Joe McFadden is a Scottish actor best known for his role as PC Joe Mason in Heartbeat and Raffaello "Raf" di Lucca in Holby City. In the fifteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, Joe got his hands on the glitter ball, placing first with professional dancer Katya Jones. Let's take a look at everything you need to know about Joe, including his love life…
Where did Joe's career begin?
Joe's acting career started in Take the High Road in 1990 where he appeared as Gary McDonald on the Scottish soap opera until 1997. The Glasgow-born star then developed his career on stage where he starred in the theatre productions of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Rent and Rainbow Kiss. His television work followed on from there with roles in The Crow Road; Sex, Chips and Rock n' Roll and Cranford before he landed his dream role in Heartbeat for the second series.
Joe went on to become a series winner in the fifteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing, pipping Alexandra Burke, Debbie McGee and Gemma Atkinson to the post where they placed as runners-up. The Scottish actor went on to perform in the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour alongside Susan Calman, who stole the show winning 11 of the tour performances in comparison to Joe's four wins.
Joe and Katya won Strictly in 2017
Does Joe have a wife?
The 43-year-old is extremely private about his personal life, revealing little about his current or past relationships. Unusually, in an interview with the Daily Record in December 2017, he addressed his relationship status, establishing that he was single and had been for a while, stating: "I don't know why I'm single. I must be unlovable, I don't know. Who knows? Maybe I work too hard." Then, in an interview with Loose Women just days after in 2017, Joe explained that the love of his life was his Dog named Doug, who he absolutely adores. We can totally relate! The Scottish actor has previously been linked to Kirsty Mitchell, a Scottish actress. The 44-year-old trained as a ballet dancer before turning to acting and winning Miss Scotland at the age of 17. Kirsty has appeared in New Blood, The Hitman's Bodyguard and The Leisure Seeker. Although it is widely reported that the couple broke up in 2000, there are few specific details about their relationship.
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Behind the scenes with Janette and Aljaz:
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Personal life
Joe sadly lost his mother, Frances, to cancer in November 2008 explaining to the Daily Record shortly after the death that: "It's been a hard time for us all and I still find it so hard to talk about, to be honest." On Mother's Day in 2018, the Strictly winner paid tribute to his late mother ten years later at a charity event where he commended The Beatson hospital in Glasgow and reflected on the hard work of doctors who cared for Frances in her final days.
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