John Nettles is internationally recognised as Midsomer Murders favourite Tom Barnaby, but in the eyes of his daughter Emma, he's simply Dad. The actor – who landed his breakthrough role in Bergerac (1981-91) – welcomed his only child in 1970, after tying the knot with his first wife, Joyce.
John, who has since retired from showbiz, shares a close bond with his daughter Emma, 54, and in 2015 told the Express: "My best friend is my daughter Emma, next to my wife Cath, of course. I have a legion of friends and the best ones are my immediate family, which is very clichéd but true."
John and his first wife, Joyce, were together during Emma's early childhood but officially divorced in 1979. During an interview with The Mirror, John admitted that his 'arrogant' behaviour influenced the breakdown of their marriage. "I was bloody arrogant - what you might call a big head," he explained. "Until I was asked to play Bergerac, I'd become gloomy and despondent about my future prospects as an actor.
I was frustrated, full of complexes and neuroses. I began to lose my self-confidence, and that's fatal for an actor. In the end, I wasn't nearly as attentive towards Joyce as I should have been. It's part and parcel of this business."
Following their split, John and Joyce were able to stay friends, and she even worked on Midsomer Murders as a casting director.
After spending her childhood in Jersey where Bergerac was filmed, their daughter Emma continues to reside there with her husband and two children. She is extremely private and has opted for a life out of the spotlight. Speaking to Mail Online in 2009, John was asked to share his proudest moment and replied: "Becoming a grandfather. I have two – a boy and a girl – and I try to see them as often as I can."
Coincidentally, John's daughter has followed in his footsteps with her career. While the actor has portrayed many a TV detective, Emma decided to join the Jersey police force in real life. According to his latest interview with The Telegraph, Emma is currently working as a data protection officer and is heading the Scottish Government's inquiry into the use of mobile messaging apps during the pandemic.
With Emma remaining in Jersey, John has plenty of reason to visit the British island he once called home. During the decade that he worked on Bergerac, the star purchased a house there, becoming a part of the local community.
"You take on this island mentality: you start to think Jersey is the centre of the universe. Even now when I visit, it's like having a warm blanket thrown over you; there is such a lovely, homely feeling about the place," he recalled.