Emmerdale's Heath and Cathy Hope actors' real lives away from ITV soap

Emmerdale twins Heath and Cathy
-Credit:ITV


Emmerdale's young stars Sebastian and Gabrielle Dowling have been familiar faces on the show since 2007, having joined the cast as newborns portraying Bob and Viv Hope's twins when they were just four weeks old.

Working with such young actors brought its unique challenges, and the crew had to devise clever ways to elicit tears from the babies during filming. Their mother, Louise, shared with The Examiner: "They sometimes want them to cry, which can be difficult because they don't really cry much unless they're hungry."

To achieve the desired effect, the production team would give the infants a bottle and then remove it when it was time to shoot the scene. Louise assured that she was comfortable with this approach, stating: "It's only for a few seconds while they film. I'm chilled out about it."

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The siblings portrayed Cathy and Heath Hope together until a dramatic storyline at the start of 2024 saw Heath tragically killed off in a joyriding accident, resulting in Sebastian departing from the soap.

Sebastian and Gabrielle Dowling played real-life twins Cathy and Heath Hope in Emmerdale
Sebastian and Gabrielle Dowling played real-life twins Cathy and Heath Hope in Emmerdale -Credit:ITV

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The crash, involving Cathy, Heath, and Angelica King, led to a heart-wrenching plotline where Bob Hope grappled with the belief that his daughter Cathy was to blame for Heath's death.

Louise Dowling, their mother, is a renowned professional dancer who transitioned into acting. Although she secured several minor roles, her ambition was for her children to surpass her own achievements in the entertainment industry.

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Before they were even born, Louise had already secured roles for Gabrielle and Sebastian in Emmerdale, playing the twins Cathy and Heath. However, she made it clear that their work on the soap should not disrupt their home life.

The twins
The twins worked together as Cathy and Heath Hope, until Heath was killed off at the beginning of 2024 -Credit:ITV

How old are Gabrielle and Sebastian?

Recently, the cast of Emmerdale gathered to celebrate a significant birthday for Sebastian and Gabrielle. The twins turned 18 and marked the occasion with several of their fellow actors from the show, including Alfie Clarke who plays Arthur Thomas, Amelia Flanagan who portrays April Windsor, Susan Cookson who stars as Wendy Posner, and Rebecca Bakes.

Emmerdale's Sebastian Dowling and Gabrielle Dowling recently celebrated their 18th birthday
The Emmerdale cast recently reunited to celebrate Sebastian and Gabrielle’s milestone birthday -Credit:Instagram

A photo shared on Gabrielle's Instagram showed the group together, with Sebastian looking quite different from his character on the Dales, sporting a much shorter haircut and some facial hair.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays