Galentine’s Day, inspired by Parks and Recreation, has become a popular celebration for women honouring female friendships with spa days, parties, and creative activities as an alternative to Valentine’s Day

Christie O’Sullivan from Trinity, Florida, has celebrated 21 Valentine’s Days with her husband, but her most memorable one was actually spent with a girlfriend before tying the knot.

The pair took a day off from work, treated themselves to massages, then headed out for cocktails and a slap-up dinner.

“For me, it was 10 out of 10. That whole day was intentional,” said O’Sullivan. She recalls it as empowering “on a day that’s usually filled with pressure to be in a relationship, or sadness because I wasn’t currently in one.”

Galentine’s Day exploded into the mainstream following a 2010 episode of the TV comedy Parks and Recreation that championed female friendships around Valentine’s Day.

Amy Poehler’s character, Leslie Knope, brought her mates together on 13 February. “What’s Galentine’s Day? Oh, it’s only the best day of the year,” said Knope.

READ MORE: Five creative ways to celebrate your best friendships this Galentine’s weekendREAD MORE: Rashida Jones’ life off-screen from forgotten Mark Ronson romance to very famous father

Chela Pappaccioli from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, has been throwing a Galentine’s Day party at her house for the past three years. She’s got a bartender and a DJ booked, and this year has invited 45 of her closest friends.

So far, 34 have confirmed they’re coming, and she’s putting together goodie bags for her guests to take away. No blokes are allowed “unless the bartender happens to be male.”

The bash may be lavish, but Pappaccioli insists it’s money well spent. “It’s an escape to just be with your girls, be silly, do something fun and just focus on the friendships you’ve created and enjoying each other’s company,” she says.

Liz Momblanco from Berkley, Michigan, who calls herself a “serial hobbyist,” brings her mates along to workshops including cookie and cake decorating, calligraphy and stained glass.

“I enjoy learning something new and having a shared experience,” said Momblanco, who has been to day retreats for women offering activities like floral arranging, yoga or a cold plunge.

Marney Wolf, who operates the retreat company Luna Wolf, says creating space for art and creativity helps build community.

“It bonds you, whether it’s the smallest thing or really deep. You watch these grown women turn into almost like a childlike kindergarten response like, ‘Oh my gosh! Good job! You’re so talented!’ That little lift is the easiest thing to do,” she said.

Wolf makes sure to organise Galentine’s-themed retreats around Valentine’s Day because some women don’t have anyone to spend 14 February with.

“I know it can be a really lonely time for people and I think some take it for granted,” she says.

Pappaccioli said a couple of divorced friends attend her party, and “even if you’re married it can be depressing because your husband may not be doing what you want or your boyfriend may not support you in the way you want,” she says. “It’s nice to know that you don’t need that. You can still celebrate the holiday, but turn it around a little bit and celebrate the relationships you want to.”

Galentine’s Day gatherings can spark new friendships. And dedicating proper time with a mate offers a chance to put the mobile away, dodge distractions and create lasting memories.

O’Sullivan works as a social media strategist for businesses but values that her bestie Valentine’s Day was phone-free.

“We could be fully present – no photos, no texts, no nothing,” she says. “So while that means there’s no actual record of that day occurring, it also means the details became a core memory without it.”

Some mark Galentine’s Day by simply popping out for coffee or playing cards. You might head with a group of female mates to a theatre performance or museum, or enjoy a ramble or a fitness session.

Further suggestions include charity shop browsing, country line dancing, roller skating, karaoke, junk journaling, and treating yourselves to manicures and pedicures.

With the start of the tour just a few hours away, there was a real sense from Kensington Palace that they wanted the position of the prince and princess to be known, so William could focus on the trip – likely to be the biggest diplomatic test to date of his overseas visits in support of the UK.

Kid Rock was caught lip-synching during his Turning Point USA half-time show, held in protest against Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance.

The “All Summer Long” musician, 55, headlined the MAGA-friendly show, which was broadcast on YouTube at the same time Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny performed a star-studded set at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara alongside musicians Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and Cardi B. The rapper’s thrilling concert also featured actors Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba, as well as a real-life wedding.

Meanwhile, Rock appeared to mime his way through his performance of 1999 hit “Bawitdaba”, clips of which are being mocked on social media. A pre-recorded version of the song could be heard playing as the musician lowered his microphone away from his mouth. In other moments of the song, his mouth does not match the audio.

“Kid Rock is blatantly lip syncing, it’s all prerecorded & he wasn’t even trying,” one person wrote on X-Twitter, with another adding: “Kid Rock forgets his lyrics during his song showing all the MAGA Far Right that he wasn’t even singing. What a complete and utter embarrassment.”

An additional person wrote: “Kid Rock couldn’t even be bothered to sing live. Instead, some truly awful lip-syncing.”

The Independent has contacted Kid Rock for comment.

Turning Point USA, founded by late far-right commentator Charlie Kirk, announced its alternative halftime show last October amid mounting conservative criticism over the selection of Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper, as the Super Bowl halftime performer.

Kid Rock, an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, went on to say that the show was engineered for conservative Americans to celebrate their patriotism, adding that right-wing views are not represented in mainstream media.

He said: “There’s a big portion of this country, like it or not, that’s underserved entertainment-wise. We’re just [going to] go play for our base. You know, people who love America, love football, love Jesus.”

The show, which is believed to have been pre-recorded in Atlanta, was watched by an average of four to five million viewers – a far cry from the 120 million-plus who tuned in to watch Bad Bunny.

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At the time of writing, the concert has been viewed 18 million times, with many viewers noting on social media that they clicked on the video out of curiosity.

The White House expressed support for TPUSA’s show, reposting a video of it on social media. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on X that his family had tuned in.

President Trump also bashed the official Super Bowl mid-game show in a post on Truth Social, labelling it “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst, EVER!”

But, despite harsh criticism from Trump and his allies, more Americans were interested in watching Bad Bunny perform in Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show than Turning Point USA’s MAGA fest.

A YouGov America survey released Friday found that 35 percent of respondents prefer Bad Bunny’s show compared to 28 percent who said they were more interested in the Kid Rock-headlined event.

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This year’s Super Bowl saw the Seattle Seahawks triumph over the New England Patriots by 29 points to 13 to claim their second-ever victory.

One resident said the high street has a ‘lot of nail bars and barbers’

Residents are “sad” to see more nail bars and barbers in a city high street – with some saying it is “missing” a variety of other shops. UK high streets have changed over the years, with many recognisable brands leaving cities and towns.

With rising costs, some independent shops have sadly been forced to close their doors. In Ely, there are several independent shops, cafes, and restaurants that fill the high street, which brings joy to residents. However, some residents feel there are still certain shops “missing” from the high street.

A woman who has lived in Ely for 35 years, and wished to remain anonymous, said Ely is a “beautiful” place to live, but she is “sad” about the high street. She said: “We have a lot of nail bars and barbers.

“We do have some independent cafes and some lovely independent shops, but it could be a lot better. It’s sad to see places boarded up and closed.

“I know that is true of high streets up and down the country. I am happy for people to have thriving businesses, but there needs to be a balance.”

James Smith said: “We do have a good mix of stuff like cafes and restaurants, but we are starting to see more barbers and things like that pop up. It’s not a bad thing as everyone needs a haircut, but we need more of other shops.”

Emma Lebedyeva, who works at Topping and Company Books in the high street, thinks there are a “lot of charity shops” in Ely. She added: “It’s great, as I love charity shop shopping.

“However, I think we’re missing a lot of high street shops that we used to have. I used to live here when I was a teenager and recently moved back. There used to be various high street shops that you could go to and they were sort of better.”

As well as improving the high street, Jack Sanford, who works alongside Emma, thinks Ely could offer more to younger people.

He said: “There’s not much for younger people here. There is some stuff for children, but not young adults or teenagers.

“Other than walking around the countryside, but when you have done that it’s just flat land. So there could be more for younger people to do.”

Just like most places, long-term resident Hayley Armitage also believes facilities such as doctors need to be “better” in Ely. She added: “Ely has a good history and good facilities, except the doctors”.

The driver admitted to drinking the night before

A driver has been arrested after they crashed their car into a tree. On Saturday February 7, a driver, who had been drinking the previous night, crashed into a tree in March.

Police were called on Saturday just before 1pm to the scene of the crash. The car had crashed into a tree, blocking Knights End Road, which remained closed while the car was recovered.

A breath test conducted at the scene showed that the driver was almost three times over the legal limit. At the time, the driver admitted to having been drinking the night before.

A Cambridgeshire Constabulary spokesperson said: “A vehicle had left the road, collided with a tree, and then landed back on the carriageway.

“On arrival, officers conducted a roadside breath test on the driver, who blew 100µg – almost three times the legal limit of 35µg. The driver admitted to drinking the night before.

“They were arrested at the scene and taken to Peterborough City Hospital by Ambulance with serious but not life‑threatening injuries.” Police have warned that drinking the night before can still leave you over the legal limit the next day. If you’re unsure, don’t drive.

Inquiries into the case remain ongoing. If you have any information about this incident, please contact 101 using reference number CAD-236 of 07/02/26.

Among the locations set for closure this year are 19 UK bank branches that are shutting down in February.

The Lloyds Banking Group, which runs Lloyds, Halifax and the Bank of Scotland, will shut 71 branches across 2026.

Among those planned closures are 40 Lloyds bank branches, 14 Halifax location and 17 Bank of Scotland sites.

All of the businesses have cited the increase in the number of people banking online rather than in person as one of the reasons behind the planned branch closures.

These are the branches closing in February.

Halifax bank closures

• Thetford – February 4
• Belfast (Castle Court) – February 4
• Kendal – February 10
• Belfast (Connswater Shopping Centre) – February 10
• Gillingham – February 11

Lloyds bank closures

• Swindon – February 3
• Kendal – February 10
• Brecon – February 11
• Cranbrook – February 11
• Wadebridge – February 17
• Stow-on-the-Wold – February 17
• Brynmawr – February 17
• St Ives – February 24
• Chesham – February 24
• Liskeard – February 24
• Kenilworth – February 24

Bank of Scotland bank closures

• Thetford – February 4
• Belfast (Castle Court) – February 4
• Kendal – February 10
• Belfast (Connswater Shopping Centre) – February 10
• Gillingham – February 11

Santander is also closing a host of bank branches this year.

The Spain-based banking giant announced the closure of 44 of its sites in a move putting 291 jobs at risk.

It comes less than a year after the business announced the closure of 95 branches last March, in a round of cuts which hit 750 workers.

Santander said closing branches will be replaced with “community bankers”, who will operate from Santander Local stores or banking hubs to keep a presence in local communities.

Santander bank closures

This is the full list of Santander bank branch closures scheduled for this year.

April 2026

• Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland – April 28
• Boston, Lincolnshire – April 28
• Evesham, Worcestershire – April 28
• Mold, Clwyd – April 28
• Ramsgate, Kent – April 28
• Woking, Surrey – April 28
• Bangor, County Down – April 29
• Bridgwater, Somerset – April 29
• Kirkintilloch, Lanarkshire – April 29
• Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire – April 29
• Newbury, Berkshire – April 29
• Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire – April 29
• Tonbridge, Kent – April 29

May 2026

• Bishop Auckland, County Durham – May 5
• Gosport, Hampshire – May 5
• Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire – May 5
• Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire – May 5
• Pontefract, West Yorkshire – May 5
• Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire – May 5
• Glengormley, County Antrim – May 6
• Leyland, Lancashire – May 6
• Mansfield, Nottinghamshire – May 6
• Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan – May 6
• Northallerton, North Yorkshire – May 6
• Ringwood, Hampshire – May 6
• Andover, Hampshire – May 12
• Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan – May 12
• Enniskillen, County Fermanagh – May 12
• Macclesfield, Cheshire – May 12
• Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire – May 12
• Cwmbran, Gwent – May 13
• Golders Green, London – May 13
• Heswall, Merseyside – May 13
• Redditch, Worcestershire – May 13
• Stranraer, Wigtownshire – May 13
• Newton Abbot, Devon – May 19
• Stafford, Staffordshire – May 19
• Banbridge, County Down – May 19
• Liskeard, Cornwall – May 20
• Shirley, West Midlands – May 20

By the end of January 2027

• Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
• Ormskirk, Lancashire
• Whitehaven, Cumbria
• Wilmslow, Cheshire

SUN Racing’s all-important Monday tips are below.

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LONGSHOT

JOLTIN N JIVING (3.00 Catterick)

Has had a wind op and we have yet to see the best of him. This sort of trip can also bring out improvement.

EACH-WAY THIEF

HAVE an each-way double on MARLACOO (3.00 Catterick)

Who can make the most of this drop in class.

Pair him with the well-drawn GUSTAV GRAVES (5.30 Wolverhampton).

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Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

Laura Woods has hit out at Eni Aluko after her ‘damaging’ comments on who should and shouldn’t cover women’s football on television.

The presenter also suggested there are many reasons why pundits are selected for big games, including how ‘likeable’ a person is.

Former England forward Aluko slammed the BBC and ITV for including male pundits in the coverage of the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 final with Spain.

The 38-year-old had previously made a similar point, hitting out at Ian Wright for ‘blocking’ opportunities for female broadcasters by appearing regularly on women’s football.

She subsequently issued an apology to Wright which he did not accept and had reignited the feud, also criticising Nedum Onuoha’s involvement in the showpiece game last year.

Speaking on the 90s Baby Show podcast, she said: ‘In the women’s game the opportunities are even more limited, so the main characters of the show should be the women.

‘Men should be part of that. I’m not saying anybody should be excluded, I believe in diversity wholeheartedly, but the same way we’ve played a role in the men’s game that’s a supporting role, you’re part of the ensemble, you’re never going to get the premium final games, it should be the same way for women’s football.

‘I think we need to gatekeep the women’s game in a way that the men’s game is gatekept. What I mean by that is, and you’ve heard me talk about the journey of women’s football, it’s taken a while, it’s taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get the women’s game to where it is now. There’s a lot of people, including me, who have planted a lot of seeds to be reaping what we’re reaping now… TV, money coming into the game, investment, and it’s still growing.

‘From my perspective, we didn’t go through all of that – blood, sweat and tears – for women to be second place in our own sport. What are we doing?

‘That’s my point, the women’s game should be by women for women. Male allies should absolutely support that but when it gets to the point where you’re the main character of the show, we’re just repeating the patriarchal stuff that we’ve been fighting against.

‘Now whoever that upsets, that upsets, but that’s the reality. I’ve always been protective about women’s football because I’ve done a lot, I’ve invested a lot, I was doing women’s football when it didn’t pay to do women’s football. Now we’re reaping the rewards I’m like women should be winning right now.

‘My point is, I’ve never done a major final in men’s football for eleven years, I’ve done three World Cups, men’s Euros, Champions League, I’ve never had that opportunity, and maybe rightly so, I’d probably say rightly so because again, I think the guys should always be ahead of me, the main guys.

‘Last year, at the Women’s Lionesses final, I’m sat in the stands, I wasn’t on ITV for the final, Fara Williams was sat next to me, Fara Williams has 170 caps [172 caps] for England, something ridiculous, I think she’s the most-capped player, she’s sat in the stands.

‘The two broadcasters that had the rights for the game – ITV and BBC – on BBC you’ve got Ellen White, Steph Houghton and Nedum Onuoha, no offence to Nedum Onuoha, nothing against him, I don’t know whether he played for England or not, but you’re on the main panel for the final for England Women.

‘Let’s go over to ITV, I’m in the stands with 105 caps, so you’ve got two women, between us we’ve got 290 caps, something ridiculous, you turn over to ITV and it’s Ian Wright, Emma Hayes and Kaz Carney.

‘So out of six punditry spots, two have gone to men. Meanwhile you’ve got 290 caps, whatever it is, sitting in the stands.

‘I’ve just told you I’ve never done a final. I’m probably going to struggle to think of any women, a female pundit, who has done a men’s major final as a pundit. I’m not talking about presenters, people like to conflate the two, it’s a different role, it’s like comparing a forward and a defender, it’s different jobs, I’m talking about as a pundit, it doesn’t happen, so something is not right there because I’m saying this is still quite new where you’re watching women’s finals on TV, why are people like me and Fara not there?

‘It’s nothing against Ian, it’s nothing against them, I’m just saying broadly speaking we need to be aware of that because if we’re building a game where the limited opportunities are now being taken by men, where we can’t go into the men’s game and get the same opportunities, we’re stuck.’

Laura Woods slams ‘damaging’ comments

Woods, who has worked alongside Aluko in covering women’s football is not on board with her claims at all and made pointed comments on who has been given the roles of working on the biggest Lionesses matches.

‘Caps don’t win automatic work and they don’t make a brilliant pundit either,’ Woods wrote on X. ‘The way you communicate, articulate yourself, do your research, inform your audience, how likeable you are and the chemistry you have with your panel are what makes a brilliant pundit.

‘”The women’s game should be by women for women,” is one of the most damaging phrases I’ve heard. It will not only drag women’s sport backwards, it will drag women’s punditry in all forms of the game backwards.

‘If you want to grow something, you don’t gate keep it. We want to encourage little boys and men to watch women’s football too, not just little girls and women. And when they see someone like Ian Wright taking it as seriously as he does – they follow suit. That’s how you grow a sport.

‘Here’s a picture of our team at ITV. We won best production at the Broadcast Sport Awards 2025 for our coverage of the women’s euros. Seb Hutchinson won best commentator too. So I think ITV got it just right.’

Aluko was asked if the solution is to bring in more female pundits for high-profile matches in the men’s game, she replied: ‘I think that would make it more fair.

‘If I’m not doing the women’s final but I’m getting a job doing the men’s final then it is what it is, but I can never do the men’s final so the only way I have an opportunity is to do the women’s final but now I can’t do the women’s final, and I can’t bring all of that experience and insight.

‘And let’s be honest, what I represent for young girls who want to be footballers, who want to be broadcasters, is way more than what Ian Wright represents.

‘Again, I’m not knocking Ian Wright, it’s not even about him, it could be any man, it’s really important we keep an eye on the premium opportunities. It’s hard, I don’t want to go into it because people might write headlines, but the issue I have with Ian is that I think in his position he needs to clock what I’m saying.’

MORE: Ian Wright refuses to give up on Arsenal star after Carabao Cup win over Chelsea

MORE: Gary Neville and Ian Wright disagree over prediction for Man Utd vs Fulham

MORE: Ian Wright makes bold prediction for Leeds vs Arsenal

As more than 127,000,000 people tuned in from around the world to watch the Super Bowl last night, they were greeted with a sobering message during advertisements.

An emotional advertisement released by World Without Exploitation featured various survivors of paedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, pleading with Americans to stand with them.

‘3 million files still have not been released,’ the advert read, as faces of victims flashed behind it.

Fittingly, the words were then blacked out – a nod to the heavy redactions seen in the millions of files already released by the US Department of Justice.

The black redaction bar was then placed on the mouths of Epstein’s survivors in the commercial, before finishing with a desperate plea to Americans.

‘We all deserve the truth. Stand with us. Tell Attorney General Pam Bondi: it’s time for the truth.’

The sobering message came during one of the most-well-viewed television events of the year.

Pressure is still mounting for Bondi to release more of the files – the current release is just around half of what the DOJ has in its possession.

Initial estimates believe it could take eight years to review and disclose the remaining files, even with hundreds of attorneys working on the release.

‘While the commitment of Department personnel to this effort has been substantial in breadth and impressive in effort, substantial work remains to be done,’ the department said.

If that timeline proves to be true, the final files won’t be released until well after Donald Trump’s second term in office is over.

The recent batch of files contained shocking evidence of sex trafficking of underage girls and other crimes.

Yesterday, Epstein’s death statement, dated one day before he was found dead, was found in the files.

The statement from the Manhattan US Attorney’s office is dated August 9 2019, while the standard account says the paedophile was found hanged in his cell at 6.30am on August 10.

Two versions of the US Attorney’s statement dated August 9 appear in the files, both with subtle differences from the one dated August 10.

Neither contains the detail that Epstein was found dead ‘of an apparent suicide’, as the officially released statement does.

Instead, both say he was ‘found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead shortly thereafter’.

Like the publicly released statement, both versions with the earlier date pay tribute to the ‘brave young women’ who either have or have not yet previously come forward, though the wording differs slightly.

According to the official account of Epstein’s death, a corrections officer found him unresponsive on the morning of Saturday, August 10. Medical personnel tried to revive him, but he was later pronounced dead.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Andrew Windsor ‘shared sensitive UK trade secrets with Jeffrey Epstein’

MORE: Trump slams Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show as ‘disgusting’

MORE: Lewis Hamilton and Kim Kardashian seen for the first time in public at Super Bowl

Isabel, who has played Victoria Sugden in Emmerdale for nearly 20 years, is set to become a first-time mum.

The soap star filmed her final scenes in December and revealed how she was releived to be getting a break.

Emmerdale star Isabel Hodgins on taking break from ITV soap

Speaking to The Sun , she said: “I thought I would be really emotional when I filmed my final scenes.

“Emmerdale is all I have ever known. But pregnancy does funny things to you and the truth is I felt ready not to have to film on Emmerdale!

“I live in Manchester and I’ve been driving over to Leeds to film. By the end, I felt exhausted and I knew it was time to have a rest before the baby arrives.”

Isabel discovered she was pregnant shortly after getting married to her partner, Adam, in April 2025, and is expecting sometime soon.

She said: “It suddenly feels very real now. I am so excited about becoming a mum for the first time and this will be, by far and away, my biggest role I’ve ever had.

“Adam is going to be a great dad. He pours his heart into everything he does and we both feel so lucky to be having a child.”

The couple chose not to find out whether they are having a boy or a girl, with Isabel also saying how co-stars Ryan Hawley, who plays half-brother Robert, and Danny Miller, who plays Aaron Dingle, have helped her on set.

“You don’t have to go through this alone.”

If you have been affected by issues raised in tonight’s programme you can visit: https://t.co/axMr5zTNdw#Emmerdale pic.twitter.com/2iSFNYMtkH

— Emmerdale (@emmerdale) February 4, 2026

She said: “Ryan is a father, so is Danny, and they have been so sweet.

“They have really spoilt me, making sure I have somewhere to sit down in between scenes.

“I remember once I’d missed breakfast and Danny went to the canteen to get me toast. They are always getting me snacks and both have been really caring.

“They are like my two naughty brothers as they also have a great sense of humour.”

Despite her break, Isabel has confirmed she will return to Emmerdale in the future.

She said: “They told me it was up to me when I come back to the soap, which is lovely.

“I’ve been in Emmerdale for 19 years and it’s been a huge part of my life. Everyone has been so nice.”

She added: “I am in my own baby bubble now.

“I will be back in time but now it’s time to be with my baby and Adam. We can’t wait to be parents.”

Which actors have been on Emmerdale the longest?

Despite Isabel having been on Emmerdale for nearly two decades, there are characters who have been on the show even longer.

Chris Chittell, who plays Eric Pollard in the ITV soap, first began in 1986, having now been on the show for 40 years, making him the longest-serving cast member in the soap’s history.

Sheila Mercier was another long-standing Emmerdale star, having played Annie Sugden in the soap from the programme’s first episode in 1972 until 1994, with a guest return in 2009.

Annie died off-screen in August 2020, aged 100.

Other long-serving characters include Steve Halliwell, who played Zak Dingle from 1994 until his death in 2023, as well as James Hooton (Sam Dingle), Mark Charnock (Marlon Dingle) and Dominic Brunt (Paddy Kirk), each playing their role since 1995, 1996 and 1997 respectively.

Several characters may have appeared longer, such as Robert Sugden since 1986, but have been played by more than one actor.

Emmerdale airs every weekday at 8pm on ITV1 and STV1, with episodes available at 7am on ITVX.

Who is your favourite character on Emmerdale? Let us know in the comments.