List of Emmerdale characters introduced in 2021


Emmerdale is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that debuted during 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the soap's executive producer, Jane Hudson. Ethan Anderson is introduced in January as the son of vicar Charles Anderson. Frankie Robinson is then born in February. In August, Rob Jarvis joined the cast as Wendy Posner's ex-husband [|Russell], later followed by Chloe Harris, the sister of Sarah Sugden's heart donor. Ben Richards then joined the cast in November as loan shark [|Gavin]. He was followed by Carol Butler in December, who was introduced as the sister of one of Meena Jutla's victims. Additionally, multiple [|other characters] appeared in 2021.

Ethan Anderson

Ethan Anderson, played by Emile John, made his first appearance in episode 8937, first broadcast on 7 January 2021 and his last appearance on 28 May 2024 when he was killed off following injuries sustained in a hit and run incident the week before. Ethan is introduced as the son of vicar Charles Anderson. Ethan's character and casting details were announced on 26 November 2020, alongside that of Charles'. Ethan was described as "intelligent", and Digital Spy noted that he "inherited his father's strong sense of justice and worked hard to carve himself a successful law career". It was also stated that Ethan would be accused and arrested of a crime he did not commit, which would lead to a rivalry between himself and the established Dingle family. Ethan works at a law firm after years of "working hard for a successful career", and John confirmed that the storyline would have "consequences" on his career.
Producer Sophie Roper stated that Emmerdale are "delighted" to be welcoming John to the soap, and noted the "dynamic new father and son duo" will "send shockwaves through the village as they find themselves embroiled in the heart of a thought-provoking story with one of our most loved families", referring to the Dingle family. She added: "With two actors of such great calibre, they're certainly set to make their mark on the Dales." Producers later confirmed that Ethan will be a heavily featured character in 2021, with the younger cast getting a focus throughout the year, and Ethan set to have a "longer-term story arc" after the conclusion of the justice storyline. John stated that playing Ethan is "a dream", and on the storyline, he stated: "I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility in articulating his struggle with truth and authenticity and I can only hope that the audience fully engage with him in the same way I have." He added that Ethan's arrival in the village would be "far from quiet", and revealed that Ethan's presence in the village will have "huge consequences" for other characters.
Ethan attends a stag party with his friends at the Woolpack, where Sarah Sugden hides a bag of drugs inside of his coat pocket, since she needs to get rid of the drugs quickly. When the police arrive at the party, they discover the drugs in his pocket, and this leads to Ethan getting arrested. He is later released on bail, but is suspended from his law firm, leading him to demand justice from Sarah. Charles advises him not to cause a rivalry between himself and the Dingle family, but feeling he has worked too hard for his career to be ruined, he continues to demand justice for himself.

Frankie Robinson

Frankie Robinson first appeared on 25 February 2021, when she was born. She is the daughter of Nate Robinson and Tracy Shankley. Tracy and Nate's relationship is initially not serious, so when she discovers she was pregnant, it results in divided feelings for the couple, but they went through with the pregnancy. Tracy goes into labour two weeks early in front of Nate's father Cain Dingle's and Cain's half-sister Chas Dingle at Cain's garage. Cain then drives Nate and Tracy to the hospital where she gives birth to Frankie. Nate is initially scared of becoming a father, until Cain talks to him. She is named after her late grandfather Frank Clayton, who died 18 months before she was born.
In July 2020, it was announced that Tracy would become pregnant with Nate's baby. On the storyline, Walsh said that for Tracy, the news "does come as a massive surprise and in general it's quite shocking news to hear". Digital Spy noted that it would bring back memories from her abortion from a previous relationship, and Walsh stated that she is "a bit older than she was then, she's a bit more strong and independent". On Tracy and Nate's relationship, Walsh commented that "neither of them really know how each other feels about each other – they've never properly told each other that they love each other or any of that – so it is very soon to be going into parenthood together. They know it's a bit ridiculous that this is where they're at in this stage of the relationship". Despite this, Walsh stated that both characters would be happy to be parents, and that they "know that they can do it".

Warren Tucker

Warren Tucker, played by comedian Steve Marsh, is the alcoholic father of Ben Tucker. He initially appears when he is drunk and argues with Aaron Dingle in The Woolpack. Liv Flaherty later sees Aaron's boyfriend Ben Tucker into a taxi. This was after he turned up at Ben's work asking him for money for more alcohol. Liv informs Aaron of the two interacting, and he demands to know who Warren is; Ben reveals that he is his father. He also reveals that he is an alcoholic. Aaron had suspected that Warren had something to do with Ben's murder, which was actually at the hands of Meena Jutla, but it turns out that Warren had been arrested for being drunk and disorderly on the night of Ben's murder.
Lennon who plays Ben commented on Marsh's casting by saying "Steve, who plays Warren, is a brilliant actor and it’s been amazing to explore a bit about Ben’s private life." Lennon also commented on the father and son relationship between Warren and Ben, "There are so many obstacles that come with having a loved one who is an alcoholic. It can manifest in so many ways for the person struggling with it, and the people close to them...Ben has been involved in his Dad’s journey with alcoholism for years. Which is why he has tried to help Aaron with Liv, without giving away any of his own difficulties." Lennon also commented on how Ben's relationship with his father would impact his relationship with Aaron, "Ben prides himself on being a support to others, and therefore finds it so hard to face up to his own demons and the obstacles he’s facing with his Dad. It’s not as easy as just cutting ties, especially when family is involved."

Russell Posner

Russell Posner, played by Rob Jarvis, made his first appearance on 17 August 2021. Jarvis' casting was announced on 12 August 2021, with his character being described as a "mystery newcomer" set to be involved in a storyline for Wendy Posner ; his connection to Wendy was not initially revealed. His initial scenes see him approach Ben Tucker for information on Wendy and he confirms that he will be sticking around in the village to see her. Russell was later confirmed to be Wendy's abusive ex-husband. He confronts Wendy about his dead mother leaving Harry Sugden money in her will rather than him. He tells Wendy that if she does not help him to get the inheritance from Harry, her and Harry's mother Victoria Sugden will "face consequences".
On 31 August 2021, it was confirmed that Russell would hold Wendy and Victoria hostage in a siege at the Hide café to get his money. Speaking about the plot, Jarvis said that Russell tells Wendy that he has been involved in an armed robbery and that the police are after him. Jarvis opined that Russell does not want to shoot anyone, but sees a siege as a last resort to getting the money he needs. The actor also felt that Russell would be capable of shooting someone due to the desperation of his situation. Despite the state of their relationship, Jarvis stated that his character likely still has feelings for Wendy, due to the pair sharing children together. Following the police being called to the siege, Russell is imprisoned and Jarvis made his final appearance on 16 September 2021.

Chloe Harris

Chloe Harris, played by Jessie Elland, made her first appearance on 20 August 2021. Chloe was introduced as the sister of Gemma Harris, a dead teenager whose heart was given to Sarah Sugden in a transplant. Elland was attracted to the role as she felt that Chloe is a well-written character and she felt a responsibility to do the role justice when she was cast. Chloe is characterised as a sweet and genuine person who is secretly struggling with feelings of sadness, anger, and frustration. This is initially explained through her grief for her dead sister, but later into her tenure, it is revealed that she has a controlling father who is in prison. Chloe's family home is installed with several cameras and her father hires numerous people to watch over her. Eventually, Kerry Wyatt, her housekeeper, helps her to escape and invites her to live with Kerry in Emmerdale village. Elland has since hinted that her father could be cast on the series at some point in the future.
When Chloe moves into the village, she forms a relationship with Noah Dingle. She eventually loses interest in him and has casual relationships with Jacob Gallagher and Nate Robinson. This led to the introduction of a stalking storyline for Chloe, when Noah forms an unhealthy and sexist obsession with Chloe. The storyline saw him tracking her location, letting himself into her room, photographing her and her belongings and eventually holding her hostage when she learns of his obsession. Elland praised Emmerdale for covering a storyline about misogyny and sexism, a topic she described as "such a relevant conversation, especially in this day and age". She also felt privileged to be given an important topical storyline. Viewers did not initially trust Chloe and were unsure of her intentions with Sarah, but as her tenure progressed, they have warmed to her.