Dale Meeks: From Byker Grove to Simon in Emmerdale and his tragic death aged 48

Dale Meeks played fishmonger Simon Meredith in Emmerdale back in the mid-noughties.

Simon was engaged to Nicola Blackstock for a while and together with his mum, Lesley (played by former Coronation Street star Sherrie Hewson) made his mark on the village.

Actor Dale Meeks was already known to telly viewers when he took on the role as he’d starred in children’s show Byker Grove.

And after Emmerdale he went on to have more success, in theatre and on television.

But sadly, Dale tragically died, aged just 48, in April last year. Here’s his story.

Dale Weeks as Simon Meredith in Emmerdale — Dale Weeks played Simon Meredith in Emmerdale (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Dale’s early days

Dale’s career began when he was just a teenager, when he landed the role of Greg in Byker Grove. Greg was the leader of a rival youth club, called Denton Burn.

Dale stayed at Byker Grove for two years and then carried on acting. He had roles in Spender, The Bill, and Grease Monkeys, among many others.

In 2003 he joined Emmerdale as fishmonger Simon.

Before Dale got the part of Simon he’d considered giving up acting. He was fed up with failed auditions and the expense of travelling from his hometown of Newcastle to London. Fortunately he got the job!

Simon the fishmonger

Simon arrived in Emmerdale, accidentally! Nicola had asked Emily Kirk to set her up with fishmonger Kenny, but Emily got muddled and set Nicola up with Simon instead!

The pair hit it off and eventually got engaged. But money troubles, the presence of Simon’s meddling mum Lesley, and Nicola’s attraction to lodger Ivan (played by Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank) all caused problems.

Eventually, they called off their engagement, and Ivan and Simon went travelling in Costa Rica.

Mark Charnock and Dale Meeks as the Blues Brothers in Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes — Mark Charnock and Dale Meeks starred as the Blues Brothers in Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Life after Emmerdale

After leaving the show, Dale continued acting with many roles on television including in The Dumping Ground, Being Human, and Casualty. And in 2023 he starred in The Hunt for Raoul Moat.

While he was still at Emmerdale, Dale’s singing skills won him Celebrity Stars in their Eyes when he and co-star Mark Charnock, AKA Marlon Dingle, teamed up to become the Blues Brothers.

And Dale used his musical talents on stage, playing Amos Hart in the touring production of Chicago, and appearing in the West End in Love Never Dies.

Dale’s tragic death

In April 2023, Dale’s family announced he had passed away from heart failure.

Former Emmerdale co-stars including Nick Miles (AKA Jimmy King) and Verity Rushworth, who played Donna Windsor, paid tribute to their friend online. Ant and Dec also shared their sadness at Dale’s death.

My thoughts and prayers are with Dale’s friends and family at such a horrendous time. I had the privilege of working with this gorgeous, lovely, hilarious, kind Man. What a ray of sunshine he was. The laughs were constant and he will be so so missed. Big kiss Dale xxx #dalemeeks pic.twitter.com/7hYIkZYLZX

— Verity Rushworth (@VerityRushworth) April 24, 2023