Ryan Lamb (James Sutton)

Emmerdale actor James Sutton has promised that viewers will be seeing more of his character Ryan Lamb in the coming months.

The 27-year-old told DS on the red carpet at this year's British Soap Awards that there is a "massive" storyline on the horizon for him and his screen family.

He said: "We have massive, massive [stuff] coming up. The back end of this year, me Lyndon Ogbourne, Amanada Donohoe, Alice Coulthard and Sammy [Winward]... there's a massive storyline for all of us."

Speaking of the ITV soap's current state of play, he continued: "Everyone's really, really happy and loving their job. And Gavin's really pleased from speaking to him... There's a real buzz and everyone's really excited and happy... It's a really lovely place to work right now."

There is already a thread about Sutton talking to DS about an exciting future here http://www.soapboards.co.uk/forums/s...g-Dales-future

Emmerdale actor James Sutton has promised that viewers will be seeing more of his character Ryan Lamb in the coming months.

The 27-year-old told DS on the red carpet at this year's British Soap Awards that there is a "massive" storyline on the horizon for him and his screen family.

He said: "We have massive, massive [stuff] coming up. The back end of this year, me Lyndon Ogbourne, Amanada Donohoe, Alice Coulthard and Sammy [Winward]... there's a massive storyline for all of us."

Speaking of the ITV soap's current state of play, he continued: "Everyone's really, really happy and loving their job. And Gavin's really pleased from speaking to him... There's a real buzz and everyone's really excited and happy... It's a really lovely place to work right now."

Does he get back with Katie so?

Emmerdale's Ryan Lamb is charged with the murder of his father Mark next week after a series of shock discoveries implicate him in the crime. When the police find a gold chain belonging to Ryan at the location where Mark was buried, they haul in the village mechanic for questioning, leaving him confused and angry. To make matters worse, a number of other pieces of evidence soon come to light - including a gun that's buried at the garage. What Ryan doesn't know is that his twisted half-brother Nathan is setting him up - and with the police determined to nail him for the killing, it seems that Nathan's plan is working perfectly. Here, we chat to Ryan's portrayer James Sutton about his character's predicament.

How exactly does the arrest come about?
"Ryan gets completely stitched up. The police have an awful lot of evidence against him, which somebody - who shall remain nameless - planted all over the village and on Ryan's person! Plus, he's got a motive - he punched Mark in the street on the day that Mark got killed and he was in the woods on the night that Mark died. It all looks pretty damning, so they nick him."

How does Ryan react to the arrest?
"He's completely baffled - as are the rest of the village. They can't believe that this nice guy could be capable of murder."

How does Ryan cope under police questioning?
"He gets very, very frustrated and loses his temper a few times. They've just got so much evidence against him that they're convinced he's guilty. Ryan's just confused over the whole thing, so he gets frustrated and a little bit angry, which doesn't really help the situation."

With new evidence coming to light by the day, Ryan's eventually charged with Mark's murder. What happens then?
"He suspects already, but once he's been charged, that's when he realises that he's been completely set up by Nathan! And there's an awful lot to come with this storyline. It will change Ryan indefinitely, I think."

Cain is one of the only people who knows for sure that Ryan's innocent. Is there a chance he could step in and save him?
"Well, as Cain's been getting money from Natasha and Nathan because of the wallet that he found in the woods, he doesn't really want to step in and help Ryan straight away, so no. But he might do eventually…"

Hopefully Ryan won't be sentenced for Mark's murder - so who would you like to see go down for it?
"I think most people would like Nathan to go down for it, because he's a little scumbag! I'm with the majority. They should send Nathan down and give him the electric chair!"

Will Ryan take revenge on Nathan in the future?
"Without a shadow of a doubt, absolutely. I want to be the guy that pulls the trigger and ends Nathan! I want to be the guy that buries Nathan! It would be deserved, I think! I have no doubt that I will have my revenge."

Could you see them ever becoming friends again in the future?
"Me and Lyndon have actually chatted about this and said how cool it would be if they became buddies again, but kind of like evil buddies - this pair of evil brothers who are hellbent on power and madness and just going around systematically screwing over everyone in the village! It would be quite fun, but we'll see. I don't know what Gavin's got planned for us, but I'm sure it will be exciting."

The arrest storyline is a big one for Ryan - but what would you say to people who think your character's been a bit neglected?
"I certainly don't feel neglected. I have been quiet for the past couple of months, but I wouldn't say I'd been neglected. It's just the nature of soap, isn't it? You have a big storyline and then you disappear for a bit. I mean, Ryan had quite a lot with Maisie. He had a little affair with her, and then he found out that Mark was his dad and all that sort of stuff. I certainly don't feel under-used. It's just the nature of soap - you prop up the bar in The Woolpack for a bit, and then you have a storyline. It's absolutely fine."

You've been with Emmerdale for over a year now - have there been any particular highlights for you?
"It's all great! The village where we film is beautiful and an amazing place, it really is lovely. So that kind of is the highlight - walking up the road to the Emmerdale village and just thinking, 'This is where I go to work!' It's quite crazy really. I'm incredibly lucky."

And which actors on the show would you like to have more screen time with?
"I love working with Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain, and Danny Miller, who plays Aaron - I think he's played a blinder in the last few months and I think everyone does. So yeah, I love working with those two at the garage. Hopefully Charley Webb will be back soon so we can have the full set-up there again. It's great fun there and we really buzz off each other, I think, so I'd quite like some more stuff there."

What are your thoughts on Alice Coulthard's decision to quit the role of Maisie?
"Well, she's a really, really, really good actress and I think she's proved that over the last few months. Some of the stuff that she did with finding out that Ryan was her brother was fantastic. She's quite ambitious and I think there's a lot of stuff out there for her. She wants to get back to London and she's getting married soon as well, so I can kind of see why she wants to leave. It's a big loss to the show, but she'll be great."


There's been a few new signings at Emmerdale recently, with the likes of Pauline Quirke and Jake Roche joining the cast. Have you had a chance to meet them yet?
"Yeah, I've met Jake and he's a super lad, a really nice guy. I've met Pauline briefly and she was lovely - that's a great casting; really, really good as she's fantastic."

The British Soap Awards were a bit disappointing for Emmerdale this year…
"A bit?! It was a travesty not to give Danny Miller an award, and you can quote me on that. I'm sure you're sick of hearing this, but to not give that kid an award was just a joke, it really was. But there's not a plot against Emmerdale or anything - obviously we don't get the viewing figures that EastEnders and Corrie get, and they're very strong shows as well. But I think we all felt a little bit frustrated. It's the same with every soap - we all put so much work in, and these stories that we do take an awful lot of effort and a long time to shoot. I think I speak for people at other soaps as well when I say that Danny should have won something. By the same token, I know how strong EastEnders and Corrie were last year. But it would have been nice to have won a couple."

Hollyoaks has had some bad press recently - do you think it can bounce back now that Paul Marquess is in charge?
"Well, I don't like to read bad press about Hollyoaks. I haven't seen it myself so I can't really comment, but from what I've read, it hasn't been up to the high standard that it should be at. I don't know Paul myself, I've never met the guy, but from what I've heard, it seems like it's going in the right direction now. There's some great actors on that show. I know that he's brought in a lot of new characters and I've heard that he's got rid of an awful lot as well. That might be good for the show. A lot of the time when new producers come in, they get called the 'axeman' and get rid of half the cast and bring in new people, but that's kind of part and parcel of it. I genuinely wish him all the best and I hope that Hollyoaks goes from strength to strength, because I had a really great time there. I want to hear nice things about Hollyoaks."

Have you been watching EastEnders now that Bryan Kirkwood's episodes are coming through?
"Yeah, I have. I'm really digging EastEnders at the moment. I'll be honest, I've never really been much of a soap fan because I'm always working or whatever, so I've never really watched that much, but EastEnders really is fab at the moment. I've seen bits of what Lacey's been doing and she's phenomenal. And there's some really exciting stuff coming up on EastEnders as well. A friend of mine has just directed some stuff over there, and from talking to Bryan, they're all really excited - as they should be. I think that EastEnders is going to go from strength to strength under Bryan. He's a top bloke and a great boss. They're really lucky to have him and that show's just going to get better and better and better."

You mentioned in an interview last year that you were keen to start driving - have you started your lessons yet?
"Yes, I have! I'm well on my way. Be careful if you're crossing the road in Leeds! I've been having lessons for quite a while, but only in an automatic because I can't be bothered with a manual. I think I'm going to need a few more lessons, but I want to have passed by October. That would be ideal. I need to do my theory as well, but I just can't be bothered to study! I have tried to pull my finger out a bit, though!"

Here is the interview he gave to Holy Smoke. Its remarkably similar to the one in DS (above). No doubt DS will release snippets of this over the next few days as ''new'' spoilers


Poor innocent Ryan Lamb finds himself the victim of his twisted half-brother Nathan's scheming, when he is arrested and charged with Mark's murder. Here, James Sutton, who plays Ryan, opens up about the storyline and a lot more besides.

How does Nathan frame Ryan?

He buries a shotgun at Ryan's place of work. He takes some jewellery from Ryan and puts it near Mark's body, he puts shotgun residue over Ryan's clothes. Ryan has a motive too because he punched his dad on the day he got killed. He basically stitches him up like a kipper.

Why does he choose Ryan?

Because he hates him. It's sibling rivalry gone a bit too far.

What's going through Ryan's head when he is charged with murder and thrown in a cell?

He's very bemused like the rest of the village. He doesn't understand why he's there and whoever is responsible isn't. He's convinced Nathan did it so he's convinced Nathan should be in there. He's very scared and very bemused.

How long is he locked up for?

Until the trial. They don't give him bail because it's a murder case, so he is in prison for a couple of months.

You must have done lots of filming of prison scenes. How has that been?

Yes, lots of filming. It's been good. There are a couple of new characters in the prison I've got to work with and hang out with. The only visitor I've been getting is Faye so I've been doing a bit with Kim Thomson. It's been cool.

There was a report about Ryan getting a new love interest in the form of Abi Peterson, played by Catherine Tyldesley...

This is true. I don't know if I can tell you anything about that, but yes, there's a woman in the not too distant future.

It all gets quite dark for a while so it's bit of welcome relief, so to speak.

Is Ryan sad about Mark's death?

Not really sad. He's disappointed he never got the chance to sit and talk with his father before he died. He never really knew the guy. He's as shocked as the whole village is. Everyone's got together in light of this tragedy. A couple of days after Mark's body is found, he is accused so doesn't get a chance to grieve really.

What research have you done to prepare for the prison storyline?

I watched The Shawshank Redemption! And they got a lot of people in, a lot of prison officers who have overseen everything and chatted to me. It's been cool.

Ryan must be going through turmoil. Has it been draining to film?

Yeah, it kind of has. I'm depressed all the time. But it's been great to play some different stuff because he's generally an upbeat character. It's great to play downbeat stuff, and angst and tears.

How do you switch off after a long day?

With red wine and my guitar. Lots of music.

Emmerdale chief Gavin Blyth promised we'd see a lot more of Ryan and it sounds like it's happening. Are you pleased?

I don't feel like I've been under-used. I haven't had a massive storyline before but I was involved in a lot of Mark's storyline and Maisie's. I have been busy. But every actor wants a big storyline to get their teeth into. Hopefully this will run and run now. I hope Ryan will get out of prison at some point, then he can get his sweet revenge on his brother.

What will he do to Nathan?

I haven't a clue. Something horrible. I want to be the one to put a bullet in his head if I'm honest. If anyone is going to kill the little b*****d it's got to be me. He's vile. You should meet the actor who plays him. He's even worse!

Seriously, do you get on with Lyndon Ogbourne, who plays Nathan, in real life?

I do. We go out for dinner and drinks quite often. He's a terrible influence on my alcohol intake. But he's a good guy.

We know Alice Coulthard is leaving the role of Maisie. How do you feel about that?

It's a big loss to the show. I think she's proved over the last few months that she's a top actress and any programme would be lucky to have her. Everyone's sad to see her go. She's getting married soon and wants to move back to London with her fiance. There will be a lot of work out there for her and we wish her the best.

Are you going to her wedding?

Yeah, I think most people are. I don't know where it is - somewhere near the coast. It will be lovely. And her fiance is a smashing guy.

Will Ryan miss Maisie?

Yeah, definitely. I'm sure he'll be quite sad to see her go because they've sorted out their problems.

Do you think Ryan and Katie will get back together?

I think they've probably put that to bed. I know that Gavin's got a lot of plans for Katie and I don't think any of it involves me. I don't think they'll get back together. I think she'll have a relationship with someone else in the village.

Have you worked with Pauline Quirke, who has started at Emmerdale?

That's an inspired piece of casting! Look at her CV. I remember seeing her in a prison thing where she played a convict and thinking 'wow, this woman is absolutely phenomenal.' She's at the top of her game, she really is. It's a great coup for the show to get her involved.

I would love to work with her. I am sure I could learn a lot but at the moment I don't know what I'm going to end up doing.

How long will you be in the show for?

I am quite ambitious but I am not someone who has a plan. I'm just really blessed to be working and getting paid to do what I enjoy so as long as they want me here I'll be here, within reason. Another couple of years maybe and we'll see what else is out there. I'm not in any rush to go anywhere.

Hollyoaks, your old place of work, is going through a lot of changes at moment. What do you think of them?

The last thing I want to hear is that Hollyoaks isn't going very well and audience figures aren't very good. I have a lot of love for the place and had a wonderful three years there. I want it to do well. (Series producer) Paul Marquess has come in and it sounds really positive. He's bringing in all these new characters. I'm sure he'll be really good for the show. I just want it to be a success.

Are you still in touch with your old Hollyoaks workmates?

A couple. We see each other at awards shows. I am so busy here and they are in Liverpool, but I've spoken to Kevin Sacre who plays Jake Dean. I'm going to his wedding in Ibiza. He is excited about what the future holds for him.

I wonder will Katie get back with Andy

Emmerdale bosses are reportedly desperate for James Sutton to sign his new contract to remain with the soap.

The Sun reports that Sutton is currently signed to play Ryan Lamb until next March, but the Yorkshire soap chiefs fear that he could become the latest star to quit.

Alice Coulthard (Maisie Wylde), Amanda Donohoe (Natasha Wylde) and Lyndon Ogbourne (Nathan Wylde) have all recently confirmed their exits.

Sutton has reportedly told bosses that he is considering his options after moving from Leeds to a new flat in Liverpool, which he bought when he starred in Hollyoaks.

"Losing one star is an accident - losing four is careless," a source told the paper. "The Wylde family leave over Christmas and New Year. If Ryan goes as well it's a hammer blow to carefully worked-out plans."

They continued: "After the Wylde clan dropped off one-by-one, they started storylining big plans for James's character Ryan, who is massively popular with viewers. The plan was to get him out of jail and back in the village by New Year.

"But that could all change if James doesn't sign up again. He's just not happy in Leeds now he's split with Sammy [Winward]."

The ITV soap is now apparently trying to find a family to replace the Wyldes in Home Farm.

"Home Farm is the centre-piece of Emmerdale," the insider said. "It's a big house which needs a proper dynasty. This is a massive setback and the hunt will be on for a new family."

An Emmerdale spokeswoman reportedly confirmed that Sutton is negotiating his new contract.

Emmerdale star James Sutton is to leave the soap in the spring, it has been announced.

The actor has played the role of mechanic Ryan Lamb on the Yorkshire-based serial since 2009 but is now bowing out to pursue new projects.

In a statement released on Emmerdale's website, Sutton commented: "I've massively enjoyed the last two years playing Ryan and been blessed to have worked with a group of such talented and supportive actors.

"I feel that Ryan's storylines have drawn to a natural conclusion and although I'll be sad to say goodbye, I'm excited about what the future holds."

He added: "Having trained in theatre I'm looking forward to getting back to my roots and exploring new opportunities."

Meanwhile, Emmerdale's executive producer Steve November said: "James has been a much valued member of the cast and we wish him all the best for the future."

Ryan was introduced to the soap in June 2009 and soon became embroiled in the drama surrounding the Wylde clan, who have all since departed the village.

Sutton's screen mother Kim Thomson (Faye) is also leaving Emmerdale this year.

DS

That is a shame