Former EastEnders star Joe Absolom joins Emmerdale cast
The 46-year-old will play Ray, an old contact of Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb), in the ITV soap, having previously played Matthew Rose in BBC soap EastEnders from 1997 to 2000.
ITV says Ray will arrive at the farm claiming to be selling farm machinery, but it is not long before his true drug-dealing ways become clear.
Absolom said of his new role: 'Well, what an honour to join such a talented team at Emmerdale. It's an iconic show and I'm grateful to be part of it. I can't wait to see what's in stock for Ray.'
ITV says Absolom's character will have a 'calm and collected exterior' with a hidden 'menacing streak'.
Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said: 'We are thrilled to welcome Joe Absolom to the cast. It's fantastic to have such a high-calibre and immensely talented actor join our wonderful team to play the role of Ray.
'Charming, charismatic and effortlessly likeable, Ray is an extremely complex character who very quickly shows his dark and villainous side to some of our most loved villagers, leaving them in no doubt as to what he's capable of.'
The actor also appeared as Al Large in the ITV comedy drama Doc Martin between 2004 and 2022, and most recently played the role of Braden Moore in Code of Silence.
It comes after ITV announced it was to air its first ever crossover between Coronation Street and Emmerdale, with fans able to vote for the characters they would like to see meet and interact.
The hour-long crossover episode will air in January 2026 as ITV and STV announce a new hour of soap schedule, which will see half hour Emmerdale episodes air at 8pm, followed by 30-minute episodes of Coronation Street at 8.30pm.
Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7.30pm on ITV1 and STV, or from 7am on ITVX and STV Player.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Coronation Street barmaid dies as tributes pour in from fans
Former model and Coronation Street actress has passed away aged 85. Barbara Ferris played a barmaid in Coronation Street in 1961, and enjoyed a decades-long career. After a stint on Coronation Street as Nona Willis, actress Barbara stepped away from the show after just 10 episodes, admitting she found the Lancastrian accent too difficult to follow. Film fans may also remember her as Dinah, the love interest who runs away with Dave Clark in the 1965 movie Catch Us If You Can. Her final screen appearance came in 1990's The Krays, directed by Peter Medak. Ferris eventually left acting behind to focus on raising her children and accompanying her husband on international work trips, with the couple settling in homes across Ireland, Zurich, and London. Born in London to Dorothy and Roy Ferris, she was the youngest of two children. As a student at the Italia Conti stage school, she took on pantomimes and commercials to support her family. Following news of her passing, fans have shared touching tributes and vintage photos online to honour her memory. One wrote: 'Absolutely gutted to hear about Barbara Ferris. She had such a quiet grace on screen — Catch Us If You Can was a core memory from my childhood. Rest easy, Dinah."
Metro
29 minutes ago
- Metro
Coronation Street showdown in ITVX streaming release as new ‘couple' revealed
This article contains spoilers for tonight's Coronation Street which has not yet aired on TV but is available to watch now on ITVX. A Coronation Street family was at war in recent scenes after one sibling made a controversial choice in romantic partner. Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) has only been back on the cobbles for five minutes, and already he's causing chaos. During an afternoon trip to the Rovers, Jason got chatting to Danielle Silverton (Natalie Anderson) and soon bought her a drink – unaware that she was Theo Silverton's (James Cartwright) wife. Danielle was left devastated earlier this year when she discovered that Theo had been cheating on her with Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce), with the revelation that he was gay tearing the family apart. Though Theo has made the effort to keep things friendly for the sake of the kids, Danielle hasn't been so receptive of his olive branch. In tonight's episode, it became clear very quickly that Danielle knew who Jason was, and was using him to get at Theo. When Jason and Danielle emerged into the living room where Theo, Todd and the rest of the family were gathered, Danielle was clearly smug at having slept with Jason. As Jason insisted that he hadn't known who she was, Danielle gloated about her conquest, before pointing out to Theo that it wasn't nice to feel humiliated. With Danielle gone, the fireworks were far from over, as Todd laid into his brother for his mistake. More Trending Defensive, Jason argued that he hadn't been the one to steal Danielle's husband, leaving Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) to furiously jump in. Meanwhile, Theo chased after Danielle, who made it clear that she was done with him completely by dumping his wedding ring down the drain. View More » With Danielle hellbent to see Theo out of her life, how will his relationships with his family be affected? MORE: Triple Coronation Street exit shock as end of an era is confirmed MORE: All Coronation Street spoiler videos for next week as unexpected character returns MORE: Who plays Noah in Coronation Street and what else has he been in?
Scottish Sun
40 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Barbara Ferris dead: Beloved Coronation Street star dies aged 85 after decades-long career as tributes pour in
She left the drama because she struggled to understand the accents STAR GONE Barbara Ferris dead: Beloved Coronation Street star dies aged 85 after decades-long career as tributes pour in Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER model and Corrie actress has passed away aged 85. Barbara Ferris played a barmaid in Coronation Street in 1961. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up She played the part of Nona Willis, at the Rovers Return, but left the drama after 10 episodes because she didn't understand the accents. Ferris may also be remembered as Dinah, the woman who eloped with Dave Clark in the 1965 film Catch Us If You Can. She retired to raise her family, and travel with her husband's work. They had homes in Ireland, Zurich and in London. Ferris is survived by her husband and their children, Nicholas, Christopher and Catherine. Devastated fans have posted photos of the actress online to share their condolences. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
