Emmerdale star Dominic Brunt, who plays Paddy Kirk, has been married to a fellow soap actress, with fans only recently learning about their real-life romance
Emmerdale’s Paddy Kirk actor Dominic Brunt is married to a well-known actress, instantly recognisable to devoted fans of the soap.
Dominic has played the much-loved veterinarian Paddy on the ITV drama since 1997, quickly becoming one of the show’s most iconic and memorable characters.
During his time on the programme, Paddy has been at the centre of numerous major storylines, from shocking affairs to the heartbreaking loss of his child.
More recently, Paddy uncovered the harrowing truth that his father, Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards), had been ensnared in human trafficking and forced to work on a local farm run by the villainous Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Ray Walters (Joe Absolom).
During Friday’s episode (January 8), officers informed Paddy that, after inspecting the premises, the loft where the victims had been held was now empty, suggesting that Bear may have escaped. However, they warned Paddy to “expect the worst,” according to The Mirror.
Off-screen, Dominic enjoys a happy marriage and is a father to two children. Yet, some fans were surprised to learn the identity of his wife.
Dominic is married to Joanne Mitchell, who soap fans will also recognise, having appeared in numerous episodes of both Emmerdale and Coronation Street.
Dominic and Joanne first met while studying at drama college in Bristol. They tied the knot in 2003 and are parents to two sons, Mickey-Joe and Danny Lee.
Joanne has appeared in a variety of acclaimed television programmes and made several guest appearances on Emmerdale. Over the years, she has portrayed four different characters on the soap, starting with Susan Davies, followed by a midwife named Yeo.
She later took on more challenging roles, including DS Karen Barnborough, and most recently Sandra Flaherty, who is both mother and stepmother to Liv Flaherty (Izzy Steel) and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller).
A recent photo of Dominic and Joanne quickly made the rounds in an Emmerdale Facebook fan group. The image, captioned “Dominic Brunt and his wife Joanne Mitchell,” surprised many fans who had been unaware of their real-life marriage.
“Wow, I didn’t know he’s married to Liv’s mum in real life,” commented one astonished fan, while another wrote: “That’s who that is!” A third added: “Great actor, but I had no idea his wife plays Liv’s mum in Emmerdale!” Similarly, another viewer said: “So shocked Sandra is his off-screen wife.”
During a 2022 interview, Joanne spoke about appearing on Emmerdale alongside Dominic, telling Inside Soap: “I haven’t seen Dominic at the studios yet since I’ve been back this time.”
She added: “It’s fun being on the same show, but we haven’t actually worked together. Our characters haven’t shared any scenes since they lead separate lives in the village.”
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