Emmerdale actor Lesley Dunlop is best known for her role as village gossip, Brenda Walker, on the long-running ITV soap, she made her first appearance in April 2008 and fast became a firm favourite.
Brenda Walker is the adoptive mother of Genesis Walker and the current owner of Café Main Street as well as the ex-wife of Bernard Walker and Bob Hope and a mother-figure to Bob's youngest children, Cathy and Heath Hope.
The actress has been a part of the cast for almost 15 years and has been a part of some major storylines, in 2013, Brenda was diagnosed with a brain tumour, one of the character's biggest storylines.
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Brenda is described as "a fun-loving, bubbly character" who leaves people speechless with certain things she says, due to her brain tumour Brenda realises that the important things in life are family, friendship, love, honesty and humour.
Off screen the actress is also very family orientated, she is married to her co-star Eric Pollard actor, Chris Chittell, the two met whilst filming on set.
Here is everything we know about that soap stars life off air including her surprising real age and relationship off air.
How old is Emmerdale star Lesley Dunlop?
According to the weeknight drama, Lesley's character Brenda is 64 years old and she has faced a multitude of challenges over the years.
This has included discovering her daughter Gennie was killed and her cancer diagnosis in 2013.
In order for the storyline to be authentic, the actress shaved her hair off and has looked drastically older because of the effect of treatment would have had on her alter-ego.
However, Lesley is actually two years older than her character, she is 66 years old and celebrates her birthday on March 10, 1956.
Lesley Dunlop's marriage to co-star Chris Chittell
Emmerdale fan favourites Eric and Brenda are an item in real life too after their on-screen relationship sparked a budding romance.
The stars are married in real-life, they first became a couple back in 2008 and later got hitched in June 2016. Their characters did have a brief fling on the show in 2012 but Chris and Lesley asked writers to avoid making them a long-term pairing on Emmerdale.
On-screen the pair have had a rocky relationship but in real life their romance is solid as a rock, six years after meeting on set, the pair got engaged in 2015 and tied the knot on June 18 2016 at St Peter’s Church in Coverack in Cornwall, surrounded by family and friends.
Chris told the Daily Record about their unusual way of meeting: “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 on a date or she asked me, but she is wonderful and we’re very happy.”
Chris has two children with his ex-wife Caroline Hunt, while Lesley also has two children with her former partner, Christopher Guard. The couple don't have any children together.
However, the soap star is actually two years older than her character as she is 66 years old as she celebrates her birthday on March 10, 1956.
She met her husband Chris on the show and with the Eric star being 74 years old, the Brenda actress is 10 years his junior.
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV, with an hour-long episode airing on Thursdays.
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