Ex Hollyoaks star James Redmond to star in Emmerdale

Former Hollyoaks and Casualty star James Redmond is joining the cast of Emmerdale.

James will play Seb and he will also be joined by Dudley Sutton, who will play his father William. Dudley first appeared as a short-term character 15 years ago.

James, who played Finn in Channel 4's Hollyoaks, said: "Having taken a five-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."

Dudley, 80, who starred in the BBC's Lovejoy series, first appeared in Emmerdale as a down-and-out. William reappears when Ruby Haswell, played by Alicya Eyo, applies to work as his carer, but doesn't realise he's the father of her former boyfriend, Seb.

Dudley said: "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."

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.