John Nettles is a household name. Renowned for his roles in Bergerac, Poldark and Midsomer Murders, the actor may be an icon of British television, but he doesn’t ascribe to the world of celebrity.
After confirming his retirement from acting, John, 81, has since retreated to the peace and quiet of the Devonshire countryside, where he resides in a 15th-century home with his artist wife, Cathryn Sealey.
A devoted father, John also maintains a close relationship with his beloved daughter Emma, whom he welcomed with his ex-wife, Joyce. Here, we take a look at the TV star’s life away from the cameras.
First marriage
John was married to Joyce Middleton from 1966 to 1979. After falling for one another at university, the duo tied the knot and welcomed a daughter named Emma in 1970.
© Gorassini Giancarlo/ABACA/ShutterstockSpeaking about the early days of his career, John noted that Joyce would “laugh like a drain” at some of the fan mail he’d received, finding it funny “that they had hold of the wrong idea of who I was”.
While little is known about their marriage, John has reflected on their divorce, telling the Mirror that he had been “very bitter and cynical” before their split. “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.
© Shutterstock“I was frustrated, full of complexes and neuroses,” he continued. “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.”
After deciding to split, John and Joyce remained on good terms. Not only did they continue to co-parent Emma, but the pair even worked together on Midsomer Murders, with Joyce signed on as a casting director.
Welcoming daughter Emma
A proud father of one, John raved that his “best friend” is his daughter in an interview with 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,” he remarked.
Emma, who moved to Jersey while her father was shooting Bergerac, continues to live on the idyllic island, where she’s raising a family of her own.
© ShutterstockIt seems that Emma’s closeness to her dad inspired her to become a police officer herself and in 1999, almost a decade after the show wrapped, she joined the States of Jersey Police, working with officers who met her father during the show’s filming.
Chatting with The Telegraph in 2024, John clarified that Emma now works as a data protection officer and was heading the Scottish Government’s inquiry into the use of mobile messaging apps during the pandemic.
Asked to share his proudest moment, in 2009 John told MailOnline: “Becoming a grandfather. I have two – a boy and a girl – and I try to see them as often as I can.”
Life in Devon with Cathryn Sealey
Following his divorce from Joyce, John found love with Cathryn Sealey, a former nurse turned painter. They met through his late friend, Les Dawson, and eventually married in 1995.
“I met her when I was working in panto with Les Dawson in the 1980s, and we were having a party at the hotel where we were staying,” John recalled to MailOnline. “Cathryn had been invited by one of the cast, and I was bowled over by how beautiful she was.”
© ShutterstockAfter asking Cathryn to go for a drink, John “whisked her away”. Asked what drew him to her, John added: “Her kindness, her beauty and her friendship both attracted me and keep me with her.”
Since 2010, John and Cathryn have been living in a Devonshire longhouse complete with a modern extension. They are set to celebrate 30 years of marriage in 2025.
