Actor Sam Gannon has died aged 31

Actor Sam Gannon, who appeared in stage and screen productions, has died aged 31.

Gannon, who played coachman Kev in Emmerdale, performed on stages across the UK with shows including Sarah Wallis’ Laridae, Theatr Deli Sheffield’s The Great Gatsby and two Gobbledigook Theatre productions: The Famous Five and Robin Hood.

He also appeared in Square Peg Theatre’s The Return, presented at HOME in Manchester, while most recently performing in The Northumberland Theatre Company’s presentation of The Snow Queen in the winter of 2019.

Gannon was in California visiting family when he died, with the news revealed earlier today. Police there are not treating the death as suspicious.

His family and friends have started a JustGiving page, hoping to raise the necessary £17,000 to repatriate his body from the US.

The funding page has said: “Sam was a true performer, and any extra money raised will be donated to a UK charity supporting youth theatre, a cause close to Sam’s heart.”