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Julian Norton has been a central figure on Channel 5's Yorkshire Vet throughout all 22 series of the beloved programme.

This week, viewers are in for a treat as a special Night Shift instalment of the long-running show makes its way to screens.

Audiences will witness the team tackling the most critical cases during the overnight hours, including a spaniel left injured following a freak accident on a woodland walk, as well as a feisty fighting cat brought in following a late-night altercation.

Meanwhile, Julian is lending his support to a group of volunteers in Thirsk, working to safeguard a colony of ducks that make their nightly journey from the riverbank through the bustling town centre.

We take a closer look at Julian Norton's world away from the Channel 5 cameras

Julian is not the sole member of his household boasting veterinary expertise, as his wife Anne is equally qualified, with the couple launching their very own independent practice back in March 2021.

While the exact date of their wedding remains unknown, the Channel 5 star posted a photograph of the two of them together on social media dating back to 2014, indicating they had been a couple for a considerable time beforehand, reports the Mirror.

The pair share two children together, Jack and Archie, whom Julian regularly celebrates on social media for their rowing accomplishments.

Although Anne has practised as a vet for many years, having graduated as a veterinary surgeon from Cambridge Vet School in 1995, she only demonstrated her talents on the cherished Channel 5 programme four years after it first launched.

Speaking about her appearance to The Yorkshire Post, she said: "I'd been on previously as the wife with the kids but I'm a lot happier being on as a vet doing what I do."

During the initial years of Yorkshire Vet, audiences witnessed both Julian and Peter operating at Skeldale Veterinary Centre in Thirsk.

Nevertheless, in 2018 Julian chose to depart the renowned practice when they merged with veterinary group Medivet, which runs over 200 practices throughout England and Wales.

Twelve months later, he established a veterinary practice in Wetherby before launching another independent vet with his wife in Thirsk in 2021.

Discussing his choice to leave at the time, Julian told the Darlington and Stock Times: "It wasn't the way I wanted the practice to go. I didn't think it offered necessarily the best way forward. It was a difficult decision, it was part of my life, it was a big change."

Two years ago, Julian sustained a serious injury when he fell off his bike while cycling near Kilburn. It led to the TV star requiring rescue by a Mountain Rescue team after he damaged his knee on a large rock and was unable to walk.

Following two hours, the Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team arrived, as Julian managed to move just half a metre to rest against a nearby tree.

He was transported to hospital, where he underwent surgery for his injuries as he sustained a severed patella ligament, resulting in six weeks off work.

Upon returning to the practice on crutches in the Channel 5 programme, he remarked: "I'm feeling like the pace of life for me, at the moment, it's feeling a little bit like semi-retirement because everything is very slow. I can't do anything in a hurry or at pace."

It appears Julian has handed down his sporting prowess to his sons, as the Channel 5 star was once a formidable athlete in his own right.

Back in 2010, he held the world record for 24-hour tandem indoor rowing alongside close friend and former Olympian Roger Brown.

Several years on, in both 2014 and 2015, Julian flew the flag for Britain at age-group level in the European Long Course Duathlon and the European Middle Distance Triathlon championships.

The year before that, he took part in the UK Ironman event, crossing the finish line in the top 50.

The Yorkshire Vet is available to watch on Channel 5