00:00I'm delighted to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Emmerdale and I'm afraid I'm so old I can
00:08remember when it was called Emmerdale Farm, owned by the Sugdens.
00:16It is a testament to all the hard work of its production team that it has since become
00:22such an important British institution and a major British export with hundreds of
00:30thousands of fans from Scandinavia to New Zealand all keen to follow the fortunes
00:36of what is left of the Sugdens and their newer neighbours. What makes Emmerdale
00:45so special is that it has kept true to the vision of its original writer Kevin
00:51Lafanne who wanted to demonstrate that farming is not just a job it's a whole
00:59way of life. On a daily basis Emmerdale continues to depict what life is really
01:08like for those who work the land and protect our precious countryside. It also
01:15stresses brilliantly something that concerns me greatly the long-term
01:21sustainability of the way we produce our food. I'm also heartened by the
01:29production team's efforts off-screen. Their ambition to achieve net zero emissions
01:35by 2030 has already made Emmerdale one of the first British programmes to be awarded
01:42Albert certification recognising its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its production
01:50process and to create content that stresses the importance of establishing a sustainable future.
01:58So it is only right that the National Television Awards acknowledge the enormous contribution
02:07Emmerdale has made and I hope those watching will join me in sending our warmest congratulations on its 50th anniversary
02:18and wishing it an equally successful future.
