Emmerdale and The Hunt For Raoul Moat Actor Dale Meeks dies

Photo credit: ©ITV / Shutterstock
Photo credit: ©ITV / Shutterstock

Dale Meeks, an actor who played the role as Simon Meredith in the ITV Emmerdale, has passed away at the age of 48 due to heart failure, according to his family. Meeks had played the character on the show from 2003 to 2006. Ant and Dec, who had worked with Meeks in the 1990s on the BBC drama Byker Grove, paid tribute to him on social media, describing him as a "lovely guy."

Ant and Dec tweeted “We are so incredibly sorry to hear the very sad news of Dale’s passing. He was the loveliest of guys, even though he was a Denton ‘Burner’, the the arch nemesis of the Byker ‘Grovers’! A sad loss at such a young age. RIP Dale. Sleep well bonny lad”

Meeks commenced his acting career on Byker Grove, where he played a leader of the rival youth group to the show's main characters, depicted by Ant and Dec. Meeks recently appeared on the ITV true crime drama The Hunt For Raoul Moat and was set to celebrate his 49th birthday on the same day as the King's coronation.