Phil Spencer’s life off screen from farm childhood to tragic loss of parents

After a brief absence from Emmerdale, Cathy Hope recently returned to our screens in the wake of her debilitating mental health battle with premenstrual dysphoric disorder.The youngster had been battling heavy periods and severe mood swings for a number of weeks and left the village to go and stay with her half-brother Scott Windsor in the hopes that a break would help her to get a better handle on her condition. Since her return, a tearful Cathy has opened up to her dad’s partner Wendy and explained how she is still struggling to live with the devastating condition, with emotionally taxing scenes having broken the hearts of many fans tuning in.Thankfully however, despite Cathy’s on-screen struggles, Garbielle Dowling, the talented teen that plays her, has a far less stressful life away from the cameras! Co-star brother First making her debut alongside her real life brother, Sebastian in 2007, the pair have been firm fixtures of Emmerdale for over 16 years! Now aged 17, Gabrielle has been propelled into the limelight as part of the exciting PMDD storyline, but with the real-life twins having been staples of the show for so long, it may surprise viewers to know that the pair weren’t the first stars to originate the roles of Bob Hope’s children.The twins were originally played by Ella Whitehouse Downes and Lilith Kitching for the first few episodes following their introduction, as Sebastian had to remain in hospital for an extra week following his birth.

For ten whole years, Kellie Bright has been delighting audiences with her portrayal of Linda Carter in EastEnders, with her decade long stint on the show having the seen the character embroiled in numerous dramatic storylines. Among some of her most iconic storylines to date, fans have seen the character come to terms with her rape at the hands of her brother-in-law Dean Wicks, battle with alcoholism, deliver a premature baby and of course, lose the love of her life Mick Carter in a devastating car accident last Christmas.

Follow OK! on Threads here: https://www.threads.net/@ok_mag Coronation Street star Anthony Crank returned to the cobbles as Dean Turnbull earlier this year much to the delight of fans. Anthony, 49 returned to the cobbles in August playing the turbulent role of villain and drug dealer Dean who has notably been terrorising Cassie Plumber amid her drug addiction.This is Anthony's fourth stint on Coronation Street having played the role of Dean twice as well as two other roles. In 2011, he appeared as a police officer in scenes linked to Jim McDonald's armed robbery and in the same year reappeared in the same role, this time attending the burglary scene at Janice Battersby's house.

Dame Maureen Lipman has been a regular on our TV screens for decades, having landed her first on-screen role in 1969 and going on to star in numerous well-known shows. The star, 77, has become a household name thanks to her incredible talents as an actress, writer and comedian, which even led to her being made a Dame in 2020. Maureen is now arguably best known for portraying Evelyn Plummer in hit ITV soap Coronation Street - a regular role she's been in since 2018.

Michael Le Vell has become a soap legend thanks to his role as Kevin Webster in hit ITV soap Coronation Street, having joined the cast back in 1983. The 58 year old actor has found himself at the centre of numerous dramatic storylines over the years, from Kevin's rocky marriage to Sally Metcalfe to his affairs with Natalie Horrocks and Molly Dobbs. More recently, viewers have watched as the mechanic has cared for his son Jack following his sepsis diagnosis along with his marriage and romance with Abi Franklin.

Coronation Street star Shelley King has become a key character on the cobbles since she joined as Yasmeen Metcalfe in 2014.The believed character is currently in a relationship with Stu Carpenter played by Bill Fellows and will soon be celebrating her 70th birthday in the heart of Weatherfield. Away from Corrie, the soap star is miles away from her on screen persona and is actually 67 years old and is in a civil partnership with actor and director Trilby James.Trilby has established herself in the world of showbiz having worked on shows such as Poirot, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Casualty, The Broker's Man and Cake. The pair have been together for over 20 years with Shelley "coming out" to her parents after they met.

Emmerdale star Kevin Mathurin, who plays the role of vicar Charles Anderson, lives in a colourful London pad - and has a surprising A-list connection. Kevin, 63, has become a fan favourite since he joined the hit ITV soap in 2020 and has been at the heart of some huge storylines.

Lucy Benjamin has been a recognisable face in the soap world for decades - mainly thanks to her work in EastEnders as Lisa Fowler, where she was first cast back in 1998. Now 53, Lucy has made quite a name for herself on the soap, first being introduced by producer Matthew Robinson as a 'home-wrecking blonde.' Since then, she's departed and returned to Albert Square a number of times over the years, and is now firmly back amongst things in the Walford world.

As EastEnders newcomer Anna Knight prepares to face the fallout of her estranged mother Cindy Beale’s return, it’s safe to say that there’s plenty of drama about to unfold in the coming days. From suddenly discovering she has a whole second family through to realising her mum had been living under a false identity for all of her life, tensions and emotions are bound to be running high among the Knight family.

We know her best for starring in the smash hit historical drama series Outlander, but Scottish sensation Joanne Thomson is so much more than just one role, with the talented actress already having had a wealth of accolades under her belt - including a role in the BAFTA award winning movie The Suffragettes, along with the BBC series The Victim. Whether it’s writing pilots and co-founding the first online BAFTA New Talent Writer's Group, through to flexing her cinematic skills both in front of and behind the camera, it’s safe to say that Joanne is a woman of many talents.

Lover, life partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, significant other, whatever you want to call it, everyone wants to find that special someone. And stars are no different. A new series of Celebs Go Dating started on 20 August, with all the television personalities keen to meet their person.The full line-up is: Adam Collard, Chloe Burrows, Lottie Moss, Mark-Francis Vandelli, Vanessa Feltz and Spuddz (real name Kieran Weir).

Home and Away viewers recently saw the arrival of new character Tegan to Summer Bay, claiming to be Andrew’s half sister. Tegan, played by Sophia Forrest, has made it clear about their desire to get to know Andrew better.The two have already started bonding over shared childhood trauma and fans will have to wait and see where this storyline leads... Who is Sophia Forrest? In a vastly different life from that of their Home and Away character, Sophia Forrest is the child of one of Australia’s wealthiest families.

EastEnders star William Ellis who plays the role of "creepy" headteacher Theo Hawthorne has starred in a number of other TV gigs fans may recognise. William, 42 made his EastEnders debut in April this year joining the storyline with Freddie Slater and was quickly wrapped up with the whole family, recently convincing Stacey Slater to kick out troubled Eve Unwin. But away from his "evil" antics on Albert Square, the soap star is miles away from his on screen persona and has appeared in a number of other recognisable titles, including a rival soap.The soap star is a British actor who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

EastEnders fans are set for a dramatic week with actress Heather Peace at the centre of explosive scenes.

Since barrelling onto our screens in October 2020 as the long-lost brother of Moira Barton, it’s safe to say that Emmerdale's Mackenzie Boyd has been followed by no shortage of trouble. From dodgy business dealings to questionable romances, the character has been at the heart of a number of storylines, including most recently his decision to leave his new wife Charity Dingle to pursue a relationship with Chloe Harris, after he managed to knock her up during a one night stand.

We know her best for playing the flirtatious seductress Charity Dingle in Emmerdale, but the actress that plays her, Emma Atkins couldn’t be further from her alter-ego in real life. The character, who is famous for her raunchy ways and dodgy business dealings is a far cry from Emma’s quieter and far less eventful life off screen, with all of the drama we love to see unfold, safely kept to the confines of the set! The 48 year old star first arrived on the show in 2000, and the Woolpack owner continues to be at the centre of the action even two decades down the line.

James Hooton is one of the most recognisable faces on the Emmerdale cobbles. He's been starring in the show since 1995 as Sam Dingle. His life on the soap hasn't been short of drama, from shootings and kidnappings and cow stampedes- it's always been eventful.

Louise Jameson shot to fame when she was cast as the companion to the fourth Doctor in Doctor Who back in 1977. Louise stunned as the leather-clad Leela in the role, and her newfound fame would go on to help her secure roles in crime series Bergerac, soap Eastenders and classic hospital drama Holby City. In 2022, the 72 year old veteran star joined the cast of Emmerdale.

Emily Symons found her breakout role in the character of hairdresser Marilyn Chambers on Home and Away, taking up the role in 1989.The star, now 54, took up the role for ten years before departing for a series of other roles, including a stint on Emmerdale, although she later returned to her Home and Away role in 2010.The star also had a stint on Dancing On Ice in 2007, but was voted out in the semi-final following a skate-off against Blue's Duncan James. After years living in the UK and seven years playing Louise Appleton on Emmerdale, Emily returned to her native Australia to reprise her Home and Away role and has resided there ever since. Off screen, Emily’s romantic history includes two marriages - her first to drummer Nick Lipscombe, who she met in London in the early 90s.

Swapping the wards of Holby City for a new role in Hollyoaks, actor David Ames delighted fans this week when a first look episode, saw the star make his debut in the Channel 4 soap as new headteacher Carter Shepherd. The exciting episode first got underway when Goldie McQueen (Chelsee Healey) poignantly admitted to (Ross Adams)that she had been struggling recently. Later, Goldie continued to lament about her situation at Bronzer’s memorial bench, while asking for a sign to help her through the particularly rough patch.