Dominic Brunt in profile: Emmerdale co-star wife and horror movie side hustle
Dominic’s wife even appeared on the soap
This month marks 28 years since Emmerdale cast member Dominic Brunt joined the show as adored Paddy Kirk. And nearly 30 years later, fans still love his character.
While he celebrates his Emmerdale anniversary, the star has taken a few breaks over the years to do different projects. But he always has ended up right back in the village.
So what is his life like away from the soap? From his Emmerdale breaks to his famous wife, let’s have a look.
Dominic’s career away from Emmerdale
In recent years, Dominic’s love for TV also progressed to behind the scenes projects.
As a big fan of horror, Dominic, along with on and off screen pal Mark Charnock, arranges an annual film festival in Leeds.
That’s not the only side career he has, buy he and his wife also embark on numerous projects together. This includes founding Mitchell Brunt Films, where his wife works as a producer and writer on several of the company’s films.
Despite these other opportunities, Dominic’s heart seems to lie with Emmerdale.
He spoke to Loose Women: “It takes two to four years to get the funding together. And sometimes films collapse, sometimes they go forward. But it can be a tricky situation.
“I don’t ever want to do one by halves. So I only do them every few years. I am happy with Emmerdale, and I really love it. I’m a big fan of the show, and I am very lucky. I have probably dodged a couple of bullets and I never take it for granted.”
Who is Dominic married to?
Dominic is married to fellow actress Joanne Mitchell, who has even starred on Emmerdale.
The couple both attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and have been married since 2003.
And if Joanne’s name sounds familiar with Emmerdale fans, that’s because she played Sandra Flaherty, Liv’s mum.
While they keep their relationship private, the couple have two sons: Mickey Joe and Danny Lee. However, while their exact ages are unknown, it’s believed they are teenagers.
Despite their private lives, Dominic shared on This Morning how they faced a health scare when Danny underwent heart surgery at eight months old.
He said: “It’s the most horrific thing to have to go through as a parent. But he’s football mad now – he is completely fine. He has to have a check up once a year for the rest of his life. At the time it was horrific, you’re in the eye of the storm. It was horrible. You think you are going to lose your son.”
Dominic’s Emmerdale breaks
While Emmerdale cast star Dominic Brunt confirmed his loyalties lie with the ITV soap, he has had a few breaks over the years.
Paddy has left our screens for a few short periods of time, most notably when he temporarily moved to Germany.
But it seems these breaks were so that Dominic could put more focus onto his horror movies that he makes alongside his wife.
And as he himself admitted he only does one every few years, it seems Paddy is safe in the village for a little while longer.
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Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an early release at 7.am on ITVX.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs weekdays at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm on ITV3.
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