10 Facts About… Tony Audenshaw (Emmerdale’s Bob)
1 Antony Audenshaw was born on 6 September 1964 in Denton, Lancashire. The star had a taste for acting from a young age… “My earliest memory of being on stage is the Marple Scouts’ Gang Show – great fun,” says Tony. “I sang songs, and then acted in a sketch I wrote.”
2 The star’s first big step, however, happened by accident – and it’s all thanks to his father, Terry. “My dad was in amateur shows,” shares Tony. “I remember taking a call meant for him. They were looking for dancers to take part in Hello, Dolly!, and I ended up doing it myself.” And Tony’s passion for performing has been with him since… “Variety acts fascinate me,” he tells us. “I love a good club act. I can sing, tell jokes, and do bad impressions, so I would be happy doing that.”
3 Tony has played the Dales’ Bob Hope for 20 years. The star joined the show’s cast in 2000, and his alter ego is now the most-married character in Emmerdale village! Bob has been hitched seven times to five different women – he also has seven kids, a stepson and three stepdaughters. “Bob’s a great part to play,” grins Tony. “He gets away with amazing things because he tells jokes – he’s a charming bloke.”
4 Outside of work, Tony might be found singing with his band, White Van Man. The group formed in 2001, and Tony is the lead vocalist. The band plays covers of songs from the 60s right up to recent hits. “We’ve done a mix of gigs,” he explains. “Mainly pubs and birthday functions, but we’ve also played the Great North Run and at the Royal Albert Hall in a charity gig.”
5 Tony met Ruth Lee in 1989, and the pair married three years later. They had two children together – George, aged 24, and 22-year-old Em. Ruth was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017, and sadly passed away 16 months later. “She was a brilliant person,” says Tony. “She was so brave. It’s really unfair that she’s gone, but my life was enriched so much by her…”
6 Tony is a keen runner, and has completed 10 marathons. In 2010, he broke the record for the fastest marathon dressed as a baby, completing the 26.2 miles in three hours and 13 minutes. But sadly he doesn’t hold that record any more. Tony’s runs raise money for leukaemia and lymphoma research.
7 One of Bob’s biggest storylines in Emmerdale was when he became homeless in January last year. Similarly, Tony explained that he has experienced money troubles before, too. “I used to work at Thorpe Park, as one of the rangers and do the voices,” explains the star. “Up north things are much cheaper. I came down south in the 80s, and it was £70 for a B&B. If I was down for five nights, I’d sleep in the car, as I didn’t have much money coming in.”
8 Aside from acting, Tony is also a keen birdwatcher. “I go to bird hides and bird reserves,” he tells us. “I went to Spain with a mate, and the pair of us just went birdwatching.” When Tony was on Celebrity Mastermind back in 2009, birds were his specialist subject. The actor even once considered wildlife as a career. “I wanted to work at a nature reserve for years,” says Tony. “But my science marks weren’t too good. In retrospect, I think I would have been great in advertising.”
9 Tony’s roles away from Emmerdale have often involved playing a member of the police force. In 1995, he was PC Ian Coban in a few episodes of Brookside – while in 1996, he played a detective constable in Prime Suspect, and a PC in Where The Heart Is in 1998. In the movie Hillsborough, Tony played a member of the ambulance service.
10 Tony confesses that he’s had some weird moments in Emmerdale, and most of them have involved him being in very little clothing! “There was one episode where Bob had to wear lederhosen in the Woolpack,” laughs the star. “There was another time I had to get my kit off, which was a bit bleak as I wasn’t in the best condition. And there was a scene where I was wearing Kylie-style gold hot pants!”