Emmerdale actress Claire King has spoken about her grief and revealed that her beloved father had sadly passed away as she opened up about her plans for Christmas this year

Emmerdale star Claire King has opened up about her heartbreaking family tragedy. The soap star, known for playing Kim Tate, has revealed the sad news that her beloved dad John Seed recently passed away.

Having first joined Emmerdale back in 1989, Claire, 62, has spent decades on our screens and has become a familiar face to viewers at home. However, the soap legend has spoken about her personal loss behind the scenes, revealing that her father John has died. “Unfortunately, my dad passed away recently,” she told TV Times as she spoke about her plans to spend the festive season with her family as Christmas fast approaches.

“My mum will be coming to us along with my brother and his girlfriend. I’m doing the cooking – Marks & Sparks is my friend!,” she added. “My partner and I would like a chateaubriand but other people like turkey. I might compromise and do a goose.”

After making a return to the iconic ITV soap back in 2018 following a 19-year break, Claire previously told OK! how reprising her role was a highlight of her fifties. With her character Kim known for being a force of nature, back in 2022 Claire discussed her thoughts on her character paving the way for older women in the industry.

“We’re now actually starting to see some really good older female characters and I’d like to think Kim Tate is helping that along the way too. It’s not unheard of for soaps to ask you back, but might suggest a facelift so you look similar to how you did when you left,” she explained.

“There was nothing like that with Emmerdale. They’re proud to let Kim celebrate the age she is and come back authentically. It’s really appealing to me as an actress, because viewers should get to see a range of women’s faces.”

And having celebrated her 60th birthday two years ago, the soap legend also opened up about her hopes for the next decade as she revealed that she was happy to embrace whatever career opportunities come her way.

“I feel like I have covered all bases in my career – theatre, films, comedy, TV, stage, panto, voiceovers, narration of books… I’ve been lucky to have experienced everything and that’s what life as an actress is,” she said.

“I’ve moved now from the tart-with-a-heart to the solicitor/accountant/business woman/matriarch. Now I feel like I’m at the Thelma & Louise stage where I’m willing to just put my foot down on the accelerator and embrace whatever comes my way.”