Emmerdale has a new ‘bad guy’ and he has Preston connections

Jordan Reece is 'Max' in Emmerdale — Jordan Reece is ‘Max’ in Emmerdale

Emmerdale has a new ‘bad guy’ and it’s a UCLan student making his big break.

Jordan Reece who graduated from the Preston-based university in 2015 plays the role of Max.

He’s a character trying to re-establish a criminal relationship with another member of the soap.

Jordan, 25, said: “My time on the soap so far has been incredible. The character is fun to play and everyone is a joy to be around so I can’t wait to see where it goes.

“My training at UCLan was extremely valuable, and everyone progressed massively year by year” he commented.

“We were reminded how hard the industry is and how resilient you have to be and I still refer back to the advice given to me by the lecturers.

“I enjoyed every second of my time at UCLan. It was a place where from day one I felt at home and if I could, I would do it all again.”

The university has been ramping up its acting and media courses, with the former Lamb and Packet pub regularly used as a filming location.

Senior lecturer in acting Terence Chapman said: “Jordan is often cast as the bad guy which he plays brilliantly but in his first couple of screen appearances at UCLan he showed that not only can he be very funny, but in his third year devised film project ‘Outbreak’ he displayed a great sense of vulnerability. I am looking forward to seeing what this latest opportunity leads to.”