As a farmer, Jack is salt of the earth and solid and dependable, but he's got a writer's heart and he's a real romantic when it comes to women.
When I was growing up, all I could think about was getting away from the farm
Significant Others Marian Wilks; Laura Verney; Pat Merrick; Karen Moore; Marian Wilks; Rachel Hughes
Marriages Pat Merrick; Sarah Connolly; Diane Blackstock
Jobs Novelist (yes, really!) and a farmer
1972 Dad Jacob dies and leaves him Emmerdale farm. Returns from life in London as a struggling writer to take it over.
1973 The farm is turned into a limited company when businessman Henry Wilks buys him out and Jack becomes a shareholder along with brother Joe, sister Peggy and brother-in-law Matt Skilbeck, and mum Annie. Has a short but passionate affair with Henry's daughter Marian Wilks.
1974 Leaves for Rome to work on a screenplay of his novel Field of Tares – after discovering Marian had moved to the Italian capital.
1976 Briefly visits Annie after a bout of writer's block on his second novel.
1980 Completes the novel and returns to the farm to live. Dates former girlfriend Pat Merrick after her marriage to hubby Tom breaks up.
1981 Implicated in an arson attack by a vengeful Tom after Pat files for divorce. Jack and Pat get engaged and it's revealed that Pat's son Jackie is Jack's son, not Tom's.
1982 Marries Pat in October. Teenager Jackie goes off the rails and is charged with arson.
1984 Discovers Marian has married. Has an affair with Hotten Market auctioneer's assistant Karen Moore. Pat finds out and Jack gives up Karen to save his marriage.
1986 Son Robert is born in April. Pat dies in a car crash.
1987 Arrested for contempt of court following a violent protest against plans for a nuclear waste dump near the village. Marian visits with her Italian hubby and has a fling with Jack.
1988 Starts seeing librarian Sarah Connolly.
1989 Jackie dies in a shooting accident. Jack's relationship with Sarah is on the rocks when Jack flies out to Italy to help Marian after her hubby Paolo dies.
1992 Farmer Lynn Whiteley develops a crush on him but Jack resists her advances. Takes over the running of Emmerdale farm with Sarah and mum Annie moves to Spain.
1993 The village of Beckindale is renamed 'Emmerdale' after Jack's farm following a devastating plane crash in the village.
1994 Daughter Victoria Anne born in March. Marries Sarah in May but they split briefly later in the year after Sarah has an affair.
1995 Jack's brother Joe dies in Spain and Annie returns to England with his body for the funeral.
1996 Takes in delinquent teen Andy Hopwood after Andy’s mum dies.
1998 Starts a steamy affair with Sarah's friend Rachel Hughes.
2000 Splits with Sarah after she starts an affair with young lodger Richie Carter. Andy torches the barn to help Jack claim on the insurance but kills Sarah, who is inside with Richie. Andy confesses to Jack but Jack protects him and is charged with murder.
2001 Brought to trial but found not guilty through lack of evidence.
2002 Debt-ridden, after 30 years managing Emmerdale farm, he’s forced to put it up for sale.
2003 Renews a relationship with landlady Diane Blackstock.
2004 Nearly dies when Andy accidentally shoots him – the bullet was meant for Andy's cheating wife Katie and brother Robert. Jack covers for Andy with the police yet again. Fiancee Diane is diagnosed with cancer. They marry in September.
2005 Diane is given the all-clear after treatment. Becomes a granddad when Debbie Dingle gives birth to Andy's baby Sarah. Sons Robert and Andy continue to feud but Jack sides with Andy and disowns Robert.
2006 Offers to adopt Andy's teenage half-brother Daz Eden but come up against opposition from the brothers' jailbird dad Billy Hopwood.
2007 Clashes with Billy over Daz.
Clive was born on October 20, 1944, in Liverpool and trained as an accountant when he left school. He gave up his job as an accounts clerk to become a drummer with pop group, The Dennisons, in the 60s and the band were tipped for success but split before they achieved any real fame. Clive moved onto theatre and applied for a job as an assistant stage manager at the Liverpool Warehouse. He took acting lessons part time and later applied for drama school, winning a place at London's LAMDA. After some time in rep, Clive's first TV appearance was in the sitcom Get Some In and he also appeared in cult sci-fi series Space 1999, as well as long-running TV drama, Minder. Clive made a brief return to the stage, but was offered the role of Jack Sugden. Clive went through a divorce when he first joined Emmerdale and later fell in love his screen wife, Helen Weir, who played Pat Merrick. The couple married in 1984 and had a son, Thomas, in 1986. Helen also has a son, Daniel, from her first marriage.
