Emmerdale's James Thornton makes 'soap' return

Emmerdale's James Thornton makes 'soap' return
Emmerdale's James Thornton makes 'soap' return (Image credit: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Emmerdale star James Thornton has already made his soap comeback just two months after his character John Barton was killed off. The 36-year-old actor revealed he is voicing the trailer for 2012 British Soap Awards, to be held in London later this month and shown on ITV1 in May. James tweeted: "Just voiced the trailer for The British Soap Awards. Hope that means I am going to win!" He also posted a picture on Twitter of his script inside the official Soap Awards studio, with the lit up titles on the stage. James is up for two awards, Best Exit and Spectacular Scene of the Year for John and Moira's car accident. His final scene was a dramatic crash. The farmer and his wife, played by Natalie J Robb had been experiencing marriage problems and had both been unfaithful, but they had just rekindled their relationship when they had a car accident, which killed John. James - who had asked to leave Emmerdale so he could spend more time with his Gavin and Stacey star wife Joanna Page at home in London - was even injured in the crash as he insisted on doing his own stunts. He previously revealed: "I love stunt driving so I was in my element. "They had a stunt driver on standby, but I wanted to do it myself to make it more realistic. I ended up with bruises all over my shoulders from being thrown against the sides of the car." Emmerdale is up for 11 awards in total.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.