Nicholas Ralph's life off-screen from football captain to beloved vet in All Creatures Great and Small

All Creatures Great and Small is set to grace our screens on Channel 5 for its fifth season, with Nicholas Ralph reprising his role as the beloved Yorkshire vet James Herriot. The upcoming series will see James deepening his involvement with the Royal Air Force amidst the ongoing war effort.

The Scottish actor, born in the sunny climes of Cape Town, South Africa in 1990, has expressed a yearning to return to his birthplace. In conversation with Masterpiece, he fondly recalled, "I love Cape Town, so I'd love to get out there. It's just wonderful, beautiful."

He described the iconic vistas saying, "You get to see Table Mountain from every angle, wonderful golf courses, wonderful wine, the vineyards. So, I like it there."

Ralph spent much of his upbringing in Nairn, nestled within the Scottish Highlands, yet he also experienced life across the pond during his teen years, having lived in America. With relatives in Georgia and Texas, he cherished the opportunity to visit them until the age of 15.

Nicholas's zest for life extends well beyond acting; he once pursued football with fervour, playing for Ross County throughout his school days and later joining Nairn County's under-19s team. Reflecting on his time in football, he divulged, "The one thing that I loved and which I really missed when I stopped playing competitive football-because it's a team sport-was the comradery."

He reminisced about the unity and spirit within sports, adding, "Everyone bringing something to the party, as it were, and that feeling of the togetherness."

"More often than not, I was captain of the football team, as well, growing up, and I loved that and it's something I really missed."

The actor honed his craft in drama at Inverness College before