Emmerdale has signed up actor Jason Done, who has appeared in a string of soaps, as the Dales' unscrupulous new villain in a major storyline for the show13:54, 06 Jul 2026Emmerdale fans are in for a treat with the arrival of a new villain from a rival soap. Actor, Jason Done, 53, who has appeared in Coronation Street and Waterloo Road, is said to have signed up to the show in a huge storyline.‌Jason, who has also starred in Brassic, The Bill, and most recently, Death in Paradise, is set to cause havoc in the Dales in what sources as claiming is a "major coup" for Emmerdale.‌The seasoned soap star, who first appeared in Coronation Street in the nineties, when he played PC Bathurst also starred in the police drama The Bill in 1996. However, the actor is best known for his long-running role in Waterloo Road as teacher Tom Clarkson.‌Confirming his arrival on Emmerdale, ITV told the Mirror that Jason would be playing a character called Steve. Meanwhile, speaking to The Sun, a source said: “This is a huge coup for Emmerdale. They’ve had massive success with other soap’s stars joining the cast and the hope is that Jason will be another hit."Claiming the character is connected to one of the villagers, they added: “Jason’s character is a new villain with a surprising connection to the village.”‌It's all go on Emmerdale at the moment, with actor Bradley Riches revealing he had to fake shock after his co-star revealed the huge news he was returning to the soap.The actor, 24, admitted he was secretly told of pal and co-star Chris Coghill's return to the fictional Dales village. But rather than drop his friend in it, he had to act surprised when the soap's producer's revealed the news. Chris returns to Dales in his role as Kev Townsend and has walked straight into a stonking new storyline.‌Speaking to the Mirror, Bradley admitted he was aware of Chris' return before ITV revealed the twist, saying: "Obviously he did the little stint last year, didn't he?"It came out September to December, and then he secretly messaged me in February, and he was like, 'I think I might be coming back... don't obviously tell anyone'. I was like, 'no, I'll keep it to myself'."He added: "Before I went to get married, I had a meeting with the producers, and they were like, 'so Chris is coming back', and 'I went, no way!' Like, it's a surprise, but I knew he was coming back anyway."‌Bradley, who is currently on a break from the soap after tying the knot with Scott Johnston in April, said Chris has taught him a lot on set. He said: "That man, he's one of those people who, you watch him do scenes and stuff like that, and he is a guy who just goes with instincts as an actor."In other news, rumours are rife that fan favourite Vinny Dingle may be leaving Emmerdale. Soap legend, Lisa Riley, who plays Vinny's adopted mum, spoke out about the rumoured departure of actor Bradley Johnson recently.Back in May, reports emerged suggesting the 28-year-old had been axed from the programme after portraying Vinny Dingle for over seven years.Article continues belowVinny is allegedly set to bow out of the ITV soap later this year. However, when quizzed about her co-star's supposed exit at the 2026 TRIC Awards, Lisa played her cards close to her chest.She told the Daily Express: "That's not confirmed. I don't know where that's come from! I can't confirm nor deny. He's my dream. We are like family. We're so close. You can see how much we laugh. We're a family at Emmerdale and we are really happy."Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.