Without Emmerdale, Chris also would not have met his wife Lesley, who he married when he was 68-years-old in June 2016. Son of Zak and Faith Dingle, Emmerdale's resident bad boy had an eventful first stint in the show between 2000 and 2006, before returning in 2009. ", "Daytime Emmys: 'General Hospital' Celebrates 50th Anniversary", "Eric Braeden talks about controversial exit as Victor Newman on, "Kate Linder Celebrates 40 Years as Esther Valentine on 'The Young and the Restless', "Susan Lucci & Cameron Mathison continue their, "Original cast member John Clarke retires", "Larry Bryggman to return before ATWT ends", "Classic ATWT photo of the day: Patricia Bruder", "Mary Stuart, 76, a star in two soap operas, is dead", "John Beradino, 79, an enduring soap opera star", "Colleen Zenk Pinter's Battle with Cancer", "Peter Hansen Dies: 'General Hospital' Actor Was 95", "Henderson Forsythe, 88, character actor, dies", "Guiding Light and One Life to Live star Jerry verDorn dies aged 72", "Leann Hunley Brings Anna DiMera Back to Days of Our Lives: 'Anna and Tony, Will They Live Happily Ever After? Chris is Emmerdale's longest-serving actor, having played Eric continuously since the character's introduction in September 1986. Bentnick took over from Nigel Carrivick in 1982, voicing David, the second son of protagonists Phil and Jill Archer. The Canadian-British star has been a part of the Ambridge community since the mid-1970s, when he joined the cast as villain Brian Aldridge. Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? To add to this, he has also had to deal with discovering his employee, Noah Dingle (Jack Downham) has been stalking Chloe Harris (Jessica Elland). We've got spoilers, gossip and exclusive interviews for you. After reuniting with old flame Paddy Kirk in 2017, Chas recently discovered that she's pregnant with her second child. Eric is played by actor Christopher Chittell and he is the soap's longest-serving actor having played the part since 1986. Marlon works as a chef at The Woolpack and is dad to Leo Goskirk and April Windsor. ", "Janine Bischops and Chris Boni Leaving 'Home', "Fired 'Family' actress receives 11,200 euros", "Vicky Versavel from 'Family' to Schoten: "Everyone gets their say about the village center", "Screenwriters re-write legendary character from 'Home' in a sinister way", "Sarah-Lynn Clerckx steps out of 'Family': "Seeing someone else play Louise would really hurt", "Erik Goris plays 'Boudewijn, le roi triste', "Mo dies in 'Home': Actor Noureddine Farihi feels relieved", "Sandrine Andr is Veronique in 'Family' for the first time tonight", "Ludo Hellinx and Hilde Van haesendonck shed tears at the forced farewell from 'Family', "Former 'Home' actresses Nathalie Wijnants and Marijke Hofkens combine jobs: "We cannot live on acting alone", "Eleven years after her dismissal at 'Thuis': Patsy Van der Meeren becomes a cleaning woman in 'Family', "He can't let Brno go, he never wanted to go to Prague. She's transformed the character of Belle Dingle from cutesy youngster to homewreckin' femme fatale in only 11 years! It seems he will ask his father to help him get out of this rut but it is not known if Eric will be able to help with matters. Chittell made his debut as Eric on Emmerdale in 1986 and has continually appeared in the role since. Eric Pollard was the show's villain when he was introduced in 1986 Credit: AMY BRAMMALL. Rodney is the father of current characters Nicola King and Bernice Blackstock. Queen Charlotte review: A Bridgerton triumph, Michelle Yeoh stars in trailer for new Poirot film, EastEnders announces eating disorder story for Ben, I'm a Celebrity airs trial twist for new campers, Here's every superhero's new look in Infinity War. By Hayley Anderson 07:05, Thu,. The comfort soaps provide has often to do with watching the same characters going through ups and downs for years, or even decades. Eden Taylor-Draper has played the character since 2005. Thompson is the longest-serving actor on BBC medical drama Casualty, having played the role of Charlie for more than 35 years. After making a name for himself in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Whately played John Thaw's sidekick in Inspector Morse as Robert Lewis from 1987 until 2000. When Martha returned to the cobbles last year, Ken's head immediately turned despite him being in a relationship with Wendy. Currently, he holds the position of being the longest-serving cast member on the soap, having first appeared in 1986. When she gets any free time in between wreaking havoc with her bad behaviour, Charity does put some effort into being a mumto Debbie, Noah and baby Moses. Chris Chittell, who plays Eric Pollard, is the longest-serving current cast member. Want more spoilers from Coronation Street? 1993 saw the start of The X-Files starring Duchovny and Anderson as FBI agents on the search for little green men (well, most of the time). Emmerdale's iconic character Eric Pollard is played by. It details those actors with ten or more years spent on one year-round or stripped soap opera, despite itinerant breaks and in some cases with the actor portraying multiple roles. Recent years have seen Cain start to soften up, although he's still partial to kidnapping people and locking them up in car boots when the mood takes him. Matthew Wolfenden joined Emmerdale in 2006 after previously missing out on the role of Eli Dingle. Entertainment Daily has a dedicated Coronation Street spoilers section for you to get your fix before the latest episodes air. Wyle, like a number of familiar faces (hello George Clooney), was there at the very beginning of US hospital drama ER in 1994. Among Neil's most notable storylines there are his election to the parish council and his wife Susan's (Charlotte Martin) imprisonment. Though he technically left Albert Square last year, he returned to the show for a cameo appearance during Dot Branning's (June Brown) funeral in December. Wanna see who came in at No. Leslie Charleson Taken Off Contract", "Leslie Charleson checks back in to General Hospital! Though she is not the longest serving actor on Corrie, Knox, 88, holds the record for the longest-serving soap actress. The final series airs later this year. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast. Yes, consistency! The B&B owner's current love interest is Faith Dingle. Who is the longest serving character on Coronation Street? Emmerdale Past & Present Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Matthews debuted in the role of Jenny in 1986 and first left Weatherfield in 1991. 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He is now the longest serving actor in the show since the death of Richard Thorp on the 22nd May 2013, who played Alan Turner for 31 years. While Ken managed to fulfil his career ambitions, he never really left Weatherfield. Some characters who have had more than one actor, such as Jack Sugden, Tom Merrick and Priya Kotecha are indicated by a in the Actor column. Dean was first featured on EastEnders in 1985 as one of the soap's original main characters. Steve is Emmerdale's second longest-serving cast member after joining the soap in 1994. The actor listed in each case is whoever played the character most recently. Fight Club explained: Whats the big twist? DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. Eric was only meant to feature in a handful of episodes but he was so well received, that he has lasted almost four decades. He's currently preparing to marry his partner Brenda, but the big question is whether her knowledge of his affair with Laurel Thomas could ruin the 'happy' day. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}Former The owner of LGBTQ+ bar The Prince Albert, Kathy has been at the centre of bonkers storylines, including faking her own death. Eric Pollard, the longest running character. Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter account. The theater has never been any good since the actors became gentlemen.W.H. Diane is also the stepmum of Robert, Andy and Victoria after her marriage to Jack Sugden, who died in 2009. Longevity in television can be pretty hard to come by. . Richard Stanley Thorp was an English actor who played Alan Turner for 31 years from 1982 to 2013. The former councillor and mayor of Weatherfield, Sally has been married twice. The following is a list of the top 100 longest serving Emmerdalecharacters who have been featured in the show as ofFebruary 2022. Before Emmerdale Richard's other TV credits include Crossroads, Emergency Ward 10 and numerous films. It is thought he celebrated the occasion with his wife and Brenda Walker star, Lesley Dunlop, but it is not known how they marked it as they don't share details of their private life often. It may not seem like it but Sue Nicholls joined Coronation Street after her on-screen daughter. Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV. From Emma Atkins to Michelle Hardwick and Jeff Hordley. Which actor has played a character the longest? We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Lil' Eden Taylor-Draper joined Emmerdale in 2005. What was the name of the much-loved Coronation Street pet dog who was put down in April 2020 after 14 years? Chris Chittell is an English actor who has played scheming Eric Pollard in Emmerdale since 1986, 32 years this year. ", "Peter Van den Bossche (Gunther Levi) and Marie-Rose (Martine Jonckheere) disappear from 'Family', "Geert Hunaerts has been a fixture in 'Thuis' for ten years: "One ridiculous joke and suddenly you're an actor", "Exit Linda: after lie about brain tumor in Family, it's over and out for Hilde van Wesepoel's character", "Chris Van Tongelen steps out of 'Family', "Wittekerke 25 years later: What do you remember about the characters of the popular VTM soap? Christopher John Chittell BEM (born 19 May 1948) is an English actor, known for his role as Eric Pollard in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Despite being on the soap again for several cameos throughout the years, she only reappeared in a regular capacity in 2015 with a dramatic storyline. Some characters who have had more than one actor, such as Robert Sugden, Gabby Thomas and Priya Kotecha, are indicated by a in the Actor columm. Daughter of Bernice Blackstock and the late Ashley Thomas, Gabby was born on screen on Christmas Day 2001. Eric Pollard (also Pollock) is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Chris Chittell.He made his first appearance in the soap on 30 September 1986. Taylforth is one of EastEnders' pillars, having played Kathy since 1985. While Adam is technically on a break from EastEnders he is the shows longest serving character. (In other words, stars of cancelled shows wont make the cut.) The fun-loving vet was originally brought in as a locum for Zoe Tate. Nooo, it cant be! Spoiler alert: They have been on that long! Sally Dexter took over the role in 2017 and fans have seen Faith try to make amends with her family after years of estrangement. Lisa and Zak are parents to Belle, who was born on Christmas Day 1998. between 1998 and 2002. Also, let's give a shout out to Jane Freeman, who played Ivy for 37 years, and Kathy Staff who managed an impressive 35 years in the iconic role of Nora Batty. At this time, the actor would have been 19-years-old, meaning he wouldn't appear on Emmerdale until almost 20 years later. Jill helped the family with a number of entrepreneurial ventures, including starting a short-lived bed and breakfast, but mostly filled the traditional role of cooker and helper, also due to the pressures of her mother-in-law. (PEDANT NOTE: as both actors reprised their roles in the 2008 movie The X-Files: I Want to Believe, we're allowing this.). For some people, working together would be a nightmare but we love it. Debbie is mum to 12-year-old Sarah and 5-year-old Jack. Warner actually first played the role in the movie The Blue Lamp in 1950. One of his biggest storylines aired in 2016, when David was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Worth debuted in the role of Gail in 1974. Included among them are an enduring General Hospital heroine who, for all practical purposes, has grown . This wasn't where his career began, however, as in 1967, he played the character of Potter in the film, To Sir, With Love. Many of these characters have stayed in their respective series for decades, often played by the same actor. Jason has a number of long-running performances on his CV, but it's A Touch of Frost that gets the actor an entry here for playing the detective inspector from '92 until its final ep in 2010. Published: Tuesday, 31st January 2023 at 3:30 pm. AND if there's been a break of ten years, we're also discounting them (apologies to Sir David Jason and Still Open All Hours). Although now Aaron has reunited with his soulmate Robert Sugden, fans will be hoping there's no more tears for a while. Greene made her debut in the role of Jill Archer in July 1957. The pair would remain together from 1985 until his tragic death in 1999. in that area are soapdoms lifers, the veteran actors who have become as much a part of our day-to-day as coffee and antidepressants. WWE 2023 draft who is on Raw and SmackDown? Then she joined full-time and has played her ever since making this her 38th year on the cobbles. Robert's on-screen partnership with Aaron Dingle has helped to make the character more popular than ever before with an army of #Robron fans supporting their boys every step of the way. Bob is still bringing up his two youngest children Heath and Cathy, whose mum Viv died in a fire in 2011. Fight Club explained: Whats the big twist? All Rights Reserved. His own titular spin-off came in six years later and ended in 2015, bringing his time playing the character to almost 29 years. Danny Miller's emotional performances as Aaron have earned him countless Best Actor awards over the years. It only includes appearances within the main programme and not the spin - offs . 's longest-serving female cast member and a firm favourite with fans. Subscribe to Radio Times magazine and get 12 issues for 1, Carole Boyd as Linda Snell (The Archers) - First appeared: 1986, Felicity Finch as Ruth Archer (The Archers) - First appeared: 1987, Philip Molloy as Phil Grundy (The Archers) - First appeared: 1989, Simon Gregson as Steve McDonald (Coronation Street) - First appeared: 1989, Steve McFadden as Phil Mitchell (Coronation Street) - First appeared: February 1990, Natalie Cassidy as Sonia Fowler (EastEnders) - First appeared: December 1993, Steve Halliwell as Zak Dingle (Emmerdale) - First appeared: October 1994, James Hooton as Sam Dingle (Emmerdale) - First appeared: February 1995, Nick Pickard as Tony Hutchinson (Hollyoaks) - First appeared: October 1995, Mark Charnock as Marlon Dingle (Emmerdale) - First appeared: October 1996, Jimmy McKenna as Jack Osborne (Hollyoaks) - First appeared: November 1996, Stephanie Waring as Cindy Cunningham (Hollyoaks) - First appeared: December 1996, Dominic Brunt as Paddy Kirk (Emmerdale) - First appeared: February 1997, Jane Danson as Leanne Battersby (EastEnders) - First appeared: July 1997, Alan Halsall as Tyrone Dobbs (Coronation Street) - First appeared: November 1998, Tina O'Brien as Sarah Platt (Coronation Street) - First appeared: October 1999, Ellis Hollins as Tom Cunningham (Hollyoaks) - First appeared: December 1999, Emma Atkins as Charity Dingle (Emmerdale) - First appeared: March 2000, Jeff Hordley as Cain Dingle (Emmerdale) - First appeared: March 2000, Jack P. Shepherd as David Platt (Coronation Street) - First appeared: April 2000, Sue Cleaver as Eileen Grimshaw (EastEnders) - First appeared: May 2000, Samia Longchambon as Maria Connor (EastEnders) - First appeared: May 2000, Louiza Patikas as Helen Titchener (The Archers) - First appeared: 2000, Jennie McAlpine as Fiz Stape (Coronation Street) - First appeared: April 2001, Lucy Pargeter as Chas Dingle (Emmerdale) - First appeared: October 2002, Lacey Turner as Stacey Slater (EastEnders) - First appeared: November 2004, Jessica Fox as Nancy Hayton (Hollyoaks) - First appeared: July 2005, Adrian Lewis Morgan as Jimmi Clay (Doctors) - First appeared: September 2005, Kieron Richardson as Ste Hay (Hollyoaks) - First appeared: February 2006, Jennifer Metcalfe as Mercedes McQueen (Hollyoaks) - First appeared: June 2006.