Chris Bisson is known to soap fans as Emmerdale’s Jai Sharma – but his acting career goes back much further to when he was a teenager
Chris Bisson, known for his role as Jai Sharma on ITV’s Emmerdale since 2009, has been a familiar face in the soap world for years. However, long-time viewers will recall his earlier stint as Vikram Desai on Coronation Street, cousin to Dev Alahan.
Vikram made his Weatherfield debut in 1999 and after a four-year run, he was written out of the show and sent off to Mumbai by Dev.
Reflecting on his departure from Corrie, Chris expressed past frustrations with his character’s development to Manchester Evening News: “I’d thought about leaving Coronation Street several times before I finally quit.”
He elaborated on his reasons, saying, “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.”
Chris Bisson was a star on Coronation Street before arriving in Emmerdale (Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Despite this, Chris made a triumphant return to soaps seven years later as businessman Jai on Emmerdale, where he has been involved in numerous significant plots.
Currently, his character is dealing with the fallout from a tumultuous split with his wife Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy).
But Chris began his television career on another ITV production, Children’s Ward, portraying JJ in 1990. He then appeared in series such as Cops and Where the Heart Is, reports the Mirror.
Beyond his soap opera success, Chris has featured in a variety of TV shows including Prime Suspect, Hotel Babylon, Doctors, Shameless, and Holby City. His film credits include roles in Four Brothers and a Funeral and Death of a Socialist, showcasing his versatility as an actor.
Emmerdale’s Chris is enjoying life away from the set with his family. The 49-year-old actor has been engaged to his partner Rowena for nearly two decades, and they have two children together, Harry and Ella Rose.
The couple epitomises the phrase ‘taking things slowly’, having waited a decade after their relationship began to get engaged in 2016, and still not rushing into marriage eight years later.
Chris reminisced about his proposal during a romantic Lake District getaway for their 10th anniversary in an interview with OK! magazine: “We’d seen an elderly couple walking and holding hands earlier. It was very sweet.”
He then recounted the heartfelt moment he asked Rowena to spend the rest of her life with him: “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?'”
On social media, the soap favourite gives fans a glimpse into his family life, sharing moments from days out, birthdays, and holidays.
In 2020, the father of two opened up about undergoing a follicular unit transplantation, commonly known as a hair transplant.
The Woolpack regular admitted that while addressing his hair loss was personally gratifying, it was also motivated by professional considerations.
Discussing the impact on his career, he explained: “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 had the procedure done at the Farjo Hair Institute in Manchester and shared that it has made his life easier both on and off-screen.
He further explained: “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.”
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX
