Emmerdale fans have been left stunned as Chris Chittell, who plays Eric Pollard, reached a major landmark. The 78-year-old actor has portrayed the character since 1986, making him the longest-serving cast member in the programme's history. Eric initially functioned as the series' antagonist but has since evolved into a cherished resident of the Yorkshire village.
Six Marriages and a Christmas Wedding
Throughout his time in the Dales, Eric has walked down the aisle six times. His spouses have included Eileen Pollock (played by Arbel Jones), Elizabeth Feldmann (Kate Dove), Dee de la Cruz (Claudia Malkovich), Gloria Weaver (Janice McKenzie), Val Lambert (Charlie Hardwick), and Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton).
Eric married Kerry on Christmas Eve 2025 in a bid to secure funds for Jacob's future through her. Though not romantically entangled, Kerry has maintained her care for Eric, who lives with Parkinson's disease. Eric recently supported Jacob after he discovered that his daughter Leyla wasn't his biological child. The infant is, in fact, the offspring of Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) and Ross Barton (Michael Parr), who have assured Jacob and his wife Sarah (Katie Hill) they harbour no desire to assume parental responsibilities.
Fans React to the 40-Year Anniversary
Sharp-eyed viewers have noticed that Chris Chittell has reached his 40th anniversary in the Dales, becoming the first actor to achieve this milestone. Eric made his initial appearance in the village on September 30, 1986. The character was born on 11 June 1945, making him 81 years old, while actor Chris is 78.
One Reddit user posted: "Today marks forty years since Eric Pollard first appeared on 'Emmerdale Farm' as the new manager at Hotten Market. The character is the first in the programme's history to achieve this." They added: "What's your favourite Pollard moment over the last forty years? He's had some great stories and memorable partnerships to go with it. For me anything that involved him scheming was always something I enjoyed. He's also racked up six wives (although five on-screen), each very different from the last. Congratulations to Chris Chittell on this achievement - a true legend of the show who hopefully will be around for many more years."
Another fan remarked: "It's crazy because the character was only 41 (the actor was only 38) when he was first introduced." A third commented: "Eric and Ken [Barlow] meeting will always be my fave moment." Someone else wrote: "I have a little cry to myself as I realise 1986 was forty years ago." A fifth viewer shared the sentiment, stating: "Eric and Val are one of my favourite couples from the show."
Emmerdale airs weekday nights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
