Family strife

How far will Emmerdale's Paddy Dingle go to protect his father's dark secret? Actor Dominic Brunt tells us more

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As Paddy on Emmerdale with wife Mandy

Emmerdale fans are used to seeing Paddy Dingle at the centre of comedic mishaps and the more heartfelt moments, but his latest plot sees him covering up a murder. And for the first time in his 29 years on the soap, Paddy, played by actor Dominic Brunt, could face prison as the truth unravels.

A recent flashback episode saw Paddy's father Bear Wolf [Joshua Richards] confirmed as villain Ray Walters' killer, with Paddy now determined to stop anyone from finding out. This week, Paddy realises his dad needs professional help as Bear continues to spiral. With teenager Dylan Penders [Fred Kettle], also covering up the crime, feeling the strain and ready to crack, Paddy's left picking up the pieces to prevent the police from learning what really happened to Ray. Dominic, 55, is delighted about the killer twist, though, as he teases his future in the village.

He says, "It's such a good story. Paddy's juggling everything at the moment, trying to keep everybody out of being done for murder. But it keeps unravelling and he keeps pulling all the strings back in, going, 'Oh my God, we've got to stick to the story.'"