Dave Dutton

A former television comedy writer, Dave Dutton is an actor specialising in quirky Northern character parts. Along with his many other roles on British television, Dave has appeared in an incredible seven different main character parts in top British TV soap Coronation Street: from Weatherfield Gazette photographer Harry Benson to Bert Latham - barmy friend of Jack Duckworth with whom he once led a memorable fox hunt episode in the middle of the famous street with his dog Boomer. Recently, he has played Eric the Postman in Emmerdale. His latest Corrie incarnation has been that of Gerald Unwin, who likes a drink and a smoke and is the uncle of Shelley, manager of the Rovers Return. As the unscrupulous Harry Benson, the roguish Weatherfield Gazette photographer, he chained one of the unfortunate Battersby girls to a tree and took glamour shots of her ("for the lads in the darkroom"!) Along with his reporter Duncan Stott, he ruined the church wedding of Roy and Hayley. He first came to public recognition when he appeared in several series of the big hit series Watching, set on Merseyside and the Wirral - where he brought his dead-pan humour to great effect as Oswald, the off-beat cafe owner, in this top of the ratings Granada TV situation comedy. Sky TV have reprised the series on Granada Plus many times. There is a fan site for Watching here. He was also in the "Night To Remember" Gala Bingo and Maltesers TV commercials in which babies play football with Maltesers - while he nicks all the ones that go in his goal! Dave has played the Postman - Fred Leeder - in Heartbeat and been featured in award-winning drama series Cops. He has also appeared in the hit series Reckless with Robson Green and as a prison guard in the hospital drama Always and Everyone with Niamh Cusack and Martin Shaw. In 2002, he was in the main role of Grandad Pete Clulow in the Channel Four school drama and educational series for children "Looking After the Penneys" produced by Libra Television and later in the year as shopkeeper Bob Southall in BBC's police drama series Merseybeat. In 2003 he played Ufologist Mr Skip in 6 episodes of Emmerdale; a Security Man in Granada TV's comedy series Stan the Man and the Greengrocer in YTV's new Heartbeat hospital spin-off series The Royal .In 2004, he returned to Heartbeat and also played Arthur Digweed in the comedy series "Dead Man Weds starring Johnny Vegas and Dave Spikey. In 2005, he appeared as cancer sufferer Neville Tweedy in several episodes of the BBC hit drama "Cutting It" (getting the chance to sing Puff the Magic Dragon at a funeral!) and also in the Gala Bingo TV ad. In 2007, he played John Langdale in the BBC's New Street Law and also had a song he wrote called Bless Your Whiskers, Father Christmas released as a single by top Northern folk band The Houghton Weavers. He is the author of 14 books; a former newspaper reporter, songwriter\performer and radio presenter.