Emmerdale John Barton star's life with actress wife and new job after quitting ITV soap

It's been 13 years since James Thornton left Emmerdale, with his character John Barton tragically dying in a car crash shortly after reconciling with his wife Moira (now Dingle). The Barton family took over Butler's Farm in 2009, described as "sexy, modern and contemporary".

Before his arrival, series producer Gavin Blyth labelled James' character as "a very charismatic and modern farmer". However, after less than three years on screen and several high-profile storylines, James exited the role amid dramatic scenes.

He has since led a quiet life away from the limelight with his famous wife and their four young children. Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, 49-year-old James appeared in numerous TV series at the start of his career including The Lakes, Playing The Field, Red Cap and No Angels. He first graced Emmerdale in 1995, long before his stint as John Barton.

James debuted as John in 2009 alongside Natalie J Robb, who played John's wife Moira. The pair were childhood sweethearts with a seemingly solid marriage, reports Leeds Live.

However, John's kiss with Eve Jenson (Suzanne Shaw) and Moira's subsequent affair with Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) tested their relationship. Despite struggling to forgive Moira for her infidelity, John eventually realised he couldn't live without her.

James departed from Emmerdale less than three years into his role, wanting to be closer to home. The exit was a dramatic one as his character died in February 2012 during a harrowing incident which saw John and Moira's car crash following a skid on ice, leading to a tragic plunge off a ravine.

James found the plot to be "brilliant" and expressed enthusiasm for the grand scale of his character's send-off, saying: "As I learned more, I discovered that the scale of John's departure was going to be huge, and that the amount of money they were spending was massive. So I was really, really pleased. As an actor, you always want to do something that's going to grab the audience's attention."

In real life, James is married to Welsh star Joanna Page, best loved for her portrayal of Stacey in Gavin & Stacey. They married four years after they both appeared in the BBC adaptation of David Copperfield back in 1999.

The couple now have four children – Eva, Kit, Noah, and the latest addition, Boe, born in 2021.

The proud father shared the joyous news of their growing family when Joanna was expecting their fourth child, posting a photo of her on Instagram with the caption: "My wonderful wife @iamjoannapage is pregnant and doesn't she look amazing! ! ! We are having baby number 4! #almostafiveasideteam #nosleep".

However, Joanna has opened up about the trials of parenting during lockdown, candidly speaking of the challenges they faced finding time for each other with their offspring at home round the clock.

At the time, Joanna candidly shared with The Sun: "We spent the whole of the first lockdown arguing and threatening to divorce each other. Then we went through a month of literally not saying a single word to each other."

Fortunately, everything worked out well and they often share snapshots of their home life, including moments with their two dogs, on social media.

Back in February 2010, James suffered leg injuries after being struck by a car in London, prompting Emmerdale producers to adapt his character's storyline. A source from Emmerdale disclosed to the Daily Star at the time: "He was having a few days off in London with Jo and they'd been out for dinner when he was hit by the car. Joanna was in a right state and James was in absolute agony.

"He knows he was lucky. We have no idea when he's going to be back."

Post-Emmerdale, James has carved out a successful career as a voice artist, lending his voice to various documentaries such as The Curse of Oak Island for UK viewers. His voiceover work extends to the documentary Benefits By the Sea: Jaywick (2015–2016), the Channel 5 series The Motorway, and he is the voice behind Talk TV.

Additionally, James' distinctive voice features in advertising campaigns for major brands including Ford, Amazon, Shell, and BP.

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm