Romances can bloom in the strangest of places, but these couples have struck up long-term romances behind-the-scenes of your favourite soap operas.
From Emmerdale to EastEnders, and Coronation Street to Hollyoaks, the stars of these hit shows have found love with many settling down and tying the knot, with the pitter patter of tiny footsteps following closely after.
Emmerdale co-stars including Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden, as well as Jeff Hordley and Zoe Henry, have begun relationships away from the Yorkshire-based soap.
While some stars - including EastEnders’ Toby-Alexander Smith and Emmerdale’s Amy Walsh - have found love from across the soap divide.
Here, we take a look at the lovebirds who found love off-screen…
Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden
The former Emmerdale co-stars are perhaps one of the most famous soap couplings, and first met in 2006.
Charley, 32, best known for playing Debbie Dingle, and Matthew, 40, who plays David Metcalfe, began dating in 2007 but kept their romance under wraps for months, before going public with their relationship.
They’re doting parents to sons Buster, 12, Bowie, 6 and two-year-old Ace Gene, and surprised family and friends by tying the knot in a secret ceremony in 2018.
Toby-Alexander Smith and Amy Walsh
The lovebirds first met in the Strictly Come Dancing audience in 2019, and Emmerdale star Amy confessed she was flirtatiously rubbing shoulders with the EastEnders hunk while sat next to him during the BBC One show.
They began dating just weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic, and decided to take their relationship to the next level by moving in together during lockdown.
Amy, who plays Tracy Metcalfe, and Toby, who plays Gray Atkins, announced last year they were expecting their first child, and the 35-year old gave birth to daughter Bonnie Mae on 27 December.
Laura Norton and Mark Jordon
Laura and Mark, who play Kerry and Daz on Emmerdale, met on the set of the ITV soap six years ago, and began dating soon after.
Former Heartbeat star Mark, 57, popped the question to his beloved girlfriend in 2018, but their nuptials have been delayed due to Covid-19.
Despite not being able to walk down the aisle, the loved-up couple welcomed their first child together, a baby boy called Jesse, in January last year.
Jeff Hordley and Zoe Henry
Emmerdale icon Jeff, who plays Cain Dingle, met Zoe - who plays Rhona Goskirk on the show - at drama college and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
The couple have been together for 28 years, and have worked together on the soap for more than two decades, but rarely have any scenes together, which Zoe once joked was a good thing for their relationship.
Jeff and Zoe have two children - Violet and Stan - and wed in 2003, settling down in their native Yorkshire, where they share a love of gardening.
Chris Gascoyne and Caroline Harding
Chris, who plays the long-suffering Peter Barlow on Coronation Street, has been married to wife Caroline since 2002, and the actress has appeared in both Emmerdale and Corrie over the years.
She played a variety of different roles in the Yorkshire soap - Belinda Connors in 2005, Doctor Judd in 2008, Dr Garrett in 2013, a prosecution barrister in 2016 and 2017 and Dr Todd in June 2018 - before switching to the cobbles and playing Weatherfield’s resident doctor.
The couple also share three children together.
Rory Douglas Speed and Nadine Mulkerrin
The Hollyoaks stars - who play on-screen lovers Cleo McQueen and Joel Dexter in the Channel 4 soap - have been together since 2017.
Rory popped the question in December 2018, and the couple announced they were expecting a baby moments before they hit the red carpet for the British Soap Awards just one year later.
Nadine and Rory are doting parents to son Reggie, 2, and on Christmas Day last year, they excitedly shared the news they were expecting a second child together.
Lesley Dunlop and Chris Chittell
Lesley and Chris, who play Brenda Hope and Eric Pollard on Emmerdale, fell in love with each other long before their characters began a romance on-screen.
They became a couple in 2008, after Chris split from his first wife, and six years after meeting on the set of the ITV soap, the actor - who is the longest-serving Emmerdale cast member - popped the question.
They tied the knot in 2016, surrounded by Emmerdale co-stars, family and friends, and Chris sweetly revealed meeting Lesley was the highlight of his three decades on the show.
Jane Danson and Robert Beck
Coronation Street veteran Jane, who plays the iconic Leanne Battersby, has been happily married for 17 years, despite her character’s turbulent love life.
Jane met former Brookside star Robert Beck in 1999, when they bumped into each other at the British Soap Awards, and began dating soon after.
She admitted she had fancied Robert when he played Peter Harrison in the defunct Channel 4 soap, and her dreams came true when they tied the knot in 2005.
The lovebirds also share two children - Harry, 15 and Sam, 13.
