I intend to grow old disgracefully'

Emmerdale's Claire King on the soap, ageing and working in her 60s

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Since arriving in Emmerdale 36 years ago, Claire King has been shooting from the hip as Kim Tate, the conniving millionairess with a tongue sharper than a scalpel. Kim is an icon, thanks to Claire's fearless portrayal of the businesswoman who steps over anyone who dares to get in her way.

But sometimes her dramatic storylines can have a personal impact too. Last Christmas, the nation was hooked as Kim's fourth husband, Will Taylor (played by Dean Andrews), collapsed mid-argument after the couple had secretly tried to destroy each other. Will died from a heart attack.

Behind the scenes, Claire was dealing with a personal bereavement of her own. 'My tears were real filming those scenes because my father had just passed away,' says Claire, of her late father John Seed. 'He was 85 and rushed to hospital, and that's how it happened.

'My grief is ongoing, but you've just got to crack on, haven't you? We all have to face it at some time.'

Claire was also sad that Dean quit the soap. 'I said, “Oh no, keep playing with me,” but he wanted to go and do other things. Emmerdale is on six nights a week and it's a bit of a treadmill.'

But after returning to the soap in 2018 after a 20-year gap to tackle other roles, Claire has become a firm fixture in