Emmerdale fans are "only just realising" that Ray Walters star Joe Absolom appeared in an iconic ITV drama.

Fans of the soap will recall that drug dealer Ray made his first appearance in the Dales earlier this year when Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) contacted him about buying Lewis Barton's (Bradley Riches) cannabis crop.

It later transpired that Ray was involved with youngster Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle), having persuaded him to break into Butlers Farm to survey the property.

April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) has since been drawn into a dangerous situation by Ray and his wicked mother, Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths), as she attempts to settle her boyfriend's mounting debt.

Moreover, it was revealed that Ray and Celia have been holding Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) hostage on their farm, reports the Daily Star.

Bear was initially welcomed by Ray over three months ago and offered accommodation in return for hard labour, but he soon found himself in a distressing predicament.

Repeatedly manipulated by his captors, Bear suffered a serious injury which Ray refused to have treated.

The standalone episode focusing on Bear also introduced newcomer Anya (Alia Al-Shabibi). The two formed a touching bond, but a sequence of events soon spelled danger for both victims.

Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt), Bear's son, has been increasingly concerned for his father in recent episodes, but could a revelation in Friday's (November 14) episode alter the direction of the storyline?

Emmerdale's Ray, played by actor Joe, has left fans astounded as they discovered his previous role in ITV's popular medical drama Doc Martin.

Joe was a key character in the beloved series from 2004 to 2022, playing Al Large, son of Bert Large (Ian McNeice), working alongside his father as a plumber and later in Bert's restaurant.

Al's romantic journey saw him involved with Doc Martin's (Martin Clunes) secretary Pauline Lamb (Katherine Parkinson), before settling down with Morwenna Newcross (Jessica Ransom). The couple tied the knot in season nine, with the ceremony officiated by Joe Penhale (John Marquez).

Emmerdale viewers took to social media to express their surprise at Joe's past role. One fan posted on a Facebook fan page: "Just turned over the TV and our lovely gangster is on Doc Martin. I love this guy."

Another viewer commented: "Omg I'd forgotten about this! I much prefer his character in Doc Martin. He is a great actor but I don't like him playing nasty blokes," while a third added: "Aww he was brilliant in that show."

One more fan chimed in, saying: "How am I just realising this? He looks so young! Love him."

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX, while Doc Martin is available to stream on ITVX