Joe McFadden

Joseph McFadden (born 9 October 1975) is a Scottish actor, best known for his roles in The Crow Road, Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll, Heartbeat and Holby City. He won the 2017 series of the BBC One series Strictly Come Dancing with professional dance partner Katya Jones.

The third of four siblings (two older brothers, one younger sister), McFadden was born on 9 October 1975, in Glasgow to Irish immigrants from County Donegal.

He was educated at Holyrood R.C. Secondary School in Glasgow, where a drama teacher recognised his talent and recommended him for a part in the ITV Glasgow-based detective show Taggart.

After taking a role in Take the High Road, he then developed his career in the theatre with roles as diverse as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Rent and Rainbow Kiss at the Royal Court.

He then took roles in television series The Crow Road and Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll.

He played the title role of Aladdin at The Old Vic opposite Ian McKellen and played Dr Jack Marshland in the original series of the Emmy award-winning Cranford.

After that he came to national attention playing PC Joe Mason in the ITV Yorkshire-based period drama Heartbeat from 2007 to its finale in 2010.

After that role ended in 2009, he mixed theatre doing National Theatre of Scotland with director John Tiffany and touring in the Alan Ayckbourn play Haunting Julia and the Harvey Fierstein play Torch Song Trilogy playing Ed.

He has also starred in such films as The Trouble with Men and Women, Zig Zag Love, Dad Savage and Small Faces.

From January 2014 to December 2017 he had a leading role as Raffaello "Raf" di Lucca in the BBC One medical drama Holby City.

The character was killed off in the two part episode "Group Animal".

In August 2017 he was announced as a participant in the fifteenth series of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with Katya Jones, eventually winning in the final and claiming the prized Glitterball Trophy.

On 21 January 2019 it was announced that McFadden would appear in the 2019-20 UK tour of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.