Pointless Celebrities welcomes a whole host of Doctor Who alumni in tonight’s episode (August 24) on BBC One. Joining Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman is Frazer Hines who played Jamie on the BBC sci-fi series in the 1960s. The actor may be more recognisable to fans as Emmerdale’s very own Joe Sugden.
Hines took on the role of Joe for the first time back in 1972.
The actor enjoyed a lengthy stay on the soap, appearing in over a staggering 1,000 episodes.
His tenure on Emmerdale lasted over 20 years and since then he’s gone on to make a handful of on-screen appearances in a number of TV series.
However, he’s never made a return to Emmerdale and there’s a pretty good reason for that.
READ MORE: Emmerdale spoilers: Andy Sugden returns as Robert goes on the run?
Joe Sugden, who was the brother of Jack (played by Clive Hornby), came to a rather grizzly end on the soap.
Hines’s character moved to Spain in 1994 following a battle with depression and alcoholism.
Joe struggled to deal with the death of his friend Mark after they argued on the night he died.
However, a year after he moved away from the Dales, Joe died in a car crash.
Back in the village, however, questions still remain over the legitimacy of an accidental car crash being Joe’s real cause of death.
READ MORE: Emmerdale: Is Robert Sugden going to be killed off in Emmerdale?
Joe is only survived on Emmerdale at the moment by his nephew and niece Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins).
The reason for Hines’s departure was so he could spend more time with his wife, according to The Mirror.
He also wanted to spend more time on his stud farm and breeding horses.
In the years that followed after his soap exit, Hines landed roles in Dalziel and Pascoe and a handful of Doctor Who spin-offs.
He even took on a part in the hit Starz series Outlander in 2015.
READ MORE: Emmerdale: Is Robert Sugden leaving Emmerdale 2019?
Seeing Hines back on TV screens on tonight’s Pointless Celebrities will undoubtedly bring back memories of his soap days for fans.
He’ll be hoping his 60 years in showbiz will help him when it comes to plucking out those obscure answers to see him to the end of the competition.
Hines faces competition from cricketer Matthew Hoggard and badminton player Gail Emms.
The other celebrity contestants include Bonnie Langford, Dalton Grant, Charlie Stayt, Helen Lederer and Shaun Williamson.
Pointless Celebrities starts on BBC One tonight at 7:35pm.
