It’s been 13 years since James Thornton left Emmerdale, with his character John Barton tragically dying in a car crash shortly after reconciling with his wife Moira (now Dingle).
The Barton family took over Butler’s Farm in 2009, described as “sexy, modern and contemporary”. Before his arrival, series producer Gavin Blyth characterised James’ role as “a very charismatic and modern farmer”. However, after less than three years and several high-profile storylines, James exited the show amid dramatic scenes.
He has since led a quiet life away from the limelight with his famous wife and their four young children. Here, we delve into James’ career, his real-life road accident that led to a rewrite of Emmerdale scripts, and his life off-screen.
James debuted as John in 2009 alongside Natalie J Robb, who played John’s wife Moira. The couple were childhood sweethearts with an initially solid marriage, reports Leeds Live.
However, John shared a kiss with Eve Jenson (Suzanne Shaw), and two years later, Moira had an affair with Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley). John struggled to forgive Moira for her infidelity but eventually realised he couldn’t live without her.
James decided to leave the soap after two years, leading to his character’s dramatic exit in February 2012. John and Moira’s storyline ended with a tragic car crash caused by icy conditions, resulting in the vehicle plummeting off a ravine.
James praised the plot, saying: “As I learned more, I discovered that the scale of John’s departure was going to be huge, and that the amount of money they were spending was massive. So I was really, really pleased. As an actor, you always want to do something that’s going to grab the audience’s attention.”
Famous wife and family life
James is married to Joanna Page, best known as Stacey from the BBC series Gavin & Stacey. The couple, who have appeared together in the BBC drama David Copperfield, have four children: Eva, Kit, Noah, and Boe, born in 2021.
James shared his excitement about their growing family on Instagram, posting a photo of Joanna with the caption: “My wonderful wife @iamjoannapage is pregnant and doesn’t she look amazing! ! ! We are having baby number 4! #almostafiveasideteam #nosleep”
Despite their joy, Joanna has spoken about the challenges of finding personal time during lockdown, with the kids at home due to school and nursery closures.
The couple’s inability to be intimate put a strain on their relationship, leading to frequent arguments. Joanna shared with The Sun: “We spent the whole of the first lockdown arguing and threatening to divorce each other. Then we went through a month of literally not saying a single word to each other.”
However, everything worked out and they often share snapshots of their home life, including their two dogs, on social media.
Road accident
In February 2010, James suffered leg injuries after being struck by a car in London, prompting Emmerdale producers to alter his character’s storylines.
An Emmerdale insider at the time informed the Daily Star of the cast’s concern: “He was having a few days off in London with Jo and they’d been out for dinner when he was hit by the car. Joanna was in a right state and James was in absolute agony.
“He knows he was lucky. We have no idea when he’s going to be back.”
After soap
Post-Emmerdale, James has carved out a successful career as a voice artist, lending his voice to several documentaries, including narrating The Curse of Oak Island for UK viewers. His work includes narrating and featuring in the documentary Benefits By the Sea: Jaywick (2015–2016), as well as the Channel 5 series The Motorway.
Additionally, he is the voice behind Talk TV and voices advertisements for prominent brands such as Ford, Amazon, Shell, and BP.
