Soap favourite Chris Bisson, famed for his role as Jai Sharma in Emmerdale, is set to swap the Yorkshire Dales for the Bake Off tent in an upcoming festive special of The Great Christmas Bake Off. He'll be joining a star-studded lineup, including Natalie Cassidy, Dean Gaffney, Shobna Gulati, and Sheree Murphy.
While many recognise him as the scheming Jai Sharma, Chris also made his mark on Coronation Street as Vikram Desai, cousin to Dev Alahan, back in 1999. After a four-year stint, he departed the Cobbles for Mumbai.
Reflecting on his decision to leave the show, Bisson shared: "I'd thought about leaving Coronation Street several times before I finally quit. That was because I hadn't had a decent storyline for a while. I have been an actor since I was 13, and I'm not particularly worried. I played the same part in Coronation Street for four years."
Beyond his soap opera fame, Chris' acting credits extend to series such as Prime Suspect, Hotel Babylon, Doctors, Shameless, and Holby City.
Away from the world of soaps, Chris is besotted with his fiancee Rowena. The lovebirds, parents to Harry and Ella Rose, have been engaged since 2016.
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Away from the world limelight, the soap star is engaged to long-time fiancee Rowena. The couple, parents to Harry and Ella Rose, have been engaged since 2016.
Despite the long engagement, the couple seems content without rushing down the aisle.
Chris fondly recalled his proposal with a hint of nostalgia. He shared the touching moment when he asked Rowena for her hand in marriage, inspired by an elderly couple's display of love they had witnessed.
"We'd seen an elderly couple walking and holding hands earlier. It was very sweet. I said to Rowena, 'There's a reason I brought you here. You know that old couple we saw earlier? Well, would you like to grow old like that with me?'" he recalled.
Chris also discussed his decision to undergo a hair transplant in 2020. The actor spoke frankly about the pressures of looking the part in the competitive acting industry.
"As soon as you start losing your hair you're immediately cast older, so it does reduce the amount of parts you can play. If you are 40 and bald you probably get cast as being 45 or 50. It can affect your career," he said.
His realisation hit him in his 30s, while sitting in front of a mirror prepping for his roles: "There are definitely more parts for actors who have a full head of hair. You don't know what opportunities might be lost. In real life, you don't really notice your hair loss day to day. At work, it's different because you sit in front of a mirror and have a specific look that you need to achieve. The first time I spotted it was probably in my early to mid-30s.
"I was quite pleased that I had managed to keep my hair for as long as I had. But when you go into work and they are having to adjust the lighting, or makeup are having to put more powder on your head just to take the shine off before you go for a take, you notice."
The Great Christmas Bake Off is on Channel4 on December 24 at 8pm - or watch on All4
