Bill Ward, a well-known actor who has starred in two of Britain's favourite soap operas, first rose to fame as Charlie Stubbs in ITV's Coronation Street in 2003. His character was embroiled in a high-profile domestic abuse storyline with Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford), which culminated in her murdering him.
Bill's stint on the cobbles definitively ended in 2007 when his character was killed off.
In 2013, Bill, now 57, joined the cast of ITV's Emmerdale as James Barton. He stayed with the soap for three years before announcing his decision to leave in 2016.
As a result, his character James was dramatically written out of the show.
Despite both of his soap characters being involved in plenty of drama, Bill has revealed that there is a "family atmosphere" behind the scenes on both Corrie and Emmerdale, reports Leeds Live.
"I'm in touch with a number of actors on both shows but I'm also in touch with costume people. It is a family atmosphere on both shows and everyone works together. You're making a lot of television in a very short time. The cast relationships are close but the relationships with the crew is also very close because there's a lot of give and take," he told the ECHO.
"They're great fun shows to work on because they're proper ensembles. Sometimes you're making up to 50 pages of television a day so everyone has to really pull together so I miss that about those shows."
Bill has also graced the screens in BBC's EastEnders, portraying Mike Parker back in 2003. His acting portfolio includes The Bill, Heartbeat, After Life, Vera and Silent Witness, with his most recent role being Mickey Gilmore in Doctors.
![Editorial use onlyMandatory Credit: Photo by ITV/REX/Shutterstock (3749812t)The Bartons - James Barton [Bill Ward] Ross Barton](https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/20/590x/secondary/5731423.jpg?r=1730305719397 "Editorial use onlyMandatory Credit: Photo by ITV/REX/Shutterstock (3749812t)The Bartons - James Barton [Bill Ward] Ross Barton")
He's also treaded the boards in theatre productions such as Everybody's Talking About Jamie.
Beyond his acting career, Bill is an avid photographer and has continued to nurture this passion since stepping away from his soap roles. He has led photography tours and workshops, and has even won several awards for his work.
His Instagram account is a testament to his talent, filled with breathtaking photographs primarily taken in Cornwall, where he also conducts his workshops for aspiring photographers.
Bill prefers to keep his personal life private, hence little is known about his family life.
