Emmerdale is celebrating 50 years of entertaining the nation and to mark the occasion, King Charles III shared a special birthday surprise message at the National Television Awards last night (October 13).
The video message was shot before the King's ascension to the throne, making its airing debut at the time the soap drama claimed the title of NTA's Best Serial Drama 2022.
The message saw His Majesty congratulate the team on 50 years of success and reminiscing about when the show was originally titled Emmerdale Farm.
"It's a testament to all the hard work of the production team that it has since become such an important British institution and a major British export. With hundreds of thousands of fans from Scandinavia to New Zealand all keen to follow the fortunes of what is left of the Sugdens and their new neighbours," King Charles III said in the video message.
"What makes Emmerdale so special is that it has kept true to the vision of its original writer, Kevin Laffan, who wanted to demonstrate that farming is not just a job – it’s a whole way of life.
"Emmerdale continues to depict what life if really like for those who work the land and protect our precious countryside. It also stresses brilliantly, something that concerns me greatly, the long-term sustainability of the way we produce our food.
"I'm also heartened by the production team's efforts off-screen, their ambitions to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030 has already made Emmerdale one of the first British programmes to be awarded Albert Certification. Recognising its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its production process and to create content that stresses the importance of establishing a sustainable future.
This October on Emmerdale.#Emmerdale50 @ITV @WeAreSTV @itvhub pic.twitter.com/e0tkT6eiTF
— Emmerdale (@emmerdale) October 1, 2022
"It's only right that the National Television Awards acknowledge the enormous contribution Emmerdale has made and I hope those watching, will join me in sending the warmest of congratulations on its 50th birthday and wish it a successful future," he said.
The show will air its anniversary episode on Sunday, October 16 2022.
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