Lonsdale's first major role on television occurred in 1986 when he played Peter Barlow in Coronation Street.
[1] Other, more minor television appearances, have seen Lonsdale take roles in the 1989 Inspector Morse episode Driven to Distraction in which he played a Detective; in the medical drama Casualty (2011) and in the soap opera Emmerdale (2018) in which he played a private detective.
His first appearance was in the role of a Policeman, this being followed when he was cast as pub landlord Phil Annerly in the episode ‘Dirty’ (2020).
Lonsdale appeared in the pantomime Dick Whittington at the Gracie Fields Theatre, Rochdale, in 2018 - 2019.
Lonsdale is a regular guest at the annual Heartbeat Car Rally in Goathland where he spends time meeting and greeting fans, usually with his co-star Tricia Penrose.