Gannon, 31, who played Kev in the long-running ITV soap in 2019, lived with his family in Willows, California. His death is not being treated as suspicious. His mother, Angela Gannon, said she last spoke to her son on Monday and described his death as an “absolute, absolute shock”. She also told the BBC that a heart condition she’s had since birth had “reared its ugly head” in recent months. She explained: “You just don’t expect these things to happen, especially to a young man of 31 who was having a great time, up in the mountains shooting tins, building horse stables. .” Gannon’s character in Emmerdale was a coachman, sharing scenes with the character Charity Dingle, played by Emma Atkins. His sister Amy Kelly paid tribute, writing: “He really cared about others and was a very sensitive soul.” His family said he will be “deeply missed by all who knew him”. Primarily a stage actor, the Yorkshire-born performer has previously toured with Northumberland Theater Company and Gobbledigook Theatre. He had also appeared in the TV series Tales Of Bacon and the short film Talking With Angels alongside Cold Feet star John Thomson. Northumberland Theater Company said it was “saddened” by his death, comparing him to “a human Duracell bunny, with boundless energy”. The statement continued: “He has also been described as a truly wonderful boy, a wonderful person and a good friend to many.” A trained pianist, guitarist and bassist, Gannon had also worked as a music teacher for more than 10 years. Subscribe to the Backstage podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker A crowdfunding page has been launched to raise money to bring his body back to Shelby, North Yorkshire. With a target of £17,000 – more than half of which has been reached in just a few days – any extra money raised will go to a UK charity supporting youth theatre.