Emmerdale legend James Hooton’s voice breaks as he discusses the heartbreaking death of his co-star

Emmerdale actor James Hooton, known for his role as the lovable Sam Dingle, was deeply moved during his appearance on ITV’s Loose Women and paid tribute to his late co-star and “good friend” Steve Halliwell, who played his father in the ITV soap.

James appeared on the panel show with his co-star Sam Hall, who plays his on-screen son Samson, and together they delved into their latest dramatic storyline, which sees Samson wrongfully frame Matty Barton (played by Ash Palmisciano) for a knife attack that leads to Matty’s wrongful imprisonment.

But the mood at Loose Women turned somber as they honoured Steve, who played Emmerdale’s popular Zak Dingle and was the soap’s second longest-serving cast member until his death in December last year. He joined the show in October 1994 and was a firm fan favourite for almost three decades.

The beloved actor died in December 2023 at the age of 77, leaving behind a legacy of laughter and love. “He made us laugh until the end, the greatest father and grandfather anyone could ask for,” his family said in a heartfelt statement.

Sam Dingle actor James, who himself spent an impressive 30 years on Emmerdale, shared his fond memories of his late co-star and announced that the soap will pay tribute to the character Zak Dingle with a special storyline; filming is set to begin soon, reports the Express.

Loose Women host Christine Lampard chimed in to say: “We’ve just been talking about Zak Dingle. The iconic character Zak Dingle and the wonderful Steve Halliwell, and I believe there will be a little nod to that in the show?”, which was met with warm applause from the audience and the other panellists.

Regarding the upcoming tribute, James revealed: “I think we’ll start filming in August, which will also deal with Zak’s death.”

Visibly moved, the actor’s voice dropped slightly as he added: “Steve obviously passed away at the end of last year, his funeral was earlier this year.

“So, I don’t know at the moment how far the story will develop, but I think it will be a really respectful farewell to a really iconic Emmerdale character.”

Christine told the judges and audience that she still thinks about Steve’s character “being there”. “With the Dingles and their whole backstory. As a cast, you really have to feel it when you have such a big character,” she said.