ITV Catchphrase: Real life of Emmerdale's Bob Hope actor Tony Audenshaw - tragic loss, record-breaker and surprising second career

Bob Hope has been a key part of Emmerdale life for 22 years this year having made his first appearance on the soap back in 2000.

Tony Audenshaw made his debut as Bob when his character tried to sell Viv Windsor stockings for her shop. Less than six months later, Bob was proposing to Viv and he's been a fan favourite ever since.

Bob has been involved in some of the Leeds-based soap's biggest storylines over the years - from his shock when friend Terry Woods returns from holiday with his daughter Dawn in tow for her to later died in shock scenes to having an affair with Laurel behind wife Brenda's back, and more marriages and divorces than one person needs.

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Emmerdale viewers haven't seen as much of Bob of late after he sorted out his differences with Marlon Dingle and Rhona Goskirk over their daughters' online bullying ordeal.

But many people may not know that Tony had another role in Emmerdale before playing Bob. In 1996, fours years before bagging his permanent role, he arrived in the village as a character called Acky, appearing for six episodes.

Acky was a security guard at Frank Tate's quarry and appeared in scenes at The Woolpack and he also was seen hitting Betty Eagleton with a stick and knocking her out.

And before his big break in the ITV soap, he also appeared in rival soap Brookside on Channel 4 in 1995. He starred as PC Ian Coben in Channel 4 soap and landed the role of Bob just over one year later. Tony has also had roles in toher TV programmes including Where the Heart Is, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Peak Practice and Heartbeat but it still