Who is Emma Barton actress Gillian Kearney from Emmerdale? Ex Brookside and Casualty star
The actress has made a career out of being one of the most known faces in soap land
EMMA Barton has been one of the biggest villains in Emmerdale village.
Here is everything you need to know about actress Gillian Kearney...
Who is Gillian Kearney? What's her background?
Soap actress Gillian was born in Liverpool.
Since working as an actress she has appeared on stage and screen - starting as a young Shirley Valentine in the 1989 film.
Focusing mainly on television work, she has appeared on shows including Hope and Glory, Sex, Chips and Rock n Roll, and Midsomer Murders.
On stage she has appeared frequently at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre and has appeared on Macbeth, Alive in Wonderland and Othello.
She also appeared in the touring production of School for Wives as Agnes.
The 45-year-old has one son, John Gerard Foo, with her long-time partner Eddie Foo, who she has been with since 2009.
When did Gillian join Emmerdale?
Gillian starting playing villain Emma Barton in 2015.
Her character had an explosive time on Emmerdale.
She killed her husband, shot her son and snatched a baby.
Gillian had a dramatic exit from the show when Emma plunged to her death after being pushed off a viaduct.
It has been revealed that Emma's killer was none other than Moira Dingle.
However, Moira's son, Adam Barton, will be the one who goes down for the crime in a shocking twist of fate.
Who did Gillian Kearney play in Brookside?
Gillian played teenager Debbie McGrath on the northern soap from 1986 to 1989.
During her time on the soap, she became entangled in an underage sex storyline with boyfriend Damon Grant.
As the story progressed over the three years, the couples families often clashed, yet they remained together and eventually left the close the soap was set on.
The couple later appeared in their own spin-off, Damon and Debbie, the first show of its kind.
In the series, Debbie became pregnant and Damon was killed off, forcing her return to the main soap before she bowed out permanently.
What character did Gillian play in Casualty?
Gillian played staff paediatric nurse Jessica Harrison from 2008 to 2010.
Before even starting her first shift, Jessica started an illicit affair with Adam Trueman, despite being married to Sean Anderson and having two children.
However, their marriage falls apart when she discovers she's pregnant and Sean has been having an affair as well.
She has a third son, Harry, and marries Adam after her relationship with Sean completely disintegrates.
But in a devastating crash shortly after, the family nearly drown in a river - the baby doesn't survive and Jessica falls into a coma for two weeks.
When she comes through the couple struggle to maintain their relationship and she eventually leaves for good.