Tony Audenshaw based Emmerdale character on John Travolta

Tony Audenshaw based his \'Emmerdale\' character on John Travolta.

The 55-year-old actor is celebrating 20 years on the ITV soap as loveable Bob Hope, and he has admitted the \'Grease\' actor was at the "back of [his] mind" when he started playing the part because he is "very smiley".

Asked why he thinks Bob has enjoyed a longevity on the programme, he said: "I think on the whole, he\'s a happy chap - and you don\'t get many characters who smile a lot on TV.

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"When I went into the show, I had it in the back of my mind that John Travolta is very smiley - in \'Grease\', for example - and that\'s quite an engaging feature.

"So I thought I\'d add that early on.

"And Bob\'s an everyman, isn\'t he? He doesn\'t let many things bother him; he gets on with stuff and has a laugh. Apart from his dalliances, he\'s not a bad bloke."

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While he\'s a happy chappy most of the time, the soap\'s viewers weren\'t too impressed when Bob and Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) embarked on an affair, with Tony admitting there was a "terrible reaction" to the plot.

He added to Inside Soap magazine: "I remember the viewers\' reaction to the Bob and Laurel affair was largely terrible.

"Even though he\'d had a lot of wives, I don\'t think Bob had ever cheated before, and obviously with Laurel that line was very much crossed.

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"However, working with Charlotte Bellamy was a gift - she\'s a real pro."