As fans of Emmerdale will know, the Barton family is about to be rocked by tragedy following a car crash which will see John and Moira Barton’s lives hanging in the balance as the accident unfolds.

In a special hour-long episode on Thursday, we’ll see the newly reunited couple heading off for a romantic hotel break, but tragedy strikes when their car slides on black ice and crashes.

And today, the Sun’s TV Biz has an interview with James Thornton, who of course plays John Barton, in which he revealed that the scenes were “gruesome” and frighteningly realistic.

He also revealed that he suffered some minor injuries while filming the dramatic stunt.

Of the scenes, which were filmed over three nights on Yorkshire’s Ilkley Moor, James said, “I love stunt driving so I was in my element…

“They had a stunt driver on standby but I wanted to do it myself to make it more realistic.

“I ended up with bruises all over my shoulders from being thrown against the sides of the car.

“The crash is quite brutal but it was fun to film. It’s a good job we stopped when we did because I think I was getting into it a bit too much.

“I nearly hit the wall and it was getting a bit dangerous.

“It’s really gruesome. The car is on its side so Natalie J Robb (Moira) is above me inside the car just hanging from her seat belt.

“She looks like a mannequin, hanging unconscious. It’s quite a creepy image.”

Don’t miss the hour-long car crash special on ITV1 tomorrow at 7pm. So excited.

Here’s a preview clip…