Ian was born in York on 17 December 1966. He has one brother, David.
Ian trained at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York and graduated at The Guildford School of Music and Theatre. His previous jobs include working for British Rail and at the (now closed) American Adventure Theme Park in Shipley, Derbyshire where he could be seen as a cowboy in the Wild West re-enactments (I probably saw him back then as the park was local to me!). Ian's first screen role was in the film Wild Justice and shortly after that he landed the part of Dave Glover in Emmerdale - he's not looked back since!
He is married to Mia whom he met when they were both in Grease and they have a young daughter.