Emmerdale star reveals surprising new career after quitting soap

: "I have been through a divorce and got remarried whilst I have been in Emmerdale. Loads has gone on. I am 53 now and I was in my early 40s when I joined.

“I’ve got more confidence in myself now and I don’t feel like I need to please people. As long as my family and mates are happy, then I am happy.

"I have talked before about fostering children and that is something I would definitely love to do when I am older.”

Liam has son Ben, 23, and stepdaughter, Gemma, 26, with his first wife, ex-Hollyoaks actress Nicole Barber-Lane.

He is now married to second wife Joanna “JoJo” Hudson, who he first dated when they were both students at the University of Salford.

They were reintroduced to each other a few years after his divorce from Nicole in 2015 and they married in Cheshire in 2020.

As well as his plans to foster, Liam also has a potential new gig presenting a radio programme as well as a role in panto at Christmas.

He said: “It feels nice to have a break and feel the fear again when the bank balance disappears. I am looking forward to doing some new things.”

As for his pantomime role as Abanazar in Aladdin at a theatre in St Helens, he said: "It will be fun to play Abanazar in Aladdin in St Helens. I’ve not done a panto since I was 17 and that was an amateur one in Cheadle where I fell into the audience by mistake – I need to make sure that doesn’t happen again!"

Emmerdale airs on ITV1 and is available on ITVX.