Emmerdale star James Hooton confirmed the sad news of his father Kenneth’s death.
The Sam Dingle actor, 50, posted a photo of himself and his father on Instagram with a long caption.
‘I have to report the passing of my dad, Kenneth Hooton, on Tuesday 16th April, a week before what would have been his 82nd birthday,’ he wrote.
‘This is the last photo I took with my dad, on the 16th February 2024. He had been in hospital through Christmas and had recently been moved to a new care home in Sutton in Ashfield.’
He added: ‘He had Alzheimer’s disease and Vascular Dementia but still recognized me and other family members and friends, right until the end!
He lived a life full of experiences and had no regrets.
‘The last time I saw him a few weeks ago, along with his old friend Martin meats, my dad said, “I’m in the done it club now”. R.I.P Dad!’
The TV actor received an outpouring of love from his fellow co-stars, with Lisa Riley (Mandy Dingle) commenting: ‘So much love and strength.’
Actress Amy Walsh (Tracy Metcalfe) replied: ‘Awww sending love Jim!’
Earlier this year, James’s character Sam was at the center of an emotional storyline after his partner Lydia (Karen Blick) realized she was ready to be intimate with Sam again following her rape.
She decided to dress up and cook dinner for her husband for a few hours by themselves, but when Sam returned home he made a mistake and told Lydia he doesn’t want intimacy, or sex.
The comments hurt Lydia but ultimately, Sam meant well. He was worried about pressuring Lydia and said he didn’t ‘want [them] being funny with each other’ because it’s the last night he has at home before visiting his dad.
