28 March 2024 , 14:14
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Bhasker Patel has delighted soap fans thanks to reuniting with an old Emmerdale co-star.
The actor, who Rishi Sharma in the ITV soap, looks unrecognisable in recent snaps shared to his Instagram page, with fans loving Bhasker's big beard following his exit from the Yorkshire Dales last year.
The 68-year-old star - who appeared on the ITV soap for 12 years- was killed off the show last year in a grisly storyline. Since his exit from Emmerdale, Bhasker has grown a long grey beard - the total opposite of Rishi's clean-shaven look - and caught up with another former Emmerdale actor.
In a snap shared with his 21,300 Instagram followers earlier this week, Bhasker posed for a snap with his one-time co-star Liam Fox, who played Dan Spence from 2011 until 2023. He captioned the snap: "@liamfoxactorofficial #dan of @emmerdale @itv @itvxofficial has found a place to hide #hiding #hidingplace in #london @secret.london @unitedagents @anothertongue #chittychittybangbang #musical #musicaltheatre #musicaltheatrelife #musicaltheatreontour #rehearsal #rehearsals."
"Are you Santa this year? suits you sir," one fan wrote in the comments underneath Bhasker's post, with another adding: "Wow that is a brilliant and smashing photo of you and Liam Fox there buddy. You and Liam Fox really are both absolute Emmerdale legends there too mate."
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The two former Emmerdale stars are starring in a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang production together (liamfoxactorofficial/instagram)Liam, who will be starring in the upcoming theatre production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Grandpa Potts, shared a similar snap to his own Instagram page and revealed to his followers that while he was in London for rehearsals, his old co-star Bhasker was "looking after" him.
Alongside a picture of the pair together in good spirits, Liam wrote: "First day of rehearsals for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on Tour tomorrow, being looked after in London for the duration by my mucka Bhasker Patel.He continued: "Can't wait to start and catch up with Jenny Gayner, the pigeon lady! Exciting times ahead," followed by a row of heart emojis.
Emmerdale fans were gutted last year when Bhasker left the soap after 10 years playing Rishi. Soap fans watched as Rishi was found dead at home in July, with it initially looking like he had an accident. But later, it turned out his brother Amit Sharma (Anil Goutam) was there when he died, which made people wonder what really happened to Rishi in his final moments.
Rishi's son Jai (Chris Bisson) found him too late, and he couldn't be saved. Jai and Suni Sharma (Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana) got suspicious when they heard Amit was there, but Amit said he didn't do anything wrong. Now, even Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell) thinks Amit might have killed Rishi.