# Joe Sugden

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joe_Sugden
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joe_Sugden.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sugden
> Source revision: 1351012028
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Fictional character from Emmerdale

For the baseball player, see [Joe Sugden (baseball)](/source/Joe_Sugden_(baseball)).

Soap opera character

Joe Sugden Emmerdale character Portrayed by Frazer Hines Duration 1972–1994 First appearance 16 October 1972 (1972-10-16) Last appearance 11 August 1994 (1994-08-11) Created by Kevin Laffan Introduced by David Goddard (1972) Richard Handford (1984) In-universe information Occupation Farmer Family Sugden Father Jacob Sugden Mother Annie Sugden Brothers Jack Sugden Sisters Peggy Skilbeck Wife Christine Sharp (1974–1976) Kate Hughes (1989–1991) Stepsons Mark Hughes Stepdaughters Rachel Hughes Grandfathers Joseph Sugden Sam Pearson Grandmothers Margaret Sugden Grace Pearson Uncles Edward Sugden Nephews Jackie Merrick Sam Skilbeck Robert Sugden Andy Sugden John Sugden Nieces Sally Skilbeck Victoria Sugden

**Joseph** "**Joe**" **Sugden** is a fictional character from the [British](/source/Television_in_the_United_Kingdom) television soap opera *[Emmerdale](/source/Emmerdale)*, played by [Frazer Hines](/source/Frazer_Hines). He first appeared on-screen during the soap's first episode broadcast 16 October 1972 and remained in the programme until 1983. After a brief return in the following year, Hines reprised his role on a permanent basis in 1986, a landmark year for the show under Richard Handford. He made his last appearance in August 1994, and subsequently died off-screen the following year. In 2019, Hines confirmed that he would like to return to the soap despite his off-screen death.

## Development

Joe is a farmer as was his father. When *Emmerdale* began it depicted actual farm life. Rather than act out tasks, Hines learned to dip sheep and milk cows.[1]

Joe is involved in a relationship with [Christine Sharp](/source/List_of_minor_Emmerdale_characters_(1972-73)#Christine_Sharp) (Angela Cheyne). They married during the episode broadcast 10 September 1974.[2] The duo overcome a series of problems before marrying and Christine has the wedding day "she'd always dreamed of".[3] To commemorate the event *[TVTimes](/source/TVTimes)* featured a promotional souvenir photograph for readers prior to the episode's airdate.[4]

In August 1994, Hines, along with [Madeleine Howard](/source/Madeleine_Howard) ([Sarah Sugden](/source/Sarah_Sugden)) and [Fionnuala Ellwood](/source/Fionnuala_Ellwood) ([Lynn Whiteley](/source/Lynn_Whiteley)), departed the serial. At the time Hines commented "We've all been there for a while and just decided it was time to move on."[5] He later stated that he was ready for a change and had wanted to pursue more comedy for a while.[6] On-screen, Joe moves to Spain to be with his mother.[6]

## Storylines

Joe was born on 31 May 1949, named after his paternal grandfather, and is the youngest child of Jacob and [Annie Sugden](/source/Annie_Sugden) ([Sheila Mercier](/source/Sheila_Mercier)). After Jacob dies, the family learn that he has left the farm to his estranged son, [Jack Sugden](/source/Jack_Sugden), who divides it between the family.

After a failed attempt at courting [Marian Wilks](/source/Marian_Wilks) (Gail Harrison), Joe starts dating Christine Sharp and they soon marry but separate when Christine decides she does not want to be a farmer's wife. Christine returns the following year to reconcile but Joe wants a divorce and she leaves for good. Joe's next relationship is with Kathy Gimbel (Polly Hemingway), who moves in with him. Their relationship is a huge talking point in the village as Kathy is separated from her husband, Kenny. When Kathy's father, Jim (John Atkinson) shoots himself, Kathy leaves Joe to live with her mother, Freda (Mary Henry).

Joe gets a job working for NY estates and gets jobs for his nephew [Jackie Merrick](/source/Jackie_Merrick) (Ian Sharrock) and Jackie's half-sister [Sandie](/source/Sandie_Merrick) (Jane Hutcheson). Joe develops feelings for vicar's daughter Barbara Peters (Rosie Kerslake) in 1983 but is rejected and moves to France for several years but briefly returns for the funeral of his grandfather, [Sam Pearson](/source/Sam_Pearson_(Emmerdale)) ([Toke Townley](/source/Toke_Townley)), in November 1984. In 1986, Joe returns permanently and becomes regional manager for NY Estates. During this time, he has a brief relationship with Karen Moore (Annie Hulley), who had previously had an affair with Jack, but Karen ends the relationship.

Joe meets divorcee [Kate Hughes](/source/Kate_Hughes) ([Sally Knyvette](/source/Sally_Knyvette)), and her two teenage children, [Rachel](/source/Rachel_Hughes) ([Glenda McKay](/source/Glenda_McKay)) and [Mark Hughes](/source/Mark_Hughes_(Emmerdale)) (Craig McKay). Initially Kate and Joe argue after he shoots her dog for bothering his sheep but they eventually fall in love. Joe proposes, but with Mark and Rachel opposed and wanting Kate to reconcile with their father, [David](/source/David_Hughes_(Emmerdale)) (Martyn Whitby), Joe becomes worried. They do marry and Kate's children eventually come round to their mother's new marriage. Kate accidentally runs over Pete Whiteley – a married man who had had an affair with Rachel – whilst drunk, killing him. She is jailed for two years, but released after a year. Joe and Kate attempt to make their marriage work, but Kate ultimately feels too big a distance has grown between them, so tells Joe the marriage is over and returns to Sheffield. Rachel and Mark decide to stay and Joe forms a closer relationship with them. Joe later has a controversial relationship with Pete's widow, Lynn, but suspects her main motive is to upset Rachel, so breaks things off. He also becomes attracted to [Kim Tate](/source/Kim_Tate) ([Claire King](/source/Claire_King)), but she remains faithful to husband Frank, and the two ultimately remain just good friends, even after Kim and Frank separate.

Joe and Mark argue over a vacuum cleaner that needs returning so Mark goes to the Whiteley Farm when a large section of an Eastern European Airjet comes down, knocking down a wall which falls on Mark, killing him. Joe, his mother, Annie, and her new husband, [Leonard Kempinski](/source/Leonard_Kempinski) ([Bernard Archard](/source/Bernard_Archard)), are also hit when another part of the plane hits his car. Joe breaks a leg, Annie is left comatose and Leonard is killed. When Joe learns of Mark's death, he becomes very depressed and blames himself. Vic Windsor later finds Joe with a shotgun, contemplating suicide. Jack is eventually able to talk him out of it.

After Joe saves [Dave Glover](/source/Dave_Glover) ([Ian Kelsey](/source/Ian_Kelsey)) from being run over by a car, Jack and Rachel persuade him to go to spend time with Annie in Spain. The following year, news reaches Emmerdale that Joe has died in a car crash. Annie and [Amos Brearly](/source/Amos_Brearly) ([Ronald Magill](/source/Ronald_Magill)) return to the village for his funeral.

In February 2026, Robert finds the old Emmerdale Farm stone in Annie's field and mentions to Aaron Dingle that Joe touched that stone many times over the years.

## Reception

The character was selected as one of the "top 100 British soap characters" by industry experts for a poll to be run by *What's on TV*, with readers able to vote for their favourite character to discover "Who is Soap's greatest Legend?"[7] In 1998, writers from *Inside Soap* published an article about the top ten characters they wanted to return to soap. Joe was featured and they opined that "his gentle charm and Yorkshire grit made him irresistible to a seemingly endless stream of women."[8]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-farm_1-0)** Palmer, Alun (18 October 2012). ["Emmerdale legend Frazer Hines on his cancer battle, marriages and 22 years on the soap"](https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/emmerdale-at-40-frazer-hines-on-his-cancer-1384875#.UuL9SajFKIU). *[Daily Mirror](/source/Daily_Mirror)*. Retrieved 25 January 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Hayward 1997](#refhayward), p.131.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** "Emmerdale Farm". *[TVTimes](/source/TVTimes)*. Vol. 76, no. 37. 7–13 September 1974. p. 46.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** "Wedding at Emmerdale". *[TVTimes](/source/TVTimes)*. Vol. 76, no. 37. 7–13 September 1974. p. 29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Arnold, Richard (September 1994). "Emmerdale: The Real Truth". *[Inside Soap](/source/Inside_Soap)*. No. 25. pp. 26–27.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Irwin_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Irwin_6-1) Irwin, Ken (2 August 1994). ["Street of shame leads to the Farm"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19940802/153/0021). *[Daily Mirror](/source/Daily_Mirror)*. Retrieved 26 October 2024 – via [British Newspaper Archive](/source/British_Newspaper_Archive).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Who is Soaps' Greatest Legend?"](http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/soap-legend). *[What's on TV](/source/What's_on_TV)*. Retrieved 8 July 2012.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** "10 stars we wish would come back". *[Inside Soap](/source/Inside_Soap)* (102): 28, 29. 30 May – 12 June 1998.

- [Hayward, Anthony](/source/Anthony_Hayward) (1997). *The Emmerdale Companion: A Celebration of Twenty-five Years*. [Orion Media](/source/Orion_Media). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7528-1043-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7528-1043-0).

## External links

- [Joe Sugden](http://www.mtv.fi/ohjelmat/sivusto2008.shtml/sarjat/emmerdale/henkilot_poistuneet?791638) at [MTV3](/source/MTV3)

v t e Emmerdale characters Present characters Robert Sugden Eric Pollard Kim Tate Victoria Sugden Sam Dingle Mandy Dingle Marlon Dingle Paddy Kirk Belle Dingle Charity Dingle Cain Dingle Bob Hope Rodney Blackstock Nicola King Rhona Goskirk Gabby Thomas Laurel Thomas Chas Dingle Aaron Dingle Jimmy King Sarah Sugden Moira Dingle Jai Sharma Ross Barton Bear Wolf Mary Goskirk Former characters Louise Appleton Seth Armstrong Chloe Atkinson Adam Barton Holly Barton John Barton Edna Birch Bernice Blackstock Amos Brearly Lily Butterfield Leanna Cavanagh Graham Clark Danny Daggert Toni Daggert Marcus Dean Anna De Souza Donald De Souza Miles De Souza Alice Dingle Debbie Dingle Del Dingle Eli Dingle Lisa Dingle Shadrach Dingle Tina Dingle Zak Dingle Betty Eagleton Daz Eden Nell Fairfax Liv Flaherty Adam Forsythe Ella Forster Jonny Foster Biff Fowler Linda Fowler Alicia Gallagher Dave Glover Kathy Glover Roy Glover Marshall Hamston Leyla Harding Chloe Harris Ella Hart Jamie Hope Viv Hope Billy Hopwood Rachel Hughes Perdita Hyde-Sinclair Eve Jenson Ivan Jones Meena Jutla Carl King Lexi King Matthew King Rosemary King Sadie King Tom King Emily Kirk Jason Kirk Ross Kirk Pearl Ladderbanks Lizzie Lakely Faye Lamb Ryan Lamb Paul Lambert Declan Macey Steve Marchant Paul Marsden Siobhan Marsden Suzy Merton David Metcalfe Scarlett Nicholls Lord Alex Oakwell Sam Pearson Val Pollard Hari Prasad Len Reynolds Sean Reynolds Nikhil Sharma Priya Sharma Grayson Sinclair Dolly Skilbeck Matt Skilbeck Jo Stiles Steph Stokes Andy Sugden Annie Sugden Diane Sugden Jack Sugden Joe Sugden Katie Sugden Pat Sugden Sarah Sugden Chris Tate Frank Tate Zoe Tate Ashley Thomas Jasmine Thomas Sandy Thomas Tara Thornfield Alan Turner Terence Turner Brenda Walker Gennie Walker Jackson Walsh Naomi Walters Chrissie White Henry Wilks Shelley Williams Donna Windsor Kelly Windsor Scott Windsor Vic Windsor Dawn Woods Terry Woods Amy Wyatt Maisie Wylde Mark Wylde Natasha Wylde Nathan Wylde By year 1972–1973 1974–1975 1977 1978–1979 1982–1983 1988 1989 1990 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joe Sugden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sugden) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sugden?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.