Emmerdale hunk Michael Parr, who recently made a dramatic comeback to the soap as Ross Barton, has spoken out about a character he’s itching to see in the Dales. The 38 year old returned to our screens after a six-year sabbatical when Ross stepped into the ring against Billy Fletcher, portrayed by Jay Kontzle, during an underground fightsending fans into a frenzy.
During a chat with the Daily Star, and other press, the actor dished the dirt on the sparse Barton clan and his burning desire to see Nana Barton, a much-talked-about but never-seen matriarch, join the ITV soap.
Michael said: “There was this character, a mythological Barton character called Nana Barton”. He’s even got someone in mind for the role, none other than acting royalty Sue Johnston of Brookside and The Royle Family fame.
“I would love it, this is not happening, but if Sue Johnston reads this please come to Emmerdale because it would be my dream to work with you after watching you for so many years on Brookside and The Royle Family.”
(Image: ITV)
He continued, hinting at the kind of chaos she could unleash in the village: “I think she’s probably busy getting offers coming in left right and centre but if I could cast anybody to play a character that hasn’t been in the show yet then evil Nana Barton. Maybe she is loving.”, reports Leicestershire Live.
Throwing us back to some dark Barton history, Michael reminded everyone that Ross’ mum Emma (played by Gillian Kearney) memorably killed his dad James (Bill Ward) back in 2016, before meeting her own grisly end the following year which also resulted in her accidentally killing another of her sons, Finn (Joe Gill).
The character was ultimately discovered at Hotten Viaduct where it emerged that Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) was the one who sent her plummeting to her death, leaving her son and Ross’ half-brother Adam Barton (Adam Thomas) to flee after he took the fall for the crime.
(Image: BBC)
Ross’ sole close kin still around is his brother Pete Barton, acted by Anthony Quinlan, who beat a hasty retreat from the village in 2020 to join Ross in Liverpool.
Chatting about his on-screen sibling, Michael let slip that he’s itching for Anthony to make a comeback as Pete in the drama.
He spilled: “I’d love Quinny back, yeah. Because he had done Hollyoaks and stuff before, he’s not that much older than me, but he felt older when we got here because he had walked the walk with being on TV.”
“There were so many things we didn’t know what to do, and didn’t know how to handle, and Quinny is a lovely, soft person to be around. So I would like it.”
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
