James Hooton has brought Sam Dingle to life on Emmerdale ever since joining the ITV soap in 1995.
Emmerdale recently celebrated 30 years of the Dingle family, who first arrived on screen in 1994. One of the long-standing members, Sam Dingle, has been a fixture on the ITV soap since 1995. Over the years, Sam has been involved in several major storylines, including the tragic death of his wife Alice Dingle and the near-fatal cow stampede during the show’s 50th anniversary special.
Sam, portrayed by James Hooton, is now happily married to Lydia Dingle, played by Karen Blick. His son, Samson Dingle — whom he shared with his late wife Alice — departed the village in 2024.
Sam also has a granddaughter, Esther, who Samson welcomed with Amelia Spencer in 2022. In last year’s festive episodes, both Amelia and Esther departed the village to start a new life elsewhere.
Nottingham-born actor James Hooton, 52, has portrayed Sam since 1995 — but what do we know about the soap star away from Emmerdale?
Career before Emmerdale
Before securing his long-running role on the ITV soap, James appeared in shows such as Heartbeat, Peak Practice, and The Bill.
Earlier this year, James received congratulations from his fellow cast members after celebrating 30 years of playing Sam on Emmerdale.
Sharing on his Instagram, James posted a photo of himself with the caption: “Today marks my 30th anniversary on Emmerdale! Jan 10th 1995 was my first scene in Esholt village with Steve Halliwell (Zak) and Paul Loughran (Butch).”
In July 2024, James appeared on ITV’s Loose Women to talk about his future on the show, saying: “As long as they’ll have me, I’ll stay there!”
Real voice
Emmerdale fans are used to hearing Sam speak with a strong Yorkshire accent, so many were surprised to discover it isn’t James’ natural accent.
The soap’s Instagram account previously shared behind-the-scenes clips showing James, who hails from Carlton, Nottinghamshire.
One fan commented: “Love Sam, and it’s so strange to hear him out of character.” Another said: “James’ accent never fails to surprise me,” while a third added: “An absolutely brilliant actor.”
Meanwhile, during a recent Loose Women interview, James left host Coleen Nolan stunned with his “real voice.”
Coleen, 60, said: “It’s funny because the first time you appeared on the show, as you’re such an iconic character in Emmerdale, I heard you speak like that and thought: ‘Oh, he’s not really him!'”
Coronation Street link
James is set to appear in the upcoming Emmerdale and Coronation Street crossover episode, Corriedale. Both ITV soaps have filmed four scenes in which an Emmerdale character meets a Coronation Street character.
However, only one of these scenes will be broadcast, with viewers getting to vote on which soap duo they want to see. James filmed his scene with Andy Whyment, who has played Kirk Sutherland on Coronation Street since 2000.
Sharing a photo on Instagram with Andy, 44, James wrote: “Sam Dingle, Kirk Sutherland, and Peanut the dog! Had a great time filming a scene with Andy Whyment on Friday!”
“Four scenes were filmed featuring four different Corrie/Emmerdale crossover duos, and soon viewers will get to vote on which scene will appear in the crossover episode.
“Billed as ‘the meeting of two brain cells,’ our scene was a playful encounter between two characters not exactly known for their sharpness. It was a privilege to film this scene, and I hope it makes it into the crossover episode.”
Replying in the comments, Andy wrote: “Really enjoyed working with you, mate. It would be great if our scene gets included in the episode, but at least we were part of the four scenes that were filmed.”
Family and hobbies
When he’s not filming, James enjoys spending time with his partner, Nancy Lucas, and their two daughters, Ava-Rose and Lily. Outside of family life, he dedicates time to honing his rock-climbing abilities — a hobby that helps explain his impressive physique at 52.
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