Ex Casualty star Gillian Kearney to play Emma Barton in Emmerdale

There's a new Barton arriving in Emmerdale and James's ex wife Emma will be as troublesome as the rest of the family!

Emma Barton will be played by Gillian Kearney, a familiar face to fans of Casualty and Brookside, on which she played Jessica Harrison and Debbie McGrath.

After 22 years away from the family fold, Emma Barton is tracked down by her son, Finn. With James and Moira’s affair now out in the open, viewers will wonder how the complex Emma will react when she finds out James also fathered a son, Adam (Adam Thomas) with her sister in law, Moira (Natalie J Robb).

 

Gillian will appear in Emmerdale from January and said: “As an avid fan of Emmerdale, I’m delighted to be playing Emma Barton. She’s a fascinating and complex character and I'm excited to find out what lies ahead for her. The team at Emmerdale have all made me feel really welcome and I'm loving being part of such a brilliant show.”

 

Kate Oates, Emmerdale's series producer, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Gillian to the show. The arrival of Emma Barton has been long awaited, so her arrival is sure to cause fireworks in the volatile Barton family!”

 

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.