Dale Meeks, the actor best known for playing Simon Meredith in Emmerdale and Greg in Byker Grove, has died at the age of 48. He passed away from heart failure at South Tyneside Hospital in April 2023, shortly before his 49th birthday.
Career Highlights
Born in South Shields, Meeks began his career on the BBC children's drama Byker Grove, playing Greg, the head of the Denton Burn youth group. He later joined Emmerdale as fishmonger Simon Meredith, whose turbulent romance with Nicola Blackstock ended with his character moving to Costa Rica in 2006.
Beyond television, Meeks performed on stage in The Producers, Chicago, A Christmas Carol, and the West End production of Love Never Dies. He also won ITV's Stars in Their Eyes Celebrity Special alongside Emmerdale co-star Mark Charnock, performing as the Blues Brothers. His other credits included Casualty, Inspector George Gently, and The Dumping Ground. His final role was in the ITV drama The Hunt for Raoul Moat.
Tributes
Former Byker Grove co-stars Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were among the first to pay tribute. In a joint statement, they said: "We are so incredibly sorry to hear the very sad news of Dale's passing. He was the loveliest of guys, even though he was a Denton 'Burner', the arch nemesis of the Byker 'Grovers'! A sad loss at such a young age. RIP Dale. Sleep well bonny lad."
Emmerdale cast members also honoured him. Nick Miles, who played Jimmy King, said: "Such sad news. He was a lovely generous man. RIP." Charlie Hardwick, who played Val Pollard, added: "I'm very saddened by this dreadful news. I liked Dale so much and loved working with him. He was a funny, sweet, very talented gentle giant."
Les Dennis, who appeared with Meeks in pantomime at the Sunderland Empire, said: "He was great company and so talented. Thoughts with his family and friends." Michelle Heaton of Liberty X, who also performed alongside him in pantomime, said: "He made me and my then-husband Andy (Scott-Lee) feel so welcome and had been a regular at panto throughout many years and just made us feel really welcome and at ease. It's a real shame that we've lost him."
Meeks also co-authored a play about South Shields FC's FA Vase victory in 2017. The club posted: "Everyone at SSFC was saddened to learn of the death of Dale Meeks. Dale co-wrote Everywhere We Go, the popular play based on our journey to FA Vase success in 2017. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very difficult time."
His brother, Philip, said: "My heart is broken."
