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Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher has paid tribute to late Clive Hornby in a sweet post hailing him a ‘genuine guardian’.

Kelvin is perhaps best known to Emmerdale fans as farmer Andy Sugden, having appeared in the show for 20 years.

It was there that he worked alongside actor Clive, who played his on-screen dad Jack Sugden.

The pair worked closely together until Jack flew to Spain in 2008, before dying off-screen in 2009.

Having left Emmerdale in 2016, Kelvin went on to win Strictly Come Dancing, before buying his own farm in the Peak District in 2022.

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His journey of going from zero real life farming experience to skilled farm hand was documented on his own BBC show Kelvin’s Big Farming Adventure.

Since then, he has kept fans updated through the farm’s Instagram page.

It was on this Instagram page that Kelvin shared the tribute to his late co-star, alongside a picture of them working together to sheer a sheep on the show.

‘A lovely friend from Emmerdale sent me some old pictures the other day,’ he wrote.

‘If you’d have told me then what I’d be doing now I probably wouldn’t believe you!’

He went on to explain the impact working with Clive had on him, and how he wanted to be just like him when he grew up.

‘As for Clive, I really was in awe of him. He was a mentor, a friend and in many ways a genuine guardian. Not just of me but everyone at Emmerdale. He was immensely proud of his role and the show’s stature and connection it had to so many people.

‘My character wanted to be just like him when he grew up and I guess a little bit of me did too.’

Kelvin is set to continue documenting his farming journey on a new ITV show set to air this autumn.

Fletcher’s Family Farm will see Kelvin star alongside his wife, Liz, and their four children as they continue to get to grips with managing a farm in the Peak District.

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