A very special geust is set to stop by the Yorkshire village this Christmas, the ITV soap has revealed
Emmerdale at Christmas
Emmerdale has officially confirmed a very special geust is set to stop by the village this Christmas – and they’re a bit of a pop legend!
Singer and actor Jason Donovan is swapping Ramsay Street for the Dales as he’s set to make a cameo appearance in the ITV soap that will transmit later this year.
Filming has already taken place on the Emmerdale set in Leeds, where Neighbours legend Jason performed one of his classic hits to a packed out Woolpack as a surprise for Lydia Dingle, played by Karen Blick.
As well as Karen, Jason shot scenes alongside Tony Audenshaw, who plays Bob Hope in the long-running show
Jason said of his latest soap stint: “I’m incredibly excited to have been asked to make a cameo appearance in Emmerdale as myself.
“Filming was great fun and all of the cast and crew were extremely welcoming. Singing in the Woolpack set was definitely an experience I won’t forget.”
Emmerdale producer, Laura Shaw, also added: “We were delighted that Jason agreed to join us for this episode. Not only is Lydia Dingle a big fan of his, there was a real buzz on set that day. I hope the viewers enjoy his cameo as much as the Emmerdale family did.”
Jason had already filmed his cameo for the ITV soap(Image: ITV)
The news was previously resported by The Sun, after Jason, who rose to fame playing Scott Robinson alongside Kylie Minogue in Aussie soap Neighbours, secretly filmed his scenes.
According to the newspaper’s source, the storyline – thought to air in the run-up to Christmas – is expected to see Lydia devastated after missing her chance to see Jason perform live, only for the villagers to rally together and arrange an unforgettable surprise.
Jason gave fans further details on his cameo on Wednesday morning (November 5), admitting he loved working alongside the “incredible” cast.
Speaking on Lorraine, he said: “I’m going in as myself, don’t tell anyone. I was asked to do something around Christmas.I filmed it a few months back. The cast were incredible, the production team were amazing.”
As mentioned, Jason is best known for playing Scott Robinson on Neighbours from 1986 to 1989, which he left to launch a career as a pop singer in 1988.
His character’s romance with co-star Kylie’s character Charlene Robinson was a highlight of the show with Scott and Charlene’s wedding being watched by two million Australians on July 1, 1987, before drawing 19.6 million viewers a year later in the UK.
Kylie also quit Neighbours in June 1988 and went on to launch a successful music career of her own, selling more than 80 million albums worldwide.
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 7:30 PM on ITV1 and STV, or from 7:00 AM on ITVX and STV Player.
