Chris Chittell: The Life, Career, and Emmerdale Legacy of a British TV Icon

NextVolAugust 19, 2026Last Updated: August 19, 2026

15 6 minutes read

Chris Chittell is one of those actors whose face has become inseparable from British television. Best known for playing Eric Pollard in Emmerdale, Chittell has spent decades turning a once-scheming character into one of the soap’s most familiar personalities. ITV continues to list Chittell as the actor behind Eric Pollard, making his connection with the Yorkshire-based drama remarkably enduring.

His career, however, stretches much further back than Emmerdale. Born Christopher John Chittell on May 19, 1948, in Aldershot, Hampshire, he began performing professionally during the 1960s. His early work included theatre before he moved into film and television, giving him a broad acting background long before Eric Pollard entered his life.

What makes Chris Chittell particularly interesting is his ability to remain relevant after such a long career. He has handled comedy, conflict, family drama, tragedy, and serious social storylines while keeping Eric recognisable to viewers. At 78 in 2026, his longevity alone makes his career worth exploring.

Table of Contents

Quick Bio

Key Fact	Details
Full Name	Christopher John Chittell
Date of Birth	May 19, 1948
Age	78 years old as of 2026
Birthplace	Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Profession	Actor
Years Active	1964–present
Best Known For	Eric Pollard in Emmerdale
Joined Emmerdale	1986
Wife	Actress Lesley Dunlop
Honour	British Empire Medal (BEM)

Chris Chittell’s Early Life and Start in Acting

Chittell was born in Aldershot and entered the entertainment industry at a relatively young age. Before acting became his long-term profession, he reportedly considered a very different path and had ambitions connected with the Royal Navy. Instead, opportunities in modelling and performance eventually moved his career in another direction.

His professional stage career can be traced back to 1964. That year, Christopher Chittell appeared in Peter Shaffer’s The Royal Hunt of the Sun, which was staged at the Chichester Festival Theatre as part of a National Theatre production. Theatrical records confirm his involvement in the production, giving him an impressive theatrical starting point.

Starting in theatre gave Chittell something that would later prove valuable on television: discipline. Stage actors must deliver consistently without relying heavily on editing or multiple takes. That foundation arguably helped prepare him for the demanding production schedule of a continuing drama such as Emmerdale.

Chris Chittell’s Career Before Emmerdale

Long before audiences knew him as Eric Pollard, Chittell had already built a varied screen résumé. He appeared in the 1967 film To Sir, with Love and later had roles in productions including The Charge of the Light Brigade and If….. These projects placed him alongside some notable British film and television talent of the period.

His television work expanded as the years went on. Chittell became associated with the children’s adventure series Freewheelers and later appeared in The Tomorrow People. He also accumulated credits in films and television dramas throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Zulu Dawn and Tucker’s Luck.

This part of his career is important because it shows that Chittell was never simply an actor who happened to land one successful soap role. By the time Emmerdale came along, he already had more than two decades of professional experience behind him. That experience gave him the versatility needed to keep a single character interesting for an unusually long time.

Chris Chittell as Eric Pollard in Emmerdale

Chris Chittell first appeared as Eric Pollard in Emmerdale in 1986. The character developed into one of the programme’s best-known figures, while Chittell eventually became the show’s longest-serving cast member. ITV and Parkinson’s UK have both described him in that way when discussing his more recent work on the soap.

Eric originally gained a reputation for being opportunistic, manipulative, and constantly interested in getting ahead. Yet the writers gradually expanded him beyond the straightforward troublemaker viewers first encountered. Relationships, business problems, family connections, grief, humour, and vulnerability gave Chittell considerably more emotional material to work with.

That evolution has been essential to the character’s survival. A soap character who remains unchanged for decades can quickly become predictable. Eric, in contrast, has kept recognisable personality traits while being allowed to age and develop. Chittell’s performance has helped balance the character’s sharp edges with moments that encourage audiences to understand or even sympathise with him.

Why Eric Pollard Has Remained Important

One reason Eric Pollard has lasted for so long is that the character can move naturally between very different kinds of stories. He can provide humour in one episode and become involved in emotionally serious material in another. That flexibility gives producers numerous ways to use him without making every storyline feel repetitive.

A major example came in 2023 when Emmerdale revealed that Eric had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. ITV worked with Parkinson’s UK while developing the storyline, with the charity advising the production on representing the condition accurately. Chittell said he felt privileged to take on the storyline and wanted to do justice to people living with the condition.

The storyline also demonstrated why veteran performers remain valuable to continuing dramas. Viewers had watched Eric for decades before seeing him deal with a major change in his life. That history can give serious storylines additional emotional weight because audiences already understand the character’s personality, relationships, and previous experiences.

Awards, Recognition, and Contributions Beyond Acting

Chittell’s long career has earned recognition outside ordinary television awards. In the 2019 Birthday Honours, he received the British Empire Medal for services to drama and charity. The official UK honours list records him as Christopher John Chittell and specifically recognises both areas of contribution.

Another significant moment arrived in 2024 when Chittell received the inaugural Special Recognition Award at the RadioTimes.com Soap Awards. The award celebrated his extraordinary run as Eric Pollard and his contribution to Emmerdale. Chittell responded by sharing the credit with his family, colleagues, crews, and others who had supported the programme.

These honours highlight more than simple popularity. Remaining part of a major television production for decades requires reliability, adaptability, and the ability to keep a performance believable. Chittell’s career is unusual because he has combined longevity with storylines that continue to place his character at the centre of the show.

Chris Chittell’s Personal Life and Marriage to Lesley Dunlop

Chris Chittell’s personal life also has a connection to Emmerdale. He is married to actress Lesley Dunlop, who became widely known to soap viewers for playing Brenda Walker. Dunlop joined Emmerdale in 2008 and remained associated with the programme for many years.

Chittell and Dunlop eventually became a couple away from the cameras and married in 2016. Their relationship attracted interest because both actors were familiar faces from the same television village, although their real-life marriage remained separate from the complicated relationships involving their characters.

Their story is an interesting example of how a long-running television production can become much more than simply a workplace. Actors may spend years working closely with the same cast and crew. In Chittell’s case, Emmerdale became an enormous part of both his professional career and his personal life.

Chris Chittell’s Lasting Legacy

Few television actors get the opportunity to develop one character across several decades. Chris Chittell has been able to show Eric Pollard at numerous stages of his life, from an ambitious schemer to a considerably more layered older character. Radio Times has described him as the longest-serving cast member in Emmerdale history.

His legacy also extends beyond a single television programme. His career began in theatre during the 1960s and included film and television work before Emmerdale transformed him into a household face. Looking at his complete career makes his long soap tenure even more impressive because it represents only one, although unquestionably the largest, chapter of his acting life.

Perhaps the strongest measure of his success is simply that Eric Pollard still feels like an essential part of the Emmerdale world. After decades of changing cast members, producers, storylines, and television trends, Chittell has created a character audiences continue to recognise immediately.

Conclusion

Chris Chittell has built an acting career defined by consistency, versatility, and remarkable longevity. From his early theatre work and appearances in British film and television to his decades in Emmerdale, he has experienced several generations of the entertainment industry.

His performance as Eric Pollard remains the defining achievement of his career. Since joining the soap in 1986, Chittell has helped transform Eric from a scheming businessman into a complex character capable of carrying comic, dramatic, emotional, and socially significant storylines.

With a British Empire Medal and a Special Recognition Award among the honours attached to his name, Chittell’s contribution has also been acknowledged beyond the screen. For longtime Emmerdale viewers, however, his greatest legacy may remain much simpler: for decades, Chris Chittell has made Eric Pollard feel like a genuine resident of the village.