Inside Silent Witness star Neil Pearson's life off screen from estranged dad to book deal

After almost 30 years on the Weatherfield cobbles, Roy Cropper and his beloved cafe Roy's Rolls have become part of the Coronation Street furniture. David Neilson - the actor who plays the loveable character - first landed the job back in 1995, and since then, has been at the centre of many different storylines. From his iconic love affair with the anorak wearing Hayley Cropper - which tragically ended following her death in 2014 - to his later relationship with the widow Cathy Matthews, David's character has become a fan favourite.

Patsy Palmer is best known for her portrayal of Bianca Jackson in EastEnders, which she's set to return to, but she's since swapped Albert Square for sunny California.The actress relocated in 2014 with her family, following her exit from EastEnders. Patsy, 51, moved to Malibu 10 years ago with her husband Richard Merkell, 49, and their children; Fenton, 23, Emilia, 22, and Bertie, 13.The family have certainly thrown themselves into California life, having made pals with A-listers and carved out careers in showbiz. Patsy continues to dip in and out of acting - she's briefly reprised her role in EastEnders for some special episodes - and she's works as a DJ too.

Coronation Street star Charlotte Jordan's life is very different to her soap character's, when the cameras stop rolling. She's been playing the fiery Daisy Midgeley on our screens for three years, but off screen, Charlotte – who was recently in tears after a fan's heartwarming gesture – leads a much calmer life. Daisy's turbulent journey on Coronation Street since her arrival in 2020 has seen her becoming step-daughter to the Rovers Return's landlady, Jenny Connor, and finding love with school teacher Daniel Osbourne, whose wife tragically passed away from cancer after giving birth to their son.

Stephen Merchant, known for his comedic brilliance and towering height, has become a household name both on and off screen. With a reported net worth of £26.6 million, he's cemented his status as the UK's richest comedian, surpassing industry heavyweights like Peter Kay and Ricky Gervais.

Julian Miles Holland, better known as Jools Holland, has kept us all entertained with his music and his popular New Year's Eve annual Hootenanny show, as well as his fun personality. Jools became famous after starting his career as a session musician and he was a founding member of the British pop band Squeeze. With his musical background, the BBC star, 66, has given a platform to loads of talent from Adele, David Bowie and Missy Elliot just to name a few.

EastEnders fans were given a startling blast from the past during Tuesday’s (20 February) visit to Albert Square, as Denise Fox sought out advice from serial killer Lucas Johnson to help try and cope with the guilt of having been complicit to Keanu Taylor’s death. As regular viewers will know, Keanu was fatally stabbed to death on Christmas Day by Linda Carter as she tried to stop him from strangling her friend Sharon Watts, but rather than come clean about the crime, Linda, along with the rest of The Six decided to cover up the murder and even buried the body beneath Kathy’s cafe! But in the wake of the harrowing incident, Denise in particular has been struggling with psychosis and even hallucinations of the dead and buried Keanu - and sought advice from her former pastor Lucas who was serving time in prison for multiple murders himself! Yet while Lucas may have had a deadly streak on screen, actor Don Gilet couldn’t be further from his villainous alter-ego.

From hosting Late Night Lycett to Travel Man, comedian Joe Lycett is always popping up on our screens in one way or another. And this time, he's tackling dirty water in Joe Lycett vs Sewage. The TV presenter is investigating the state of the UK's sewage network in tonight's Channel 4 documentary.

Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy leads a quiet life away from the spotlight with his wife and two sons.

Joanne Froggatt is currently starring in the new ITV series Breathtaking, as Dr Abbey Henderson, an NHS doctor working during the Covid pandemic.The three-part drama series launched today (19 February) and is just one of the huge TV roles the actress has secured over her impressive career. Speaking about her new role, Joanne told Mail Online: "Soon after I began reading the first episode I started to cry.That’s never happened to me before in 27 years reading scripts. Nothing I’ve been asked to be a part of has affected me, or shocked me, in the way this story did." Joanne, 43, has also starred in TV shows The Bill, Bad Girls, Robin Hood, Liar and Sherwood, along with being the voice of Wendy in the kids show Bob The Builder.

Danny Jones delighted viewers and his six year old son as he was crowned the winner of The Masked Singer and was unveiled as Piranha.The hit ITV show saw the McFly singer hide his identity for weeks as he performed behind the mask, including from his family. Danny, 37, shot to fame when he joined McFly as one of the lead vocalists and the lead guitarist alongside bandmates Tom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter, and Harry Judd.The band made their debut in 2004 with their smash hit single 5 Colours in Her Hair which reached number one, later releasing fan favourites All About You and Obviously.

Canadian-born ice skater Simon Proulx-Sénécal has been making turning heads on the Dancing on Ice rink with his impressive performances alongside partner Amber Davies. However, beyond the glitz and glamour of the Dancing On Ice stage, here’s what we know about Simon's life off-screen.

TV star Alex Jones is best known for fronting BBC's The One Show but away from the cameras, the Welsh presenter and her husband Charlie Thomson, who is from New Zealand, live a regular life with their young family in their London home.The couple share three children together: Teddy, six, Kit, four, and Annie, two. Alex, met insurance broker Charlie at a party back in 2011 and they announced their engagement four years later. She said at the time that she didn't want an over-the-top wedding saying: "It'll be just with our close friends and family and a day when everybody can have a bit of a laugh." The happy couple tied the knot on New Year's Eve in 2015 in a private ceremony at Cardiff Castle.

The One Show star Jermaine Jenas, known for his football career and now a popular TV presenter, lives a luxurious life away from the BBC cameras.The 40 year old star resides in a plush £1 million mansion in Hertfordshire with his wife Ellie Penfold and their three children. Jermaine had an impressive football career, playing for top Premier League teams like Aston Villa, Queens Park Rangers, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur. He even played for England before retiring in 2016 due to a knee injury, reports MyLondon.

Coronation Street's school bully Mason Radcliffe - played by Luca Toolan - has been causing chaos in the show with his intense storylines.

Ever since James Chase arrived on our screens as Thomas ’Tom’ King back in April 2023, the 28 year old actor has quickly become a firm favourite among Emmerdale fans. Whether it was his swoon-worthy looks or his enigmatic personality, James’ portrayal quickly intrigued many viewers about what may lay in store for the character in the coming months.

The Apprentice has returned for its 18th series, and one of the contestants is Dr Asif Munaf who has a lot to prove after facing the brutal boardroom last week in the bottom three. Some viewers might remember him from another business TV show, Dragons' Den, where he tried to get a £50,000 investment for his Smoothie brand DATE.

For over twenty years, Irish actor Allen Leech has been delighting audiences with his phenomenal performance skills and stellar on-screen presence, with the much loved star dabbling in everything from period dramas to Oscar winning movies throughout his impressive career. But while most of us will know him best for playing Tom Branson in Downton Abbey, or his memorable turn as Paul Prenter in Bohemian Rhapsody, this week fans will be able to catch Allen in a brand new drama for Channel 5, called Too Good To Be True.

Comedian Aisling Bea is back on our screens, starring in Channel 4's new romantic drama, Alice & Jack. The six-part series tells the story of two people who fall head over heels for one another after meeting on a blind date. Aisling plays Lynn, Jack's wife and mother of his child.

With the latest series of Silent Witness coming to an end this week, viewers at home will, for the the last time this season, see the likes of actors Emilia Fox and David Caves attempt to solve some grisly crimes. But besides the regular cast members that viewers will have become accustomed to seeing, some familiar faces have starred on the show as guests, including Hermione Norris. Appearing as CS Sheila Court in Monday 12 February’s King’s Cross episode, Hermione will help her co-stars try to work out the identity of the man who’s been dubbed ‘The King’s Cross Serial Killer’.

Bill Roache has played Ken Barlow on Coronation Street since 1960 and reportedly earns more than £250,000 per year from his role, making him one of the highest paid stars on the show.The 91 year old also thought to be the highest-paid member of the cast. From his bankruptcy battle to his co-star sons, let's take a look at the veteran actor's life off screen... Corrie star sons Bill's real-life sons have also acted alongside him on the soap, adding a personal touch to his career.