Claims Son Murdered

Philip Foster, who played Christian Wright on Brookside, was sentenced in his absence to eight-and-a-half years for a multi-million-pound fraud that used fake modelling agencies in London, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Coventry and Nottingham to dupe more than 6,000 aspiring models. The scheme, investigated by National Trading Standards, extracted £13.6 million over eight years, with victims forced to purchase costly portfolios and often resorting to loans.

Foster lived in Spain for at least 15 years, enjoying luxury watches and a yacht, before the Guardia Civil arrested him in Alicante and extradited him to the UK. In a video-link hearing at Sheffield Crown Court he said he had remained on the run after his son Michael was allegedly murdered around Christmas 2025 and his wife Nicola died of illness in May. Judge David Dixon denounced his flight as cowardly, confirmed the original term and imposed an additional six-month extension for breaching bail. The case underscores the reach of cross-border fraud and the impact on thousands of victims.