Emmerdale PC Swirling star's life - Coronation Street past, real name and music career

Emmerdale's PC Mike Swirling, portrayed by the talented Andy Moore, has become a familiar face on the ITV soap, popping up intermittently since 2004 to deal with the village's drama.

Moore, who has been part of the show as one of its longest-serving recurring characters, is often seen on-screen dealing with the Dingles and other notorious residents.

Off-screen, Andy boasts an impressive acting career and keeps his fans in the loop via his Facebook page, where he shares snippets of his life and various accomplishments.

But there's more to Andy than his Emmerdale persona; he has a rich background that includes a different real name, a stint on Coronation Street, a role in The Bill, and even a foray into pop music.

Real name

On Facebook, which is believed to be his sole social media platform, the link hints at a different identity Andy Whittaker, a name also previously mentioned on the ITV website, reports the Daily Star.

A friend recently tweeted, "Our very good friend Andy Moore who plays PC Mike Swirling on the ITV soap Emmerdale definitely approves of the band's new T shirt," confirming the actor's 'true' moniker.

Corrie stint

Like many other soap stars, Andy has made appearances in a number of our favourite programmes in the world of soaps.

In 2005, he made an appearance in Coronation Street as a driver for two episodes. Five years later, he returned to the cobbles when he took on the role of a photographer.

Apart from primetime soaps, Andy has also appeared in shows like The Bill, The Royal, and Fred and Marv. In 2021, he appeared in a since deleted YouTube short film, Barry Glitter, which he posted about on his Facebook page.

Music career

In 2022,, Andy updated his fans with his latest achievement on his Facebook page. He shared a YouTube video by indie band Courting, proudly showcasing his work.

Alongside the video link, he wrote: "Andy Moore starring in a music video for indie band Courting," which managed to gather five reactions on his page.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Andy produced and starred in a short 10-minute sketch. The Last Lockdown Sketch was uploaded onto YouTube with a description that reads: "When your online consultation with your doctor goes one massive step further."

"The doctor instructs his patient through a step by step major operation procedure over Zoom." He added in the caption: "Hasn't the last couple of years been strange and frustrating. As a mark of coming out of it this film ridicules the weird time we have just come out of with elaborate exaggeration and a rather dark twist."

Fans were smitten with the film, and one admirer took to the comments section to write a heartfelt note: "That was excellent I was recommended by our mutual friend Susie Cakl to check it out my partner Kim really enjoyed it as she also loves you in Emmerdale."

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm