The Bill's Dominic Power nicks a role in Emmerdale

Former The Bill star Dominic Power has landed a role in Emmerdale, as Debbie Dingle's ex. The actor, who played PC Leon Taylor in the police drama, starts filming in the new year as Cameron Murray. Cameron arrives in the village unexpectedly to see Debbie (Charley Webb), and sparks fly between the pair. But it will become clear that Debbie and Cameron, who were together when she lived in Jersey, have a complicated past. Dominic said: "Cameron is a strong, sharp-tongued and defiant character. He is essentially a good guy, but has a darker, edgier side to him. I can't wait to start filming in the New Year and the cast have already been really welcoming." The soap's executive producer Steve November added: "We are delighted to welcome Dominic to the cast. 2011 is going to be a dramatic year for Debbie Dingle and Cameron will be integral to her story." Dominic was nominated for a Best Newcomer gong at the National Television Awards, and recently played Jojo in Bollywood movie Tezz. The actor hits screens in March. Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop

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.