Soapland is known for a good cameo and Emmerdale is not different! In fact, when it comes to Emmerdale, there seem to have been more famous faces visiting the Dale than have popped into Weatherfield or Walford.
Here’s our round up of all the familiar faces you may have spotted over the years!
Celebrity chefs cameo in Emmerdale
Marlon Dingle’s vocation in the kitchen has led to some celebrity encounters. In 2005, he met Aldo Zilli at a cookery competition and Antony Worrall Thompson showed up in 2008 when the Woolpack was nominated as Pub of the Year.
Antony tried to tempt Marlon to become a TV chef but he decided to stay put!
Pop stars in Emmerdale
Emmerdale’s regular village events mean there have been lots of opportunities for popstars to visit.
Who can forget the tragic episode featuring Katherine Jenkins? She was closing the Emmerdale pageant in 2007, singing Time to Say Goodbye, as Len Reynolds died from a heart attack and was driven away. SOB!
Happier cameos include The Proclaimers and Scouting for Girls. They performed at a festival at Home Farm, organised by Declan Macey and his sister Megan, in 2012. The special episodes were part of the celebrations for Emmerdale’s 40th anniversary.
In 2001, teen hearthrob Marti Pellow serenaded Kathy Glover at her leaving party, while in 2005, Diane Sugden fessed up to having a fling with Tony Christie when he dedicated a song to her in his concert.
And Spice Girl Mel B was an extra on Emmerdale before making it big as Scary Spice!
Sports people
We all know Yorkshire’s not short of sporting legends and there have a been a few cameos from all kinds of champions since the show began.
Chris Kamara was “unbelievable” when his football team took on Bear’s back in 2019! And in 2014, Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton visited the village, as a nod to the Tour de France which started in Yorkshire that year.
And there’s more sporting cameos in Emmerdale
Winding the clock back further, rugby star Martin Offiah arrived in 1996 to play a ‘friendly’ charity match with some of the drinkers from the Woolpack. He even managed to send Mandy Dingle flying when he scored a try!
And in 1995 Hunter from Gladiators took part in a village tug of war!
That same year Ian Botham opened the newly refurbished Woolpack, while fellow cricketer Fred Trueman appeared in the show back in 1987.
Meanwhile before she won gold at the Olympics, Nicola Adams worked as an extra. She appeared in Coronation Street and Emmerdale but once she’d won her medal she had to retire from being a background artist because she was too recognisable!
Other famous faces who have had an Emmerdale cameo
Doctor Who star Colin Baker appeared in an episode in 2021 as Diane Sugden’s date. While actor and dad of Cherie Blair, Tony Booth was in Emmerdale in 2007. He played a homeless man called Errol, who may or may not have been a ghost. No, we don’t remember that either. Perhaps we’ve blocked it out?!
Lionel Blair, who’s no relation to Cherie as far as we know, played himself in 2008, judging a dancing competition in the village hall. Countdown presenter Richard Whiteley interviewed Gloria Pollard in 2002, and Fern and Phil interviewed Alan Turner on This Morning in 2005. Alan was talking about the disappearance of his fiancée Shelley Williams. When the episodes were aired again recently, as Classic Emmerdale, Phillip Schofield was edited out.
Drag queen The Vivienne visited the village for Emmerdale’s first Pride in 2021.
Most recently, Torvill and Dean showed off their ice dancing skills for evil abuser Tom King (if only they’d known what he was really like, eh?) as Belle proposed on the ice.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.30pm and 2.05pm.
