05 February 2024 , 18:56
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Emmerdale star Clive Hornby was hospitalised while filming on the iconic ITV soap - with the late actor's character being written out of the show a decade and a half ago today.
Clive played Jack Sugden for 28 years on the long-running ITV teatime drama - taking over the role in 1980 after Andrew Burt played the character from 1972 until 1976. Clive sadly passed away on 3 July 2008, aged just 63 and following a cancer battle.
His character, Jack, was killed off the following year with an off-screen end being revealed to the characters, and Jack's cause of death revealed as a heart attack. The scenes detailing the character's death aired on 5 February 2009 - a full 15 years ago today.
But Clive himself had a near death experience while playing his role on screen - as an on-set accident saw him hospitalised for more than a week. In 1997, Clive had to be rushed to hospital after he filmed a scene which involved Jack pushing a tractor when things went awry.
Clive played Jack Sugden on the ITV soap from 1980 until 2008 (ITV)
The actor passed away in July 2008 and his character was killed off-screen on 5 February 2009 (Getty Images)Doctors discovered he was suffering from a collapsed lung and he had to spend eight days in hospital to help him recover. Speaking of the incident, he said: “It’s all right now but it made me realise that I never wanted to spend eight days again in a hospital. I stopped smoking after that. Not cigarettes, cigars. Stupid to smoke cigars, I know, but you could say it was a turning point in my life.”
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Clive sadly died in 2008 and filmed his final scenes that January - which aired that July, close to the date of his real-life death. The residents of the dales were later told Jack had died of a heart attack - with an apparition of him appearing to on-screen wife Diane Sugden, played by Elizabeth Estensen.
Anita Turner, who was Emmerdale's series producer at the time of Clive's death paid tribute to the star, saying in a statement at the time: "Clive will be greatly missed by everyone who has worked with him on Emmerdale during the past 28 years. He was a hugely popular and well-respected member of cast and a terrific actor."
Away from the drama of the soap, Clive was married to actress Helen Weir, 81 - and she also played his onscreen wife, Pat Sudden. Clive and Helen welcomed a son together before they divorced in 2000 after 16 years of marriage.
Helen appeared on Emmerdale from 1980 until 1986 and starred in 446 episodes. She has since retired from acting with a role on Heartbeat being her last credited acting appearance - featuring in an episode that aired in 1993.