Jaleel White, one of the stars of Family Matters has opened up about an X-rated wardrobe change that had to happen for his character.
White, now 47 years old, starred as Steve Urkel in the beloved 90s sitcom between 1989 and 1998.
The series revolved around a middle-class African-American family, the Winslows, and their nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel, who joined mid-way through the first season, and quickly became the breakout character.
The series ran for 215 episodes over nine seasons, with White growing up within the role.
He is now sharing his experience working on the beloved show in his upcoming memoir Growing Up Urkel, including an X-rated wardrobe change that had to be made.
According to extracts shared by the US Sun, White claims he was told he had to wear looser jeans midway through filming after producers grew concerned about his "bulge".
White claimed when he started to outgrow his character's geeky attire in his 20s, execs told him: "Let’s get rid of the suspenders. Lower his pants, too.
"Oh and … It’s getting a bit uncomfortable watching him in tight jeans. There’s a, uh… bulge."
White was around 13 years old when the series began and 22 when it ended. and claimed he would end up having to "peel" the tight-fitting jeans off himself "like a banana".
He claimed that producers had wanted to keep the series going as long as possible, but it was "physically painful" for him to continue speaking with Urkel's iconic high-pitched voice the older he got.
The actor admitted the strain got so intense it almost made him leave the sitcom before it ended in 1998.
He also previously claimed to have clashed with his older co-stars as his fame skyrocketed.
White told TVOne's Uncensored in 2021: "I didn't see how I was stepping on anybody's toes, I was taking anybody's shine.
"It's very important that I say this: I was not very well welcomed to the cast at all, okay?
"And I don't need to rehash that with the adults over and over again. They know what it is."
He even claimed some of them made him break down in tears during a table read.
Following the show ending, White appeared in other 90s series including Full House and Step By Step, before taking some time out of the spotlight, and is now the host of the game show Flip Side.
In his personal life, he is a father to his 15-year-old daughter Samaya, who he welcomed with his ex, Bridget Hardy, and he married his wife, tech executive Nicoletta Ruhl, in Los Angeles in May 2024, having gone public with their relationship in 2022.