Seb (James Redmond)

Former Hollyoaks and Casualty star James Redmond has been cast in Emmerdale as Ruby Haswell's ex-boyfriend.

The actor started filming with the ITV soap earlier this month and will appear on screen from the end of February.
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James Redmond at the World Premiere of Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy
© AP Photo/Jonathan Short
James Redmond

Redmond is playing the part of Seb, who reappears in Ruby's life as she is struggling with mounting debts and unsuccessful attempts to have a baby with her partner Ali.

Wanting to boost her income, Ruby applies for a job as a carer and ends up looking after an elderly man called William - who turns out to be her former boyfriend's father.

William, played by veteran actor Dudley Sutton, has an old-fashioned attitude and it's not long before he starts to make life difficult for Ruby.

Redmond said today (January 30): "Having taken a 5-year break from acting to concentrate on stand-up comedy, I am really looking forward to getting back on the horse. It will be great to join the cast of Emmerdale and Seb will be my first time playing a northerner!"

Sutton added: "This will be my second appearance in Emmerdale as I appeared in 1997 as a tramp! It's great to be back in Yorkshire and I have fond memories of filming the Beiderbecke Trilogy in the same building as Emmerdale is now filmed."

Emmerdale's series producer Kate Oates commented: "We're delighted to have Dudley and James filming with us. Their wealth of acting experience makes them great additions to the show."

Sutton has worked extensively on screen since the 1960s, while Redmond is best known for his roles as Hollyoaks' Rory 'Finn' Finnigan and Casualty's Abs Denham.

Redmond was last on screen in the 2013 series of Hollyoaks Later, which saw him reprise the part of Finn after 11 years.

Will he offer his services to help her get pregnant??

I liked him on Hollyoaks and Casualty

I loved him in Casualty and Mile High

No doubt he`ll be a donor Daddy if Dan isn`t up to the task (ahem)