Emmerdale fans shocked to discover top music star once appeared on ITV soap

Emmerdale fans have been left shocked after learning that a top music star once appeared on the ITV soap more than a decade ago. In 2015, Dominic Richard Harrison signed up to play the part of Matt, who had a short stay in the fictional Yorkshire village as a potential love interest for Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper ).

Two years after his stint on the ITV programme, Dominic had reinvented himself under the stage name of Yungblud, and has since released four albums, the latest of which was titled Idols and came out in June. But upon discovering the truth, Emmerdale fans flooded social media with their reactions.

One wrote on X: "How did I not notice him!!" whilst another said: "Right petition for Dom to get back to the village.". A third penned: "@Yungblud how didn't I notice you in emmerdale" and a fourth simply said: "This is so cute." It comes after ITV makes major decision on I'm A Celebrity's future after talks with officials.

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The following year, Yungblud starred in the Disney series The Lodge, which functioned as a musical and mystery drama that centred on the life of Skye Hart (Sophie Simnett), a teenage girl who relocates to rural Northern Ireland when her father takes over the North Star hotel. The musician had a recurring role as Oz, a singer who featured as a love interest for the character of Kaylee (Jade Alleyne).

His roles in Emmerdale and The Lodge are so far his only two credited acting roles, but Yungblud is not the only singer to have started out on a soap opera. Spice Girls star Mel B appeared as Bettabuys worker Amy Nelson in Coronation Street in 1993, having been drafted in to film a single scene as the character when original actress Louise Duprey decided to suddenly quit.

In the years that followed, Mel enjoyed major success alongside Geri Halliwell, Melanie C, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham as part of the world's best-selling girl band in history. What's more, her bandmate Emma, who was known as Baby Spice, had appeared as a mugger in BBC soap EastEnders before finding global fame.

Before finding success as part of The 1975, Matty Healy appeared as an extra in the first series of Waterloo Road when his mother Denise Welch starred as hapless French teacher Steph Haydock. Louis Tomlinson was also seen on the BBC school drama in the years before he shot to fame as part of One Direction. And Sam Fender, now best known for hits such as Seventeen Going Under and Hypersonic Missiles, appeared in an episode of the detective series Vera. At the time, he joked: "I got killed in the first ever episode of that ITV detective programme called Vera set in the North East. I lasted like 10 seconds, I think.”

For Yungblud, the news comes just hours after he was hailed the new Prince of Darkness thanks to his close friendship with the late Ozzy Osbourne. He said: “I want to achieve what Ozzy did. He was a great inspiration to me.” Ozzy and Doncaster-born star Dom, became friends after the Brummie rocker appeared in the video for Yungblud’s song The Funeral in 2022.

The pair bonded over their shared love of music and their rebellious nature, with Ozzy gifting Dom one of his famous crucifix necklaces. Yungblud was among huge bands such as Metallica and Guns N’ Roses who performed at Black Sabbath’s final gig at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5.

He gave a heartfelt rendition of Changes, the No1 hit Ozzy recorded with daughter Kelly in 2003, to the 45,000-strong crowd.Speaking before Ozzy’s death, Dom hinted he was working with Sabbath star and at a possible secret recording with his mentor, saying: “There is a lot in the works as me and Ozzy are friends.”

The wild man of rock died aged 76 on July 22 at home in Buckinghamshire after suffering a cardiac arrest. Dom was among big names from the music world, such as Sir Elton John, James Hetfield of Metallica and Marilyn Manson, who attended Ozzy’s funeral in Birmingham on July 30.

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