Emmerdale General News Thread

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's Matthew Wolfenden has said that he and partner Charley Webb have struggled to find time to plan their wedding.

The couple, who play David Metcalfe and Debbie Dingle on the soap, became engaged in 2008.

Wolfenden told Hello: "We don't disagree about what we want to do for our wedding. But up 'til now, we haven't had a minute to plan it.

"The thought of having everyone focusing on me for the whole day fills me with dread."

The 31-year-old added that they are considering getting hitched outside the UK, adding: "We have thought about going abroad to get wed."

Wolfenden, who won this year's Dancing on Ice, has son Buster with Webb.

He has previously revealed his desire to have more children with his fiancée.

[Perdita]

James Sutton has launched his own company that aims to help budding actors.

The former Emmerdale and Hollyoaks star has launched Broken Leg Workshops, which offers weekend courses to new hopefuls.

He wrote on Twitter: "I got me a company. Get on it... RT @BLWorkshops"

Sutton explains on the company's website that he is aiming to offer help and advice for new actors in a way that he wished he had been given at an early age.

"While I was starting out as an actor, being in front of a camera used to fill me with dread. I used to worry that I was over-acting. Or under-acting. Or just doing bad acting. The whole experience left me feeling very anxious and uncomfortable," he said.

"If only there was somewhere I could go and hone my skills. Somewhere where I didn't feel any pressure, somewhere where it was okay to make mistakes. Wouldn't it be helpful if there was somewhere I could go to learn from actors I respected and people who knew what I was going through.

"Now there is..."

Sutton is joined by the likes of Jessica Fox (Hollyoaks), Bronagh Waugh (Hollyoaks), Dominic Power (Emmerdale), Mark Charnock (Emmerdale), Steven Arnold (Coronation Street) and Adam Best (Holby City), who will also provide help in the project.

Workshops include two eight-hour days, with students working on different techniques and filming scenes with team members. The second day involves industry experts and professional casting directors giving personal acting training.

Students will also get to use top-quality camera equipment and scripts, and will get to perform in front of casting directors and agents.

James Sutton made a guest appearance on BBC One's Doctors earlier this year.

[alan45]

Emmerdale bosses are to donate £20,000 to help fund a West Yorkshire moorland's repair work.

Ilkley Moor was used to film the ITV1 soap's Land Rover crash scenes involving John and Moira Barton back in February.


© ITV

© ITV


However, the stunts ended up damaging parts of the moorland, with work now under way to repair a track and footpath.

While funding the improvement project in the area, Emmerdale producers are also paying for the resurfacing of the paths on the edge of the moor, with work costing up to £26,000, reports the Ilkley Gazette.

Chairman of the Friends of Ilkley Moor Owen Wells said: "After the filming the Friends had many disagreements with Emmerdale as to the funding of the work to repair the damage done by the filming equipment, but I am pleased to say apart from a £2,000 donation to the Friends and funding for the damage, we are most grateful for a further grant."

The soap's producers hired contractor Dinsdale Moorland Services to take control of the project, and will pay the company directly. Permission for the repair work has been granted by Natural England and English Heritage.

[Glen1]

Almost as much as it cost Moira to have her hair done after been upside down in the landrover then.

[Perdita]

Emmerdale has been named the soap setting viewers would most like to live in.

An Inside Soap survey has found that 41% would live in the rural Yorkshire village, while 22% would reside in EastEnders' Walford, and only 20% would move to Coronation Street's Weatherfield.

In contrast, readers believe Coronation Street is the most realistic soap, with Hollyoaks being the most fictional.

The Branning and Mitchell families in EastEnders are the most popular in soapland, with readers asked which clans they would be a member of.

Elsewhere in the survey, 80% of participants called for a further injection of humour into British soaps, while 57% want to see more genuine love stories on screen.

Meanwhile, only 20% of the magazine's readers would advocate more affairs and pregnancy plots.

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's Matthew Wolfenden has spoken of his intention to marry Charley Webb as soon as possible.

Wolfenden and Webb, who play the rural soap's David Metcalfe and Debbie Dingle, have been engaged for over two years.

"I think it's time we cracked on with the wedding," he told Closer magazine. "Our dream would be to fly off somewhere hot and get married on a beach."

"But, if we can't manage that, Newquay will do," he added comically.

Of the couple's two-year-old son, the star added: "Buster is much more independent and the Dancing on Ice tour has finished."

Wolfenden was crowned winner of this year's Dancing on Ice series back in March.

The 34-year-old, who has known Webb since joining Emmerdale in 2006, also revealed details of his fiancée's reserved personality.

"Charley's quite shy and hates being the centre of attention," he added. "A big wedding would be her idea of a nightmare. But if we eloped our mums would never forgive us."

[Perdita]

Emmerdale has landed its first ever product placement contract, securing a deal with Welcome to Yorkshire.

Leaflets, posters and other promotional material for the tourist organisation will begin appearing in episodes of the ITV1 soap from tomorrow (July 3), Broadcast reports. The arrangement will run until the New Year.

ITV's branded content manager Katherine Marlow commented: "Emmerdale and Welcome to Yorkshire is a great brand fit and we look forward to exploring further opportunities as part of this partnership."

Meanwhile, Welcome to Yorkshire's chief executive Gez Verity told The Drum: "We are always looking for new ways to promote Yorkshire and working with one of the most successful soaps on television, which is set in Yorkshire, is an obvious partnership.

"With an average audience of over 7 million viewers watching each episode, this is a great way to promote Yorkshire as a perfect holiday destination."

Coronation Street became the first UK soap to feature product placement late last year when a Nationwide cash machine appeared in Dev Alahan's corner shop.

Channel 4's Hollyoaks has since landed deals of its own with L'Oréal and Nokia.

[Perdita]

Emmerdale star Chris Bisson has expressed his excitement over the news that he is to be a father.

The actor and partner Rowena Finn are currently expecting their first child together. Finn is due to give birth in January.

On screen, meanwhile, Bisson's character Jai Sharma is also due to become a dad following a one-night stand with Rachel Breckle (Gemma Oaten).

Speaking on This Morning today (July 26), Bisson explained that he is delighted over his real-life news.


© Rex Features / Ken McKay

Pictured: Chris Bisson on This Morning.

Bisson commented: "It's very, very exciting. It's running exactly at the same time as this storyline, so it's been interesting. I'm really looking forward to it. It's more fun in real life than it is on screen, because on screen I've got loads of problems!

"In real life, I wanted to tell everyone - but you can't tell everyone because of the scan. On screen, I wanted to keep it all quiet! I'm doing the opposite in real life to what I'm doing on screen."

The 37-year-old also said that he believes Jai is a good man at heart, despite his recent infidelity.

He said: "[Jai's] always been a good, likeable character. Good people do bad things. I don't know if I feel sorry for him, but it's certainly interesting to play. The more problems he has, the more fun I have at work.

"[Jai] wants to have it all. He's a good guy - he wants to do the right thing by Rachel, he wants to do the right thing by Charity, and more importantly he wants to do the right thing by himself - it's a selfish thing. By trying to do the right thing by everyone, he's helping no-one - and that's going to be his downfall."

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1.

[Perdita]

Emmerdale legend Claire King has said that she would reprise her iconic role as Kim Tate.

However, the actress, who played the soap superbitch between 1989 and 1999, admitted that she would probably only return "for a week".

When asked whether she will ever reappear in Emmerdale, she answered: "I don't know. Obviously the first time I died and then it turned out to be mistaken identity on the slab.

"And then I went back and beat my husband over the head with a billiard cue and then she fled in a helicopter very much alive and well.

"Her name is still on the title deeds of Home Farm, which I find highly amusing, considering there are all these people who keep romping through my house.

"It would be great to go back for a week, create mayhem and then bugger off again!"

The 49-year-old is appearing in Hollyoaks for a guest stint as a prison governor later this month.

The star is also recognised from her time on popular ITV drama Bad Girls, in which she played Karen Betts.

[Perdita]

Emmerdale legend Claire King has said that she would reprise her iconic role as Kim Tate.

However, the actress, who played the soap superbitch between 1989 and 1999, admitted that she would probably only return "for a week".

When asked whether she will ever reappear in Emmerdale, she answered: "I don't know. Obviously the first time I died and then it turned out to be mistaken identity on the slab.

"And then I went back and beat my husband over the head with a billiard cue and then she fled in a helicopter very much alive and well.

"Her name is still on the title deeds of Home Farm, which I find highly amusing, considering there are all these people who keep romping through my house.

"It would be great to go back for a week, create mayhem and then bugger off again!"

The 49-year-old is appearing in Hollyoaks for a guest stint as a prison governor later this month.

The star is also recognised from her time on popular ITV drama Bad Girls, in which she played Karen Betts.