Emmerdale star Clive Hornby was revered for playing the role of Jack Sugden for an incredible 28 years.
Best known for his flat cap, marriage to Diane and issues with infidelity throughout his time in the soap, Jack was such an icon that he’s often still referred to in the Dales.
Clive took on the role from 1980 until his death in 2008, taking over from Andrew Burt who played Jack from 1972 until 1976.
But what about his life off-screen? From his devastating divorce to his secret music career as a Merseybeat artist, Daily Star delves into Clive’s life and death, more than a decade after his on-screen funeral.
Secret music career
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From the early 1960s, Clive was actually a part of the Merseybeat band The Dennisons, in which he played drums.
The band, formed in 1961, went their separate ways in 1967 before hosting a brief reunion in 1991.
Taking their name from a street in Liverpool, it was often said that they had the biggest impact on the Merseyside music scene since The Beatles, with Cavern Club DJ Bob Wooler admitting: “The Dennisons have created the biggest impact in Liverpool since The Beatles.”
However, they failed to achieve national or international acclaim.
In their incredible run, the band released its debut single Be My Girl in 1963 – they subsequently released songs like You Don’t Know What Love Is, Little Latin Lupe Lu and Tutti Frutti.
Only one member of the band has survived until today – bass player Alan Willis, who was part of the band between 1961 and 1962.
Co-star romance
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It can’t be said that on-set romances don’t flourish on the set of Emmerdale, and Clive certainly found that when he married Helen Weir.
The pair met when she was playing his then on-screen wife Pat Sugden, and they tied the knot back in 1986 and went on to share a son, Thomas.
Speaking about his son in a 2000 interview with The Mirror, Clive explained that his relationship with his own father inspired him to “do everything” with Tom.
He said: “Tom and I are mates. We do everything together. I cuddle him all the time, and kiss him when I say goodnight.
“He is 14, I know, and he probably wonders why but I don’t care. It is important to show your love. We talk as well, all the time.”
He added: “In Dad’s day, affection wasn’t shown so easily and so although I knew that he loved me, he didn’t really display it as much as I do with Tom.”
Clive and Helen sadly divorced in 2000, but Clive remained incredibly close to Tom.
Tragic loss
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Clive’s own father sadly died on Christmas Day when his grandson Tom would have been just four years old.
Speaking about his death, Clive admitted: “It was Christmas Day when he died. He was in hospital with something wrong with his foot. But then everything packed up. When my mum phoned me, I knew straight away.
“The awful thing was Tom was only four and came rushing into the room saying excitedly, ‘Father Christmas is here’.
“I had two emotions in one. There was my son and there was my dad, dead. It was really weird, just awful. It took me three years to get over it all.”
Health issues and death
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Clive was aged just 63 when he died in 2008 from cancer. He had filmed his last scenes for the soap in January that year and died in July – but had previously denied rumours about his ill health and insisted he didn’t want to leave the soap.
He said at the time: “I can’t imagine leaving” and thought the break would be a temporary one after being quoted as saying: “I don’t want to leave Emmerdale. I’ll wait till they chuck me out.”
However, it wasn’t his only health battle in the soap, as in 1997 he was rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung after filming a difficult scene pushing a tractor – and spent eight days recovering there.
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.
(Image: ITV)
“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.”
His character Jack was officially killed off the soap a year later in 2009, and a funeral hosted for him in the Emmerdale graveyard with a ghostly image of Jack standing by the grave to say one final goodbye to wife Diane.
Emmerdale series producer at the time Anita Turner said of Clive’s death: “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.”
£300,000 gift
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In his will, Clive left a total of £324,000 in a trust for his son Thomas.
The actor originally left £733,930 but the figure eventually reduced to £323,911 after liabilities were deducted.
His estate also included future earnings from TV contracts to be placed in trust for Thomas, who would have been around 22 years old at the time of his father’s death.
Emmerdale airs weeknights from 7pm on ITV.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
