View Full Version : Ronnie Hale (John McArdle)
Remember Brookside's Billy Corkhill? He's now making a return to the soap world with a new role on Emmerdale.
Actor John McArdle has joined the soap's cast to play down-to-earth plumber Ronnie Hale, who'll be caught in the centre of a big new storyline for Home Farm.
Ronnie will be introduced when Chrissie Sugden comes across an old love letter that he wrote years ago.
With her mind going into overdrive, Chrissie immediately starts to suspect that Ronnie could be her biological father - and she gets the perfect chance to investigate further when there's a leak at Home Farm.
Arriving to fix the problem, Ronnie is blissfully unaware of Chrissie's hidden agenda - but how difficult will it be for her to uncover the truth?
Speaking of his new role, McArdle commented: "I am really pleased to be joining the cast of Emmerdale. The standard of the show is equal to anything I have worked on before and I am really happy to become part of that."
Emmerdale's series producer Iain MacLeod added: "I am thrilled to welcome an actor of John's pedigree to the show. And in Ronnie, we have a character that will unearth every painful fragment of love and loss buried in the White family's past - with the odd unexploded bomb thrown in for good measure!"
McArdle, who played Brookside's Billy between 1985 and 1990, has already started filming at Emmerdale and will appear on screens from mid-April.
http://digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/16/12/980x490/landscape-1458816090-soaps-emmerdale-john-mcardle-billy-corkhill.jpg
Telly Watcher
24-03-2016, 13:05
So plumber Ronnie is maybe the father of Lady Chrissie? Haha! How the mighty could fall? Time will tell...
You really couldn't make it up. Oh, hang on, Emmerdale seems to already have...! Haha!
tammyy2j
07-04-2016, 22:38
I think Ronnie was a lover to both Chrissie's mother and Lawrence
Telly Watcher
14-04-2016, 19:47
Daniel Kilkelly for Digital Spy published on 24 March 2016 for the Thursday 14 April 8pm episode that:
Ronnie will be introduced when Chrissie Sugden comes across an old love letter that he wrote years ago.
By Daniel Kilkelly, Digital Spy
http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/news/a788045/is-emmerdale-bringing-in-chrissies-real-father-ex-brookside-star-john-mcardle-joins-as-newbie-ronnie/
The love letter is first shown during the 6 April episode, after being found by Chrissie in a wooden box, carved with floral designs and with a top oval section which has painted ivy-type motifs. (Ivy is a girl's name, meaning "faithfulness", but in general is the ivy plant, which is an evergreen climbing vine of the ginseng family [as in ginseng tea...]) It is not clear who originally owned the box or the contents but the box does appear to be in an oriental style, even a tea chest? It is not known yet what the name of Lawrence's mother was (Ivy?) or whether the box was inherited by Lawrence from her. The obvious suggestion is that the box belonged to Lawrence's former wife, Ellen. Of course, the box could also have been a direct gift to Lawrence from someone close to him previously.
The love letter says:
12th November 1980
To my love,
To misquote Wilde, words are useless. I can't fully capture the dimensions - length, width, breathe of my love for you. This isn't self pity. No words can.
Shakespeare made a good good attempt...Tempest 'Hear my soul speak'. It works [because] of three words soul, heart, fly.
...
I love you
All my love, always.
Ronnie
xxx
(Of course, Oscar Wilde is now well-known for his flamboyant lifestyle with other men, as well as his jailing for this nature. One of his lovers was named Robert Ross. There is a book collection of Oscar Wilde's Poems Collection called Rosa Mystica and Wind Flowers, from 1880-1882. A recent pop band (Karina Van Ron) released songs in 2008 in the record "Oscar Wilde-Rosa Mystica" using some of the poems.)
Inside the lid of the box are two colour photos. The right-hand one is of younger Lawrence and baby Chrissie. The left-hand one is of a man kneeling next to a snowman. This man looks very much like a younger version of the man who will be seen as Ronnie the plumber during the 14 April 8pm episode and so it follows that he should be the "Ronnie" who wrote the love letter dated 12th November 1980. (Chrissie was, of course, born during 1980.) Presumably, the photo was enclosed in the envelope which contained the love letter.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CgBhY4nUUAEdE6-.jpg
Weather records indicate that there was heavy snow in North Eastern England during February/March 1979 but nothing unusual is mentioned for 1980. If the photo of Ronnie was taken during March 1979, say, then this would suggest that Ronnie was seeing a member of the White family during 1979 onwards, even up to November 1980 and beyond.
www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=winter-history;sess=
Thu 14 Apr 8pm
- Ronnie the plumber tells Chrissie that he is "no ordinary plumber" and "I'm the oldest plumber in town", has no kids and is unmarried ("no chance"). "This could be a nice little earner for me this"...
"14_04_EMMERDALE_CLIP_B", 1m 17s
https://vimeo.com/162163351
In the video clip, Ronnie asks Chrissie for "chai tea" (a specialist warming and spicy Indian tea - a true taste of India) and definitely has unusual tastes. Ronnie is definitely "no ordinary plumber" and seems to be something of a climber...
Masala chai (tea)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai
What remains to be seen is who Ronnie gave the letter to and does Lawrence recognise him?
Chrissie is due to show Ronnie a photo of her mother, Ellen White, during the 8pm episode on Thu 14 Apr.
My suggestion? Ronnie previously gifted the box [a tea chest] and some of the contents, including the love letter. But was the gift for Ellen or Lawrence?
Hopefully, the 8pm episode due to be shown tonight will answer this.
Photos:
Front of box
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CgBhVGdVAAACbyE.jpg
Top of box
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CgBhU-7UAAASHOI.jpg
tammyy2j
14-04-2016, 23:43
I think he was a lover to Lawrence
Emmerdale has revealed another surprising storyline twist - Lawrence White and newcomer Ronnie Hale used to be lovers.
The truth about the pair's top-secret connection was exposed to viewers in the closing moments of Monday night's episode (May 23) as they had a tense conversation over their past.
Ronnie has been appearing on our screens since April, but in a clever red herring, Emmerdale fans were initially led to believe that he could be the biological father of Lawrence's daughter Chrissie.
Lawrence White and Ronnie Hale in Emmerdale
© ITV
Speaking about the twist for the first time, John McArdle - who plays Ronnie - revealed: "I thought the scene with Ronnie and Lawrence on the bridge was quite a moving scene. They were both in love when they knew each other before.
"It wasn't sordid or anything like that - it was a nice relationship. Ronnie did the right thing and moved off because he didn't want to ruin someone's marriage."
Discussing whether viewers will have been surprised by the twist, McArdle noted: "Some people are very clever and they can read between the lines, judging by Lawrence's past. But I hope it hasn't come across as obvious and I hope it was a surprise. The best thing about watching an ongoing drama like this is the surprises.
"I really like the storyline that Ronnie's got, because he goes in and gets to know everyone in the village. I think he should get more work in the village, so he can hang about!"
McArdle is currently on a six-month contract with Emmerdale, so he'll be hanging around in the village for a while at least.
Asked whether there's a chance that Ronnie and Lawrence could reunite, he replied: "I don't know if there is or not. Ronnie's not pushing him into the relationship again. He just wants Lawrence to be happy. Lawrence is in turmoil over his sexuality and he doesn't want to push it."
Digital Spy
so he bedded lawry and mrs lawry, is bernice next :p
tammyy2j
03-07-2016, 23:09
He recovered fast to be out of hospital and now is he living in the B&B?
I like him, hope he stays around full time
Lisa could do with a friend and obviously him and Lawrence care for each other still
Why is he coughing so much? He said he was infected? I'm so confused. What happened to him during that fire?
He probably should have stayed in hospital a bit longer. He seemed to be back in the village very quickly. I'd like him to stay around but to get involved in other storylines, rather than getting together with Lawrence.
He probably should have stayed in hospital a bit longer. He seemed to be back in the village very quickly. I'd like him to stay around but to get involved in other storylines, rather than getting together with Lawrence.
Can't he do both?
He probably should have stayed in hospital a bit longer. He seemed to be back in the village very quickly. I'd like him to stay around but to get involved in other storylines, rather than getting together with Lawrence.
Can't he do both?
I really don't like the idea of them getting together. Lawrence has been nothing but angry, hateful and bitter towards Ronnie since he arrived and has even tried to have him shot, or at least threatened with a gun. Why would Ronnie be interested in someone with so much baggage and self-hatred? He seems like a nice, easy going guy who has accepted his identity - surely he can do much better for himself?
I really don't like the idea of them getting together. Lawrence has been nothing but angry, hateful and bitter towards Ronnie since he arrived and has even tried to have him shot, or at least threatened with a gun. Why would Ronnie be interested in someone with so much baggage and self-hatred? He seems like a nice, easy going guy who has accepted his identity - surely he can do much better for himself?
I think his aggression towards Ronnie was to protect his past not becoming knowledge in the village rather than admitting he is gay and had a relationship with him.?
I still think Lawrence is very damaged and it will take a long time for Ronnie to get through to him and get him to admit his true feelings. Yes, he is trying to keep his past a secret but surely Ronnie can find someone who isn't hiding deep in the closet?
is he not mad chrissie even tried to get him done for shooting lawry
I hope he steers clear of the Whites but it looks like it's not going to happen. I can't imagine him living at Home Farm, he just seems too down to earth. Anyway, Chrissie will just resent anyone who breaks up the cosy life she has with her father, whether that person is male or female.
chrissie isn't happy having to share lawry
is he being secretive over his brother
He hasn't been secretive about him before. I have this weird theory that he had a son when he was younger and he's meeting up with him secretly. It's only a theory, mind you, I could be 100% wrong...
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