Emmerdale newcomer James Moore has taken to Twitter to defend himself against trolls who have said negative things about his appearance, particularly his long hair. The actor – who plays Charity Dingle's long lost son Ryan Stocks in the ITV soap – tweeted: "To everyone who has commented about my hair, or my style – I think someone said I looked homeless – maybe you should be focusing more on the plot and less on superficialities. Acing isn’t a beauty contest." James' cast mates were quick to show their support after he posted his message online. Michael Parr – who plays Ross Barton in the show – joked in relation to the length of his hair: "Would have nowhere to store all my awards if so," while Matthew Bose – who played Paul Lambert until 2007 – added: "Well said!"
Emmerdale's James Moore has defended himself online
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James' fans also jumped to his defence, with one writing: "I love your hair! You are doing an amazing job as Ryan and I liked him instantly and I can't wait to see you in more scenes and see how Ryan and Charity's story develops." Another added: "Are they kidding? Your hair looks awesome. Makes me want to grow out my hair. Hair goals."
The talented actor made his debut in Emmerdale in June, and has made quite the impact both on and off screen. Ryan is the baby son Charity thought had died at childbirth, who she had given birth to when she was just 14 after being raped. Most recently, Ryan was left hurt when Charity left him a drunk voicemail telling him that she didn’t want anything to do with him. In upcoming scenes, Charity will face the consequences of her actions when Ryan's adopted mum Irene turns up in the village telling her to leave her son alone, leaving viewers wondering whether or not their relationship can be saved.
James plays Charity Dingle's long lost son Ryan in the ITV soap
After revealing the details of the online abuse he has been receiving, James was made up when a few days later, a little girl came up to him in the street to tell him just how much her family enjoyed watching him on the television. "Cutest little girl came up to me today and said 'we all love you in our house' – best moment for me so far.. I'm so not crying a little," he tweeted.
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James' character Ryan was introduced by Emmerdale Series Producer Kate Brooks, who promised that his character will "not only turn Charity's life upside down, but also the wider Dingle clan as his arrival throws a massive spanner in the works." On getting the part, James added: "I'm so excited to have joined the Emmerdale cast. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly and I'm having a great time playing Ryan. I leapt a mile when I got the call and I was over the moon to hear that I had got the part."