The Yorkshire Vet's Julian Norton: From his champion rower sons to his horror cycling accident
Everything you need to know about The Yorkshire Vet starJulian Norton returns to screens tonight as the new series of The Yorkshire Vet begins, but how much do you know about him?
The beloved animal expert has become a familiar face by sharing the poignant and often moving stories from his veterinary practice.
Now entering its 22nd series, The Yorkshire Vet proves how deeply fans connect with the Channel 5 show.
In the opening episode, Julian faces the delicate task of castrating a particularly jumpy alpaca named Archie.
This is part of preparing Archie for his new role as a therapy animal at a care farm.
But beyond his work with animals, what else do we know about Julian? Has his career ever extended beyond the veterinary world?
Who is Julian Norton?
Julian was born on June 3, 1972. This makes him 53 years old. He grew up in Castleford, a West Yorkshire mining town, and attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield.
Speaking about his childhood, Julian previously told Yorkshire Life: “One of my most striking childhood memory was climbing Pen-y-Ghent with my dad when I was about six.
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“Of course it was covered in thick cloud and very damp, but it felt like Everest to me. It sparked a life-long love of mountains and the outdoors.”
Julian later attended Cambridge University and graduated with a degree in Veterinary Medicine.
Where did he start his career?
Julian now has more than three decades under his belt as a vet.
During that time, he has worked in Scotland, the Cotswolds and even at a small animal hospital in Pennsylvania,
Julian now works at Thirsk Veterinary Centre. He opened the practice in 2021 with his wife Anne Norton and their colleague, Isabella De Berardinis.
Who are Julian Norton’s sons?
Julian met Anne at university in the 90s and they became a couple. They later married and have two sons, called Jack and Archie.
Jack and Alfie are now grown-up and both are impressive sportsmen. They both learned to row on the River Tees and competed last summer in the British Championships in the event, the Open Championship Double Sculls.
Writing in The Yorkshire Post last August, Julian detailed his tense experience of watching the boys in the race with Anne.
He concluded: “Finally, slumped with exhaustion, they are over the line, having secured a clear bronze. Anne and I are relieved and they are delighted. A great end to another tough season and another medal for the collection.”
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Julian the sportsman
Julian’s sons clearly inherited their love of sport from him, as he has an impressive sporting side too. He once held the world record for 24-hour tandem indoor rowing with close friend and ex-olympian, Roger Brown.
In 2013, he completed the UK Ironman Championships, finishing in the top 50.
Julian also took on the Patrouille des Glaciers ski race in 2018, a grueling route from Zermatt to Verbier considered one of the toughest endurance challenges globally.
Julian represented Team GB in age-group categories at the European Long Course Duathlon in 2014 and 2015, and in the European Middle Distance Triathlon Championships in Majorca 2014 and Rimini 2015.
Julian Norton’s cycling accident
In 2024, it was Julian who was on the receiving end of medical treatment. He suffered a very nasty injury to his leg while cycling around Kilburn.
He damaged his knee on a large rock, leaving him unable to walk. As a result, a Mountain Rescue team had to come to his aid.
Julian was later diagnosed with a severed patella ligament. He had to have surgery and had to take six-weeks off work.
He said at the time: “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.”
Fans were delighted to see him return to The Yorkshire Vet later in the year.
When is The Yorkshire Vet on?
The brand new series of The Yorkshire Vet starts on Tuesday February 24, 2026. Fans can tune in to see Julian at 8pm on Channel 5.
The series also sees the return of other show favourites, including Peter Wright and Shona Searson.
We can wait.
