Inside Emmerdale co-stars Lesley Dunlop and Chris Chittell’s off-screen romance as Brenda’s reported exit nears
They’ve been married for nearly ten years
The romance between Eric Pollard and Brenda Walker may have fallen apart in the world of Emmerdale, but in ours, it’s going strong – with stars Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop married in real life.
Chris, 76, has been a major part of the cast since 1986, back when it was known as Emmerdale Farm. Lesley, 69, meanwhile, joined in 2008, taking on the part of Brenda.
And that’s how the future man-and-wife met – at work.
How long have Emmerdale stars Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop been married?
After hitting it off on the set of Emmerdale, Chris and Lesley began dating soon afterwards. Chris told the Daily Record in 2012: “Everyone thinks it’s the younger members of the cast who have all the fun but we more mature ones do, too.”
He continued: “It was weird. Somehow we’d never met before and we just kept bumping into each other at work. I can’t even remember if I asked her for a date or she asked me but she is wonderful and we’re very happy.”
They announced their engagement in 2015. A year later, they tied the knot in the small coastal village of Coverack. The ceremony was attended by co-stars Bhasker Patel (Rishi Sharma), Sam Hall (Samson Dingle) and Nicola Wheeler (Nicola King).
Their secret to a solid marriage? No talking about work at home.
“For some people, working together would be a nightmare but we love it,” Chris said. “We make a point of not talking about Emmerdale when we’re at home, though that would be just too sad, wouldn’t it?”
“And we do get strange looks when we’re out sometimes. You can see people getting confused.”
Do Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop have children?
Chris and Lesley both have children from previous marriages. Chris was married to ex-wife Caroline Hunt for 26 years, before they separated in 2007. They share two children, named Chris and Ben together.
Meanwhile, Lesley has two daughters, Daisy and Rose, with her own former partner, the musician Christopher Guard.
Is Lesley Dunlop leaving Emmerdale?
Last year, reports emerged that Lesley would be leaving Emmerdale in 2025. While neither Lesley nor the soap have confirmed these rumours, her exit is widely expected to air in the coming weeks.
This week, Brenda learned that she had won tickets to an around-the-world cruise. With Brenda deciding not to go as the cruise had been intended for her and Eric’s honeymoon, Nicola got to scheming.
However, as Jimmy spoke with Pollard, he soon realised that Eric still had feelings for his ex. But hat does this mean for Brenda’s future on the soap? Could she and Pollard sail off into the sunset for their happily ever after?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
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