has been a staple on Emmerdale for 25 years while playing the lovable but often hapless .
Bob first appeared on the soap in 2000, trying to sell stockings to Viv Windsor. Just six months later, Bob was proposing to Viv, which was just the start of his series of unsuccessful marriages.
Over the years, Bob has been at the heart of some of ’s most dramatic storylines, which have ranged from shocking family revelations to messy love affairs.
While most fans know Tony, 60, as Bob, fewer people are aware that he actually appeared in the soap four years before he landed that role.
In 1996 he featured in a handful of episodes as a character named Acky, who was a security guard at Frank Tate’s quarry. He has also made appearances in Brookside, Heartbeat, Peak Practice, and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates; but Bob Hope is arguably his most recognisable role.
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Tony Audenshaw has his fair share of eclectic interests away from Emmerdale (Image: Getty)
While he is usually kept busy with dramatics, Tony has still managed to pursue other passions off set. Fans might be surprised to find out that he is the frontman of a band called White Van Man, which performs in pubs and local venues around Stockport and the High Peaks.
The band even collaborated on a World Cup anthem in 2010, though England’s early exit meant it never became the rallying cry they had hoped for.
On top of that, Tony is an avid runner. The actor has participated in the a staggering 15 times.
In 2010 he even set a Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon time completed while dressed as a baby. While this might sound terribly unusual, it is par for the course for the soap star, who frequently competes in fancy dress.
Tony has played Bob Hope on Emmerdale for 25 years (Image: ITV)
However, behind Tony’s zest for life lies the grief of a man who has faced immense personal heartbreak. In 2017 he tragically lost his wife Ruth to pancreatic cancer – just 16 months after her diagnosis.
The couple had been together for more than 20 years, after meeting at an aerobics class in the early 90s. They had two children together, George and Emily, who were also left behind when Ruth died.
When speaking about her passing on , Tony shared: “I really miss Ruth — grief is not linear. It goes up and down. I grieve, go to work, keep busy. Let’s have more miserable storylines to cheer me up at work!”
He also described his late wife as an incredibly compassionate person, revealing that she even donated some of her cells for medical research before her death.
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The actor was left grief-stricken when his wife died from pancreatic cancer (Image: Getty)
Tony told : “They might be pivotal in some kind of breakthrough. I have to hope so. That’s what Ruth was all about. She was a brilliant person. She was so brave. It’s really unfair that she’s gone, but my life was enriched so much by spending 24 years with her.”
Since Ruth passed away, Tony has dedicated a lot of his time to raising awareness and funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK.
After taking a hiatus from marathon running during Ruth’s treatment, he decided to return for the 2024 London Marathon, which coincided with what would have been his and Ruth’s 24th wedding anniversary.
Speaking to PA Media, Tony shared: “She left all her friends and family a card to read after she died, and in it she said ‘if you run London again will you do it for pancreatic cancer?’”
He went on to fulfil her request and has been lauded by the Chief Executive of Pancreatic Cancer UK for it. Diana Jupp said: “Tony has been one of our most passionate supporters for years and we are so proud to have him running for us, on what will be one of the most important days ever for pancreatic cancer.
“This devastating disease has been overlooked, underfunded, and left behind for 50 years. Families are often left with only hope to hold on to, but they deserve more than hope.”
Before finding fame on television, Tony had a bit of a Cinderella experience, even spending nights sleeping in his car to save money while trying to break into the acting industry. At the time he worked at Thorpe Park where he performed as a ranger, providing voices for the attractions.
It eventually paid off when he was cast as PC Ian Coban in Brookside – and his soap career just snowballed from there.