James Thornton, known to Emmerdale viewers as John Barton, has been married to Welsh actress Joanna Page since December 2003. Page is widely recognised for her role as Stacey in the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey.
Thornton first appeared in the Dales as John Barton 17 years ago. Alongside his on-screen wife Moira, played by Natalie J Robb, the couple became the new owners of Butlers Farm. The farmer took over the agricultural business from the Sugden family, beginning a new dynasty on the ITV soap and a long-running feud between the two families.
John and Moira were portrayed as childhood sweethearts and parents to Matty and Holly Barton. Thornton's character was also the adoptive father of Adam Barton, whose biological father was James Barton.
Dramatic Exit From the Soap
Before Thornton's arrival, series producer Gavin Blyth described John as "a very charismatic and modern farmer". The Bartons initially seemed like the perfect, hardworking family, but cracks soon appeared in John and Moira's marriage.
John's kiss with Eve Jenson, played by Suzanne Shaw, and Moira's subsequent affair with Cain Dingle, portrayed by Jeff Hordley, tested their relationship. Although John struggled to forgive Moira's infidelity, he eventually realised he could not live without her.
After the couple reconciled in February 2012, their happiness was short-lived. A car crash following a skid on ice sent their vehicle plunging off a ravine, and John died in the incident, leaving Moira heartbroken.
Speaking to Digital Spy in 2012 about his departure, Thornton called the storyline "brilliant" and said: "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." He added: "So I was really, really pleased. As an actor, you always want to do something that's going to grab the audience's attention."
Marriage and Family Life
Thornton and Page married in December 2003, four years after they both appeared in the two-part BBC drama David Copperfield. He played Ham Peggotty, and she played Dora Spenlow.
The couple share four children: Eva, Kit, Noah, and the youngest, Boe, born in 2021. Page has said that having children completely changed their relationship. She told Woman magazine: "It completely changes you. You're really close and a unit, then you have kids, and it kind of completely splits you because they're now the focus."
She added: "We know that romance is going to be on the back burner for now and life is exhausting and hectic, but in 15 years' time it's just going to be and him and then we're going to get to go travelling around the world."
Career After Emmerdale
In February 2010, Thornton was hit by a motorist in London and received medical treatment for leg injuries. Emmerdale producers rewrote scenes involving his character. At the time, an Emmerdale source told the Daily Star that the entire cast was shocked.
Thornton now works as a voice artist and has narrated several documentaries, including the BBC series This Farming Life. He has also narrated and appeared in the documentary Benefits By the Sea: Jaywick (2015–2016), narrated the Channel 5 series The Motorway, and has been the voice of Talk TV. He narrates ad campaigns for brands including Ford, Amazon, Shell, and BP.
Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX.
