'Emmerdale's Winward splits from Sutton

Emmerdale star Sammy Winward has reportedly split from co-star James Sutton.

The couple's relationship was confirmed last year after their on-screen characters Katie Sugden and Ryan Lamb began seeing eachother.

The Sun reports that, like their characters in the soap, the pair have now split but insist they will remain friends.

"Sammy and James seemed perfect for each other," a source said. "Everyone thought they would go the distance and some people still think they could get back together.

"They are a strikingly gorgeous couple and the chemistry you saw on screen was there in real life, too. It's a shame they've split up but they're both being very professional."

They added: "James has a very big storyline coming up and is focusing on that."

Emmerdale boss Gavin Blyth previously told DS that Sutton's character Ryan Lamb would be further explored in coming months.