Emmerdale legend Deena Payne, who played Viv Hope/Vic Windsor in the soap before the character’s tragic death in 2011, recently wowed fans with throwback photos of her younger self.
The star looked unrecognisable in her former life as a singing sensation in the group Cats UK, with clips revealing the band performing their number one song Luton Airport on TV.
Talking about her past, she said in 2010: “In 1978 there was an advert for a girl group called Cats UK. I auditioned as I was in musical theatre and I got the job – it was to sing Luton Airport.”
The throwback photos sent fans wild and Daily Star has decided to take a look at where Deena Payne and her fellow Windsor Family co-stars are now.
Vic Windsor – Alun Lewis
(Image: Emmerdale Wiki)
Actor Alun Lewis was already a huge name in British television by the time he joined Emmerdale, having appeared in TV series including Birds Of A Feather, Boon, The Bill and Minder.
He also had chart-topping success as part of Emmerdale country group The Woolpackers, who scored a top ten hit called Hillbilly Rock, Hillbilly Roll and released a popular line dancing album too.
After leaving Emmerdale, the actor has continued to act in short films, with his last credited role listed in the 2017 TV film The Watcher In The Woods.
(Image: PA)
In his personal life, Alun was married to actress Anette Ekblom, and they had one daughter together.
A talent for performance certainly runs in the family, as his daughter is the Hollywood actress Amelia Warner, who has starred in blockbuster films including Aeon Flux and Gone, as well as TV series Waking The Dead.
Alun also has a very famous son-in-law, as his daughter is married to none other than 50 Shades of Grey, The Tourist and Belfast Actor Jamie Dornan.
Viv Windsor – Deena Payne
(Image: ITV)
Deena Payne starred as Vic Windsor when she joined Emmerdale in 1993, before later marrying Bob Hope.
The actress also left fans devastated following her departure from the soap, after Vic’s death in the post office explosion in 2011.
The star has also appeared in TV programmes including Crime Stories, and most recently, Doctors in 2020.
However, before rising to fame as one of soap’s most iconic characters, Deena had a secret singing career touring with The Animals keyboard player Alan Price.
She also scoring a Top 30 hit as part of the group Cats UK, with the track Luton Airport in 1979.
(Image: Getty Images)
Her musical connections also extend into her personal life too, as her ex-husband was percussionist Frank Ricotti, who played with stars including Elton John.
Speaking to The Mirror about her first marriage, she said: “My husband was a lovely man, Frank Ricotti, a very well-known percussionist who played with Elton John. I just wanted my independence. It was a classic situation, really – I was too young to be settled down.
“We’re still friends, but back then I wanted to be off, travelling and seeing the world, so I just shifted a gear and moved out.”
Deena later married another musician, husband and The Sweet band member Steve Grant, with whom she shares a son, William.
Scott Windsor – Toby Cockerell and Ben Freeman
(Image: Emmerdale Wiki)
The first actor to play Scott Windsor, the son of Vic Windsor, was Toby Cockerell from 1993-1996, before Scott left to join the Army in the soap.
However, Toby Cockerell has continued to act, appearing in TV series including One Tree Hill and theatre productions at venues such as The Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
It has been reported that he now works as a Product Manager at his make-up artist wife Zoe Rene’s company.
He was also previously married to Lindsay Zir from 2000-2002.
(Image: PA)
Ben Freeman took over from Toby Cockerell in 1998 following Scott Windsor’s return to the soap, which saw Scott become embroiled in huge stories including an affair and fathering a child with Zoe Tate.
After leaving Emmerdale once again in 2008, actor Ben Freeman has since had on screen success in TV series such as Doctors and appeared in the 2018 film Solo.
He also starred alongside X Factor singer Diana Vickers in the UK tour of The Rocky Horror Show in 2016, as well as in theatre productions including Wicked, Legally Blonde and Dreamcoats and Petticoats.
(Image: ITV)
Most recently, he also had a rival soap role in EastEnders in 2021, when he showed up on Albert Square as Caleb – an old acquaintance of Chelsea Fox.
Fans were delighted to see the actor back in a soap, with one viewer saying on social media: “Well Ben Freeman has aged well in his time since Emmerdale!”
A second added: “Oh Scott Windsor from Emmerdale got hot.”
In his personal life, he also dated Emmerdale co-star Amy Nuttall for four years, before marrying Jennifer Biddall in 2010.
Kelly Windsor – Adele Silva
(Image: ITV)
Viv and Vic’s daughter Kelly Windsor was played by Adele Silva, who has returned to the role in Emmerdale for cameos throughout the years.
Having made her acting debut in the Doctor Who story Squeak in 1989, she played the role of Kelly Windsor from 1993-2011.
She has since appeared in films including How To Stop Being A Loser and We Still Kill The Old Way, as well as TV series including Casualty.
Fans were also delighted when Adele appeared in a rival soap role as Angela Brown in Hollyoaks in 2015.
(Image: lisajaneriley/Instagram)
However despite having huge screen success, the actress hit out at the snobbery towards soap actors in 2020, after she was branded “too soapy” following a self-tape for an audition.
In a tweet, she said: “Interesting feedback from a selftape I really wanted to get – too soapy?! What even does that mean?
“Too Panto, too musical theatre? I haven’t played the role of Kelly for 10 years and encounter this all the time.
“I’ve trained at so many different acting schools and still people have a snobbery towards certain soap actors. I’m not bitter, some of my fave actors come from soaps but when will this snobbery end?!”
Away from the limelight, the actress is in a relationship with her partner Oliver Farber and has one child.
Donna Windsor – Sophie Jeffrey and Verity Rushworth
(Image: Emmerdale Wiki)
Donna was one of the Windsor family children, played by actress Sophie Jeffrey from 1993-1997.
However, it has since been reported that Sophie left the soap and acting in order to focus on her education.
Actress Verity Rushworth took over the role of Donna Windsor from 1998, which saw the character arrive in the village with her young daughter April, fall love with Ross Barton and in the years to follow, her tragic death in 2009.
(Image: PA)
Since leaving Emmerdale in 2009, actress Verity Rushworth has delighted fans in theatre productions including Hairspray, Chicago and Annie, as well as taking over from Connie Fisher in The Sound of Music.
She also showed off a stunning hair transformation on Instagram in 2017 for her role in the musical Kinky Boots, which saw the actress go blonde for the role.
(Image: Instagram)
The transformation wowed fans, with one saying on social media: “Love the hair,” while a second added: “Looking good girl.”
Verity also had a recurring role in BBC soap Doctors as Lily Walker between 2020-2021.
In her personal life, she is also married to Dominic Shaw and the couple welcomed their first child, Amelie, in 2016. Together they have two children.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
