Jason's Dale deal

[Perdita]

JASON Merrells, stylist Gavin Ferraday in BBC1 drama Cutting It, is heading for Emmerdale.

His character Declan is a businessman who gets a stake in the Home Farm estate and hooks up with murderer Natasha Wylde (Amanda Donohoe).

It comes after Natasha, who recently killed her bigamist husband Mark (Maxwell Caulfield), finds herself in need of investors.

Jason, 42, said: "I'm thrilled to be joining a show as respected and well loved as Emmerdale."

He begins filming his first scenes later this month and will appears on screen in April.



The Sun

[Perdita]

Former Cutting It star Jason Merrells has joined the cast of ITV soap Emmerdale.

The actor, best known for his role as stylist Gavin Ferraday on the BBC drama, has signed up to play a handsome business tycoon named Declan who becomes entangled in the life of murderess Natasha Wylde (Amanda Donohoe).

Declan will first appear on screen in April and be seen acquiring a stake of the village's Home Farm estate after a cash-strapped Natasha searches for investors.

The newcomer's involvement with Natasha will take a further twist, however, as viewers are left to wonder whether the newly-single businesswoman is looking for more than just a financial saviour.

Speaking of his new role, Merrells commented: "I'm thrilled to be joining a show as respected and well-loved as Emmerdale and look forward to filming my first scenes later this month. Declan's an enigmatic mogul who is bound to raise a few eyebrows in the village."

Emmerdale's series producer Gavin Blyth added: "I'm delighted to be welcoming Jason to the cast. He is an extremely talented actor and will be brilliant in the role of Declan. Jason's role will continue to take the show forward in this very exciting time for Emmerdale."

As well as Cutting It, Merrells has appeared in Casualty, Waterloo Road and Lark Rise To Candleford. He has also enjoyed a successful theatre career with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The latest Emmerdale signing follows last month's announcement that former Hear'Say star Suzanne Shaw is to play Edna Birch's (Shirley Stelfox) granddaughter Eve on the programme.

Merrells's ex-Cutting It co-star Siân Reeves is currently appearing in the Yorkshire-based soap as Ashley Thomas's deranged suitor Sally Spode.

[lizann]

http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/creativedevelopmentprogramme/productions/longshorttall/images/jason.jpg

I like him acting

[lizann]

Emmerdale star Chris Bisson has predicted that Jason Merrells's character will cause a stir in the village when he arrives on screen later this year.

Earlier this month, show producers announced that the former Cutting It actor had signed up to play a business tycoon named Declan on the ITV1 soap.

In an interview with This Morning, Bisson - who plays factory owner Jai Sharma - hinted that Declan would shake things up on screen, as well as appealing to the programme's female fans.

He commented: "My girlfriend was very excited when I told her there will be a new bit of totty on screen and it was him! But he plays a character who is a good business associate friend of [the Sharmas] and he'll be ruffling a few feathers."

Meanwhile, Bisson also said that he is enjoying Jai's current involvement with schemer Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley).

The actor explained: "It's a really good combination and it works really well because Cain is the bad man and intimidates everybody, he does intimidate Jai, and Jai's got the cool and the brains to go with it.

"Cain ruffles everyone, but my character never lets him see that and kind of plays him at his own game and we come out of the storyline with a mutual respect for each other - which is dangerous as this means they may operate together again!"