Emmerdale stars hail Steve Halliwell a ‘soap icon’ after his death aged 77

Emmerdale stars have remembered Steve Halliwell, who played Zak Dingle on the ITV drama for nearly three decades, as a “soap icon” following his death aged 77.

After making his first appearance on the long-running Yorkshire soap opera in October 1994, Halliwell became a beloved fixture as the Dingle family patriarch.

The actor died “peacefully with his loved ones around him”, his family said in a statement issued by the broadcaster on Friday.

Following the news, Emmerdale actors including James Hooton, who has played Halliwell’s on-screen son Sam Dingle since 1995, paid