Since 2012, Laura Norton, 43, has played Kerry Wyatt on the ITV soap Emmerdale. Off-screen, she found love with co-star Mark Jordan, who played Daz Spencer between 2014 and 2024. Mark, 61, is also known for his role as PC Phil Bellamy in Heartbeat.
Reflecting on their romance, Laura told Inside Soap: "Mark came in as Dan's brother Daz in 2014, initially for a short stint. We kept in touch as friends and grew closer – and we never looked back!" She added: "If you'd have said when we first met that in a few years we would be a couple and have a baby, I would've said 'excuse me?'"
Heartbreaking Diagnosis
Laura and Mark got engaged in late 2018 and welcomed son Jesse in January 2021, followed by daughter Ronnie in 2022. In February 2023, they revealed both children had been diagnosed with Usher Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes hearing loss and an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP), sometimes affecting balance.
Speaking to Hello! Magazine, Mark said: "We've agonised about doing this before we've even told our children about their condition... we're going to write them a letter to explain why we did this and show them when they're old enough to understand." He added: "But we would never forgive ourselves if we did nothing when we could be making changes that would help them and other children."
Raising Awareness
On ITV's reality series Drama Queens, Laura described the impact: "I have something that I'm carrying now that we never had before and life is not what it once was… It's heartbreaking." She noted the fear of the unknown and whether it would stop their children from doing things.
Laura and Mark are patrons and trustees of the Cure Usher Syndrome Charity, organising fundraising events. Mark recently led a darlingwing walk joined by fellow Emmerdale stars Brad Riches, Lawrence Robb, and Matthew Wolfenden.
