Emmerdale fans forced to double take over unrecognisable Caleb star on soap years ago

Emmerdale’s William Ash has been on our screens for years – but fans are only just realising after spotting him in a throwback snap from his time in another soap

Emmerdale’s William Ash, who portrays Caleb Miligan, has left fans gobsmacked after they recognised him from a ’90s soap.

The actor first appeared in Emmerdale in 2022, arriving in the village as Cain Dingle’s (Jeff Hordley) long-lost brother. It didn’t take long for Caleb to stir up some drama and win over fans.

Over time, he’s been involved in several major storylines, often with his wife Ruby Fox-Miligan (Beth Cordingly) by his side – particularly recently. Caleb’s world was recently rocked by the revelation that he is not the biological father of Steph (Georgia Jay).

In a shocking twist, it was disclosed that Ruby’s father Anthony (Nicholas Day) had abused Ruby during her teenage years. He impregnated her, making him Steph’s real father.

William plays Caleb on the soap(Image: ITV)

After his vile crimes were exposed, Anthony was killed off, sparking a major ‘whodunnit’ storyline on the soap. Before his role in Emmerdale, William featured in shows like Waterloo Road and Clocking Off. However, it’s his part in Where The Heart Is?, reports Leeds Live, that has fans buzzing.

On a Facebook fan page, one user posted a photo of a much younger William in the ITV drama series, sporting dark hair – a stark contrast to his current silver look.

He starred in Where The Heart Is

Taking a trip down memory lane, one fan posted: “#ThrowbackThursday – Who watched a young William as Stephen Snow in Where The Heart Is? William was in the show for two series before he felt it was time to branch out and play a different role and his friend Jason Done took over the part. Where The Heart Is is available to watch on ITVX..”

Fans couldn’t hide their surprise in the comments section, with one person exclaiming: “Wow, he’s so young!”