List of Emmerdale characters (2017) facts for kids

Emmerdale is a popular British TV show that started way back on 16 October 1972. It's a "soap opera," which means it tells ongoing stories about the lives of people in a fictional village. Every year, new characters join the show, bringing fresh storylines and excitement. This page lists the characters who first appeared in Emmerdale during 2017.

The first new character in 2017 was Gerry Roberts (played by Shaun Thomas) in January. He became friends with Lachlan White (Thomas Atkinson). Then, in February, three more characters arrived: Maggie (Philippa Howell), Ethan (Michael Warrender), and Jason (Samuel Edward-Cook).

March saw the introduction of Nell Fairfax, a friend of Jai Sharma's (Chris Bisson). In May, Matt (Jack Hickey) appeared as the ex-boyfriend of Carly Hope (Gemma Atkinson). Tim Richards (Mark Moraghan) joined in July as the uncle of Chrissie White (Louise Marwood).

September brought Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough), who became a father figure to Joe Tate (Ned Porteous). October was special because it marked the birth of Isaac Dingle. Finally, in November, Jessie Grant (Sandra Marvin), Sebastian White (Lily Westmoreland), and Dee Dee (Mia Gibson-Reed) made their first appearances. Many other characters also appeared briefly throughout the year.

Gerry Roberts

Gerry Roberts, played by Shaun Thomas, first appeared on 5 January 2017. He was introduced as the cell-mate of a character already on the show, Lachlan White (Thomas Atkinson). Gerry's character had a very sad ending, which was recognized as the "Most Devastating Soap Death" at the 2018 Digital Spy Reader Awards.

Maggie

Maggie, played by Philippa Howell, made her first appearance on 10 February 2017. Philippa Howell was hired to play Maggie for eight episodes. Maggie was a patient dealing with memory loss. This role was one of Howell's first acting jobs after working as an agent for actors for 20 years.

Ethan

Ethan, played by Michael Warrender, first appeared on 23 February 2017. Michael auditioned for the part in late 2016 and found out he got the role just before Christmas. He was very surprised and happy, calling it a "brilliant Christmas present." Michael started filming in January 2017, and Emmerdale was his very first acting job. Ethan was a cellmate of Aaron Dingle's (Danny Miller).

Jason

Jason, played by Samuel Edward-Cook, first appeared on 23 February 2017. Jason was an inmate at HMP Hotten. He was often aggressive towards Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller). Edward-Cook described Jason as a "twisted, angry young man."

Nell Fairfax

Nell Fairfax, played by Scarlett Archer, first appeared on 30 March 2017. Scarlett was already a fan of Emmerdale before she was cast as Nell. She found the filming schedule to be "quite terrifying" at first. She enjoyed playing Nell, saying it was fun to play someone very different from herself. Nell was introduced as a new friend for Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson).

It was announced on 9 July 2017 that Nell's character would be leaving the show. Her departure was part of her ongoing story. Nell left the show during the episode that aired on 12 September 2017.

Matt

Matt, played by Jack Hickey, first appeared on 12 May 2017. His character and casting were announced a few days before, on 9 May. Matt was the former boyfriend of Carly Hope (Gemma Atkinson). He was also the father of her son, Billy, who sadly passed away shortly after he was born. Matt left the village with Carly on 2 June 2017.

Tim Richards

Tim Richards, played by Mark Moraghan, first appeared on 5 July 2017. His character and Mark's casting were announced on 13 June. Tim is the biological uncle of Chrissie White (Louise Marwood).

Graham Foster

Graham Foster, played by Andrew Scarborough, first appeared on 5 September 2017. Graham Foster was like a father and legal guardian to Joe Tate (Ned Porteous). Andrew Scarborough's departure from the show was announced on 3 November 2019. He filmed his final scenes soon after. Graham made his last appearance on 27 January 2020 when his character passed away in a dramatic storyline.

Andrew Scarborough began playing Graham in September 2017.

Isaac Dingle

Isaac Dingle made his first appearance on 3 October 2017. He is the son of two main characters, Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) and Moira Barton (Natalie J. Robb).

Jessie Grant

Jessie Grant (also known as Jessie Dingle), played by Sandra Marvin, first appeared on 2 November 2017. Sandra was confirmed to be a regular cast member after her first scenes aired. She said she was a bit nervous at first, especially in The Woolpack, which is a famous place in the show. But everyone was very welcoming. Jessie became the new headteacher of the local primary school. Sandra mentioned that Jessie was also new to the area and would interact with the younger characters and their parents. On 12 August 2019, it was announced that Sandra Marvin decided to leave Emmerdale. She left the show on 16 September 2019.

Sebastian White

Sebastian White, played by Lily Westmoreland, first appeared on 9 November 2017. He is the son of Rebecca White (Emily Head) and Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley). The character was played by infant actress Lily. Emily Head, who played Rebecca, mentioned that Lily was very well-behaved on set and hardly ever cried.

Dee Dee

Dee Dee, played by Mia Gibson-Reed, made her first appearance on 24 November 2017. She is the daughter of Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) and the half-sister of Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham). Mia Gibson-Reed's casting as Dee Dee was announced in November 2017. It was confirmed she would appear for a short time as a guest character.

Other characters