Billy Hopwood

Infobox Emmerdale character 2


name=Billy Hopwood
portrayer=David Crellin
years=1997–2006, 2007
occupation=Mechanic
mother = Granny Hopwood
sons = Andy Sugden
Daz Eden
granddaughters = Sarah Dingle

William "Billy" Hopwood was a fictional character in the ITV soap opera "Emmerdale" and was played by David Crellin.

Before prison

Billy is the biological father of half-brothers Andy Sugden and Daz Eden. Billy first appeared in the village in 1997 after he was released from prison to be with his son Andy. At that time, Andy was living with the Sugdens' who were fostering him, but Andy chose to be with his real father. Billy was a bad egg and spent most of his time trying to deceive the villagers of Emmerdale. This culminated with him attempting an armed robbery on the village Post Office on Christmas Day 1998. The result of this robbery was fatal, with Postmaster Vic Windsor being killed.

During prison

Billy was sent to prison and Andy was adopted into the Sugden family. In 2003, Andy was surprised to find a twelve year old boy in his house claiming to be his half-bother, Daz Eden. Daz informed Andy that they both had the same father and upon hearing this, Andy initially refused to have anything to do with Daz, but eventually made the decision to visit Billy in prison. Billy revealed to Andy that Daz was in fact his half-brother and that he told him were to find Andy. Over time, Andy grew fond of Daz.

Billy wasn't mentioned again until late 2006, when Bob Hope, who is the husband of Vic Windsor's widow Viv, received a letter informing him that Billy was up for parole. Kelly happened to intercept the letter and was disgusted to discover that her father's killer due for release. They both decided to keep the news from pregnant Viv to avoid upsetting her. The Sugden family were also in shock that Billy was up for parole and received another blow when they learned that Billy was opposing Jack and Diane Sugden's decision to adopt Daz, as Billy claimed that he didn't want to lose another son. Jack was skeptical about this show if emotion, believing that it was just ploy to allow him bail. When Victoria Sugden was questioning Daz about his father, it was clear that he wasn’t as against him as the rest of the Sugdens were.

After prison

Billy was released from prison and returned to Emmerdale on 25 January 2007, and almost immediately went to find his two sons. Andy made his position very clear that he wished to have nothing to do with Billy, yet Daz seemed unsure and later caught up with Billy alone, in an attempt to get to know him better.

With Billy trying to keep on the straight and narrow, he reluctantly works a night shift on the rubbish collection round in Hotten on the evening of 1 February 2007. He comes across Victoria Sugden, who looks somewhat uncomfortable with the older person she is with. Billy manages to scare this person away and in an attempt to do the right thing, offers Victoria a lift back home. Billy is unaware of the dangerous condition of the truck he is driving, which had earlier been tampered with by Billy's co-worker Eli Dingle under a bribe by Kelly Windsor, making it potentially lethal. Whilst driving back to the village, Billy was unable to operate the brakes to bring the truck to a halt and disastrously loses control, driving it into a lake. Becoming aware that Victoria is trapped in the passenger seat, he manages to get her free after several minutes under the water, keeping her alive by breathing her oxygen.

Upon arrival of the paramedics, Jack Sugden is very reluctant to thank Billy for risking his own life to save his daughter's, yet informs Billy that he doesn't feel any differently towards him than he had prior to the event.

Val or Diane?

Some time later it is realised that both Billy and Diane have feelings for each other although both make it clear to each other that nothing can happen between them. When Diane's sister Val Lambert though makes it clear that she fancies Billy Diane sets them up on a date which goes well for both of them and ends up with them sharing a kiss. When Diane finds out that they enjoyed their date she is obviously jealous.

After a while, when Val is at the casino with Katie Sugden, after Billy declined, and Diane goes to the Woolpack after a blazing row with Jack over Victoria Billy and Diane begin to argue over Diane's involvement in Billy and Val's relationship. This results with Diane trying to push Billy out of the door but ends up pushing him into a wall. They make up which ends up with Billy declaring his love to Diane which results in them kissing. Jack is looking for Diane to apologise to her and finds her at the Woolpack. While he apologises to her and tells her to come home Billy and Diane are holding hands. After a short time she lets go of Billy's hand and walks out of the Woolpack with Jack.

The next day Billy forced Diane to make up her mind out of him or Jack. She couldn't make up her mind and left for Brighton the following day to stay with her daughter Bernice. Billy stole a car from where Debbie works and rushed off to the station to catch up with Diane but he got caught by the police before he could get there.

On 3 October Val visited Billy in prison and whilst she talked about Diane and Jack Billy appeared jealous. This is when the penny finally dropped for Val as she worked out that Billy is Diane's mystery man.

Affair revealed?

On 12 October, after Billy is released from prison, he and Diane talk about their relationship not realising that Victoria is listening and is now fully aware of their relationship. Afterwards Victoria tells Jack all he needs to know about his wife's 'mystery man'. When Victoria made Billy furious with her insults, he blabbed that Jack was the man who killed her mum Sarah in the barn fire. Billy then got angry with Diane when she said she was never in love with him and she was attracted to the danger. When the Sugdens' house went up in flames after Victoria doused the place in petrol, Billy went in the burning house and saved Andy and an unconscious Jack. After Jack was safely caught by the people below, Billy made his way to get out. But there was a second explosion which knocked Billy back inside the house. Daz thought Billy was dead. As Jack was taken away in an ambulance Diane said she thought she had lost him. Jack pulled his hand away from hers. As Daz looked at the house, paramedics pulled an unconscious Billy from the house. He was taken away on a stretcher as Daz begged him to wake up and not to die. Billy was then in a coma on a life support machine in hospital. Daz kept a vigil at his bedside and when he heard a door bang he thought Billy had woken up. As Daz fell back to sleep, Billy started to wake up. He told Daz he was ok and he was glad that Daz was alright. After revealing the truth to Daz about why the fire started, Billy discharged himself only just after coming out of a coma. Daz was upset as to why Billy discharged himself without saying goodbye and because he was ill.

At Christmas, Billy sent his sons presents which were not appreciated.