Nothing would get you in the mood for a Sunday evening quite like Heartbeat.
Over 30 years ago, the sound of the catchy theme tune filled living rooms across the UK. It’s hard to believe it was more than three decades ago that it first arrived on our screens.
When it comes to the iconic show, one character you’ll probably remember is PC Phil Bellamy. Played by Mark Jordon, now 59, PC Bellamy was a favourite until he left the ITV role in 2007.
He was so popular that a documentary called Heartbeat – Farewell Phil even aired on Christmas Day. In the show, his character was married to another popular favourite, Gina.
Mark Jordon at the British Soap Awards in 2018
(Image: Getty Images)
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It’s been nearly 20 years since we said goodbye to PC Bellamy, but the actor has gone onto achieve a lot since then. Not long after, he made his directoral debut with the short film To The Sea Again, which played at many festivals.
In fact, it made it through to the final of the Angel Film Festival London and Moondance International Film Festival in Hollywood. More recently, some soap fans may have also noticed him crop up in another treasured soap.
Back in 2014, Jordon joined the cast of Emmerdale, having taken on the short term role of Daz Spencer. He then returned to the part in August 2017 where he became a regular cast member.
He also took on the guest role of Connor Colman in BBC medical drama Holby City, and played Ray Wood in ITV’s The Long Shadow. But it was during his time at Emmerdale that he found love with co-star Laura Norton, who he also joined alongside in ITV’s reality show, Drama Queens.
Norton plays the role of Kerry Wyatt in the soap, and the couple have two children. Prior to this, Jordon was married to Benidorm and Happy Valley actress Siobhan Finneran, but they divorced in 2014. They also have two children together.
Mark pictured with his partner, Laura Norton
(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
Nowadays, the actor boasts quite a big following on Instagram, and often posts updates on life with his family. The couple regularly speak out about what it’s like to raise children with Usher syndrome.
Usher syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects hearing and vision. Their son and daughter will eventually become blind and deaf due to the condition.
At the moment, there is no cure for it, but it’s present from birth and can range in severity. Usually, symptoms start to emerge during adolescence.
Jordon previously told the Express: “We can expect their sight loss to start within their adolescence, so that is our yardstick for what we need to achieve before then. It’s given us the drive to go, ‘We’ve got a decade, let’s get on with it.’
“We have to have that hope. I’m preparing myself for what happens next, but 100% yes we do hope – because otherwise we couldn’t get up and do it.”
Now, the couple dedicate their lives to trying to help find a cure for Usher syndrome. They are patrons of the charity Cure Usher, and tirelessly fundraise to try and find a cure.