Emmerdale has been a staple on our screens since 1972 and throughout its 50-year history, the soap has introduced us to several iconic characters
The ITV soap, a mainstay on our screens since its 1972 premiere, has kept viewers captivated with its gripping narratives and unexpected plot twists.
Emmerdale has given us numerous memorable characters over the years, from stalwarts like Kim Tate (Claire King) and Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), to newer faces such as Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller).
Interestingly, one cast member is said to be earning a pretty penny for their time on the show – and the identity of the highest earner might just surprise you.
According to The Mirror, the pay structure across Emmerdale, Coronation Street, and EastEnders is uniform, with actors receiving a per-episode fee ranging from £400 to £2,000. This comes with a guaranteed number of episodes per year and a repeat fee, reports Leicestershire Live.
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While it’s unclear who the highest-paid star on Emmerdale currently is, there have been reports over the years about the net worth of some fan-favourite cast members.
Claire King holds the record as the soap’s all-time top earner and is among the highest-paid soap actresses ever. She’s been playing the iconic Kim Tate since 1989, took a hiatus after ten years, and then made her comeback in 2018.
She is also a veteran of strictly-come-dancing>Strictly Come Dancing, having danced with Brendan Cole in 2006, and she made an appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014. However, she had to exit the Channel 4 reality show early due to medical reasons. Her fee for these appearances is rumoured to be a staggering £230,000.
The highest earner might surprise those who expected it to be Chris Chittell – the soap’s longest-serving actor who has played Eric Pollard since 1986. It’s reported that Chris receives a substantial annual salary of £200,000 for his portrayal of Eric.
Other cast members’ salaries have also been speculated about, including Emma Atkins, who has portrayed Charity Dingle since 2000. She is believed to earn a handsome £200,000 each year from her work on the popular soap.
Jeff Hordley, known for his role as Emmerdale’s resident hard man Cain Dingle, reportedly earns the same as Emma: a commendable yearly salary of £200,000.
As for Danny Miller, who plays Aaron Dingle, he has appeared in over 1,400 episodes of the show. Given the rate of £400 to £2,000 per episode, he would have accumulated a considerable salary over his 13-year tenure.
Meanwhile, Steve Halliwell, who portrayed Zak Dingle and sadly passed away at the age of 77 in 2023, likely had an annual salary of around £200,000. He was a part of Emmerdale from 1994 until his death, a total of 29 years.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
