Emmerdale’s Paddy Kirk star has a famous wife – do you recognise her?

Emmerdale’s Paddy Kirk actor Dominic Brunt has been married to fellow soap star since 2003

Emmerdale stalwart Dominic Brunt, who portrays the much-loved veterinarian Paddy Kirk, is married to a famous actress who has also graced the ITV soap.

Since his arrival in the village back in 1997, Paddy has climbed the ladder to become one of British television’s most recognisable soap personalities, earning adoration from the programme’s devoted viewers.

Throughout the years, Dominic’s character Paddy has found himself caught up in numerous dramatic storylines, from infidelity scandals to the heartbreaking death of his child.

This year, Paddy uncovered that his father, Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards), had fallen victim to trafficking and was later charged in relation to Ray Walters’ (Joe Absolom) murder, though he managed to escape imprisonment.

Within Emmerdale, Paddy has walked down the aisle four times, with brides including Mandy Dingle, Emily Dingle, Rhona Goskirk, and Chas Dingle. He’s currently enjoying wedded bliss with his original spouse, Mandy (Lisa Riley), following their remarriage in August 2024.

Who is Dominic Brunt married to?

Beyond the spotlight of the Dales, Dominic, 56, enjoys a more peaceful domestic existence in Yorkshire alongside his wife and their two sons, Mickey-Joe and Danny Lee.

The performer wed his spouse, Joanne Mitchell, back in 2003, though the couple had known each other since studying at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Much like Dominic, Joanne is also a television performer and has featured on Emmerdale in four separate characters, reports the Express.

Back in 2003, she portrayed DS Karen Barnborough before making a comeback three years later as a midwife named Yeo. In 2009, Joanne returned as Susan Davies before taking on the role of Sandra Flaherty, the mother and stepmother of Liv Flaherty (Izzy Steele) and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller), from 2016 to 2022.

Joanne has also featured as Mrs. Turner in Waterloo Road, Marsha Clifton in Coronation Street, and Joan Atkins in A Touch of Frost, amongst an extensive list of other programmes. She’s equally accomplished behind the camera, having worked as a director and producer on projects including the films Evie and Wolf Manor.

Beyond her television work, Joanne has taken on parts across numerous film and theatre productions. In 2011, with both spouses pursuing acting careers, they established their own venture, Mitchell Brunt Films.

Discussing collaborating with his wife both on-screen and in film production, Dominic revealed to the Metro in 2024: “It’s a really positive thing”, he said.

“With working in Emmerdale for so long, if you’re very busy you can go for like two years where you have to set off at the crack of dawn because I’m nowhere near work – it takes me an hour and a half to get to the village and it takes just under an hour to get to the studio.

“We live in Hebden Bridge and I’d rather travel to work and travel back, but it means that sometimes you’re ships in the night, passing on the stairs. This is a way we can actually work together and it’s fun. They’re low-budget horror films.”

Emmerdale broadcasts on weekdays on ITV and ITVX.