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Emmerdale is one of the most popular soaps ever to appear on television and has been popular for more than 50 years. What happened to the original cast of the ITV staple? Viewers have watched characters change over the years.

Emmerdale is as famous for its rolling hills and stone walls as it is for its iconic characters who have been part of major storylines since the soap first launched in October 1972.

Before Cain Dingle (played by Jeff Hordley) and Kim Tate (Claire King) set foot in the village, a host of legendary villagers paved the way for the soap’s success. As the ITV programme continues to grip viewers with its dramatic storylines and anniversary specials, The Mirror has taken a look back at the original cast and what happened to them.

Andrew Burt and Jack Sugden

When Emmerdale first aired, Andrew Burt played Jack Sugden. He was Annie’s and her late husband Jacob Sugden’s separated son. He remained on the soap until 1976 before returning to the Yorkshire village four years later when actor Clive Hornby assumed the lead role for an incredible 28-year-stint.

After leaving the Dales, Andrew appeared in a host of renowned shows such as Poirot, Warship, Doctor Who, The Legend of King Arthur, Campion, Oscar Charlie, I’m Alan Partridge and Doctors.

He later obtained a counseling position and established his own practice before tragically passing away in 2018 after battling lung cancer.

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Sheila Mercier and Annie Sugden

In the 1970s, Annie Sugden was the infamous Sugden family’s matriarch. Sheila Mercier, an actress, made an indisputable appearance in the iconic role up until 1996, but she only made one more character appearance until 2009.

Sheila’s final acting role came when she married and had two children with her husband, a fellow actor, Peter Mercier. The adored Hull-born actress passed away in 2019 at the age of 100.

Sheila, played by Claire King as Kim Tate in Emmerdale, was referred to as the “beating heart” of the show.

Meanwhile, Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle, told the BBC following her passing: “The great Sheila Mercier has left us. What an iconic character Annie Sugden was. I used to watch it with my grandparents as a boy, so to meet her in later years was a thrill.”

Frazer Hines – Joe Sugden

Frazer Hines, an actor who starred on the show until 1994, portrayed Joe, who was Annie’s second son. He continued to appear in a number of shows and movies after leaving the soap, including Doctor Who: The Abominable Snowmen and Out of Sight, Two Days in the Smoke, and Two Days in the Smoke.

The actor, who was born in Leeds, a 40-minute drive from Emmerdale’s set, began his career far and away from the North of England.

His acting career began with Charlie Chaplin, the father of silver screen king, in A King in New York as a child. Frazer, who turns 80 in 2024, will reprise his role in Doctors.

The actor has a secret cancer battle that he has had to deal with when he isn’t working and has previously expressed his regrets about not having children.

Despite having battled it secretly for ten years since receiving his initial diagnosis of bowel cancer in 1999, he publicly disclosed his cancer in 2010.

He had his lower colon and tumors removed during a lengthy five-hour operation that required extensive removal of them.

Jo Kendall and Peggy Skilbeck

Peggy Skilbeck, Annie’s eldest daughter, was played by Jo Kendall on the soap. Peggy was only a regular Emmerdale Farm character for a year despite having been there at the beginning.

She later appeared in the romantic 1992 film Howards End, which also had Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins, and in the 1979 drama Scum. Before she passed away in 2022 at the age of 88, she had just £8, 000 to her name, according to Liverpool Echo reports. She had played her final acting role in Bridge of Dragons.

Arthur Pentelow and Henry Wilks

Henry Wilks, played by Arthur Pentelow, was a retired factory worker in Emmerdale.

Tragically, the actor suffered a heart attack while driving back to Leeds in 1991 while filming the soap.

Arthur left behind his wife and two children, one of whom, Nicholas, was a saxophonist for the band Wizzard, famous for the song I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.

Gail Harrison and Marian Wilks

After riding on horseback in the first scene of the first episode, Gail Harrison’s character appeared in Emmerdale for the first time.

She and Jack Sugden, both of whom were Henry Wilks’ daughters, engaged in a turbulent romance in the show’s early days. Before quitting, Gail played Marian for six years.

The actor later appeared in the children’s fantasy drama Return of the Antelope and Val in the sitcom Hi-de-Hi. In 1989, she starred as Joanne in the well-known BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses.

Toke Townley and Sam Pearson

Toke Townley portrayed Sam Pearson, who is regarded by Emmerdale fans as Grandad despite having the father of Annie.

Sadly, the 71-year-old actor passed away during a heart attack during a filming break in 1984.

Emmerdale is available on ITV and ITVX weeknights at 7:30 pm.

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We’ve compiled the biggest stories of the day in this Friday’s Mirror Daily Digest, from Elon Musk’s F-bomb to the most recent Easter travel chaos caused by 20 million people taking to the roads.

Welcome to the Mirror’s Daily Digest, where we’ll be pulling together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Politics teams and more. This Good Friday, we’re bringing you the top stories straight from the newsroom, with coverage on Donald Trump’s heated Elon Musk rant to the latest travel chaos as millions of Brits head off on their Bank Holiday breaks.

Our Showbiz team has been closely following David Beckham’s war with his neighbours over plans for a new barn at his Cotswolds retreat. Elsewhere, our News team reported that a hospital is urgently tracing patients and staff who came into contact with a person infected with mpox. We’ve also got the latest on the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore, who have been forced to slash the asking price of their country mansion for a second time.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s collusion confirmed

This morning, our Politics team broke the news that Donald Trump dropped the F-bomb in a heated rant about Elon Musk. Amid mounting concerns over the Tesla boss’ business ties with Beijing, the President reacted angrily to the news of Musk attending a government meeting on China.

According to Axios, Trump told staff: “What the f**k is Elon doing there? Make sure he doesn’t go.” The contents of the meeting remain unknown, but Trump’s intervention comes at a critical moment in the ongoing trade war between the US and China.

While the President seemed happy to involve Musk in crucial government matters as a special employee, officials say this meeting crossed a line. One government official told Axios: “POTUS still very much loves Elon, but there are some red lines. Elon has a lot of business in China, and he has good relations there, and this briefing just wasn’t the right thing.”

Read the entire story here.

David Beckham and his neighbors at war.

There’s never a dull moment for the Beckhams, and today is no different as David is at war with his neighbours over plans for a new barn at his rural Cotswolds retreat. Our Showbiz team has been exclusively covering the England legend’s fallout after seeking planning permission for the timber-clad structure at the £6m property.

He has requested permission to “create an agricultural storage barn for hay/straw and agricultural equipment” from West Oxfordshire District Council planners. In addition, angry villager Harriet Jones wrote in a letter of objection to the council that this is “only the most recent in a long line of applications to construct new structures on this land, plus a gigantic lake.”

Why do famous people leave their homes and build ridiculous structures before dumping their land in the country? It is illogical. In the coming weeks, planners will decide whether or not the application is successful.

Read the entire story here.

Easter travel chaos with strikes and station closures

As millions of Brits head off on their Bank Holiday breaks, our News team has been working around the clock to cover the latest travel chaos, with major rail engineering works, strike action, heavy traffic and possible flooding. The live blog has been giving readers immediate updates on the disruption, as nearly 20 million people will travel by car on Good Friday alone.

Meanwhile, more than 300 engineering projects will be carried out by Network Rail across Britain between Good Friday and Easter Monday, prompting warnings for passengers to check their journeys in advance. At Gatwick Airport, more than 100 members of the Unite union who work for ground handling firm Red Handling are expected to strike across the weekend in a dispute over pensions and pay.

They include check-in staff, baggage handlers, and flight attendants for Norwegian and Delta airlines. Additionally, drivers are urged to take extra care in the South West and there are also flooding warnings for the area.

Read the entire story here.

UK hospital is frantically looking into any A&amp, E patient with rare virus contact.

In other news, a hospital is urgently trying to trace patients and staff who came into contact with a person infected with mpox after they showed up in A&E. Our News team covered the breaking story this afternoon, as health chiefs at Addenrbooke’s Hospital in Cambridge contacted around 30 patients and 20 members of staff whose contact with the infected individual put them at risk of infection.

A spokesperson for Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Addenbrooke’s, said: “We are in contact with around 30 patients and 20 staff as a precautionary measure after a patient with Mpox visited our emergency department on Saturday evening (12 April).

“The goal is to determine factors like their proximity to the patient, which in addition to known factors like their age and vulnerability, help them decide whether to be given a vaccine or given recommendations for what to do based on their location,” the authors say. The patient is now isolating at home and receiving care from their GP, according to information received from the UK Health Security Agency.

Patients who went to A&amp, E on Saturday were assured that there was no need to contact us because “we will contact them if we believe there was any potential exposure.”

Read the entire story here.

Another significant blow to Captain Tom’s family

Finally, the Mirror revealed today that the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore has been forced to slash the asking price of their country mansion for a second time. The lockdown hero’s loved ones had tried to shift the sprawling seven-bed mansion for a whopping £2.25m using his name last year.

They strategically placed a photo of Captain Tom being knighted by the late Queen in 2020 in an online listing. But when it struggled on the market, they slashed £250,000 off the price.

In a desperate effort to defer the extra £50, 000, they have now been cut in just three months. It’s a blow to the family, who has been trying to sell the house for months, according to a source.

Read the entire story here.

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After the Loose Women actress had a transformative encounter with her husband Lincoln Townley, celebrity Big Brother winner Denise Welch has spoken of making the “best decision” in her memories.

Actress Denise Welch has reflected on a major change in her life that she’s described as her “best decision” on the anniversary this week. She’s recalled her partner Lincoln Townley having influenced the decision over a decade ago.

Denise, now 66, has previously spoken about once having a “disastrous relationship” with alcohol. Over the years, she has raised awareness around addiction and spoken about her sobriety, having revealed that her last alcoholic drink was in 2012. This week, she’s celebrating the anniversary of her decision to give up alcohol after being “terrified” of the alternative.

The Loose Women panelist reflected on the decision she made 13 years ago in a post on Instagram this afternoon. It included two photos of Denise that she had put side-by-side. The first was a throwback photo of the Celebrity Big Brother winner, whilst the other showed her more recently.

Denise recalls in the caption that she gave up drinking after her 52-year-old husband Lincoln told her that he “couldn’t live” the way they were. In the post, she claimed that she was then worried about losing him.

She added, “13 years ago today, I had my last alcoholic drink,” along with the photos. I had no memory of the previous night when I woke up, as frequently happens. I was contemplating a lengthy car trip to Richmond and two shows while the company was touring a large theater.

Then, according to Denise, I looked around and discovered that my then-boyfriend, my husband, was watching me and had thrown a newspaper on the bed. I was it. Papped . shouting and pointing at someone while leaning over the car’s bonnet. No recall. A lamp was lying on the floor after his flat’s bathroom door had been pulled from its hinges.

Lincoln had already stopped drinking two months prior. I had explained to him that I wasn’t having the same issue. I did . a very large one. He claimed he could not live like this, but that he loved me. I was afraid to lose him. I felt shamed, anxious, scared, embarrassed, and ashamed of my actions.

That night, I stopped drinking. The best choice I’ve ever made is this. Our three children can live their lives knowing that we are safe and content because of our amazing marriage to the love of my life. They don’t live in the unknown about where we will end up.

She continued, “My husband has become a wealthy international artist, and I’m still working on stage and television.” I take great pride in how our families are affected by the effects. Every day, I treasure the look of love and respect from those who care about us.

It’s time to stop drinking alcohol if it makes you and your loved ones unhappy. There is available assistance and support. Although I still experience clinical depression, my recovery is quicker because they are not caused by alcohol or drugs. I abused alcohol for a long time before self-medicating my illness. I’m grateful for the respect I’ve gained since I last slept sober every day.

My children are proud of me, and that’s the greatest gift of all, Denise wrote as she closed the post. Thank you to @lincolntownley for supporting me every step of the way.

The former Coronation Street cast member was met with supportive messages from fans in the comments section. Celebrity pals also shared their pride over Denise and the lifestyle change that she made over a decade ago.

And Lee Peart, a Loose Women colleague, said, “And the work you’ve done for people who have addictions has been incredible. Denzi, happy to know you! Angela Lonsdale, a former Corrie co-star, said, “So proud of you and Lincoln.”

Fellow presenter Lisa Snowdon commented: “Amazing Denise. Huge achievement and look at you, absolutely glowing.” Whilst actor Kerry Howard said: “Such an important post.”

Alcoholchange offers support and guidance if you are struggling with alcohol abuse or addiction. org. uk. The Samaritans have a free helpline that is available 24/7, accessible at 116 123, for those who are struggling and need to talk. You can also contact Jo at jo@samaritans.org or visit their website to find your local branch.

After spending a short time with his family home, Kate Price took to social media to vent her struggles to get Harvey, son of Harvey, back to his college room.

Katie Price has shared her sadness at needing to take eldest son Harvey book to college. The former glamour model, 46, revealed the 22-year-old didn’t want to leave her side.

Harvey, has a rare genetic condition called Prader-Willi syndrome, which means he’s constantly hungry and battling life-threatening obesity. He also has autism and is partially blind.

Harvey has been living independently at the specialist further education institute National Star College for a number of years, visiting his mum and siblings on occasion. The accommodation is three hours away from Katie’s former Mucky Mansion home in West Sussex.

Katie has admitted he wanted to stay put after his most recent outing back at his family home. The mother-of-five shared stories on Snapchat both before and after dropping Harvey back at the school.

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She depicted her son’s resentment toward leaving her. Harvey was seated in Katie’s car in the first upload.

She wrote, “Harvard always finds it difficult to go back to college,” as the caption reads. She is reportedly quoted as saying, “Harvey’s upset, aren’t you Harv?” in the video. It’s okay”.

Harvey mumbled “yes,” before staring out the window as the camera captured his miserable expression. Katie explained in another clip how it was “very difficult” to re-enter the college with her son.

She continued, “That was really upsetting. Now that was very challenging. Simply put, Harvey was against returning to school.

And she admitted to saying, “I’m surprised I still have a car left, indicating how much Harvey was going to go for the car.” She continued, “It is so sad that your son just wants to be with you constantly and doesn’t want to go to college.”

“I can’t wait for him to return to our home because of that,” he said. “The place we have reserved for him is not yet ready, perhaps in May.” Yes, it is heartbreaking.

Katie often shares her loving bond with her son on social media. Katie took to Facebook earlier this month to share a video of her and Harvey singing. Katie had her black her pulled back out of our face as her son lay contently on her chest.

As they declared their love for one another, the duo sang a sweet song to one another. They each sung the tune’s lines at a different time.

The adorable upload was then finished by Katie kissing Harvey on the forehead. Then he said, “Love you, mom.

Fans were quick to express their admiration for the video in the upload’s comments section. Harvey and you are a wonderful mother, and he is aware of this when one user wrote, “Cutest thing ever,” while another added, “Wrote it. Beautiful . “