Emmerdale star Dominic Brunt issued a message to fans in defence of his co-star as their characters split on-screen. Fans of the ITV soap have been waiting for the day Paddy Kirk found out about Chas Dingle's affair with Al Chapman.
And that day came in scenes aired last week as Belle Dingle finally caved, months after first discovering Chas and Al's affair and told a heartbroken Paddy the truth. Belle confronted Chas after trying to help Chloe Harris track down the woman Al was cheating on her mum Kerry Wyatt with.
Realising the date matched the day Faith died, and the location was the spa Faith had booked to get her daughter away from the pub, a lightbulb went off for Belle. She stormed over to The Woolpack where she confronted Chas, who made more excuses, while Belle threatened to finally tell Paddy the truth. But upon seeing the vet being a doting father with Eve at the swings, she couldn't go through with it.
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However, in later scenes, viewers saw Paddy taking Chas on a surprise trip away only to arrive at the home Al, who has since died after being shot by Chas' nephew Kyle with brother Cain taking the blame, had bought for them in order to run away together with Chas and Paddy's daughter, Eve.
As fans rejoiced at Paddy finally discovering the truth, and calling it quits with his wife as the wider family discovered what had really been going on, Dominic, who has played the vet for more than 20 years, took to social media to assure Emmerdale fans that Chas actress Lucy Pargeter couldn't be more different from her onscreen character as she faced backlash for Chas' actions.
"I mean.. Thank you very muchly. Sincerely," he tweeted. "Glad you’re enjoying the episodes. They were immense fun to film. Just a quick note to say @lucyparge is playing a part, and is one of my best mates, and is one of the best actors I have EVER had the good fortune to work with. There."
But while fans are still pleased that Chas has finally got what has been coming to her, following Tuesday night's trip to the Dales, Paddy also came under fire from some. Having been staying with Marlon and Rhona since the affair was exposed, Paddy was reminded by her best mate that he needed to make a few decisions about what would happen next after sening him to The Woolpack to pick him up some clean clothes.
So when Chas and Paddy finally came face-to-face Paddy told Chas he wanted a divorce and full custody of Eve, despite Chas encouraging them not to make any quick decisions on their future. Chas then suggested that they could tell Eve that he was going to be living with Uncle Marlon for a little bit and that the youngster could see him whenever she wants.
But Paddy had other ideas. "You’re the guilty party,‘ he said. ‘Why don’t you move out?" he said, leaving Chas floored. And while Emmerdale viewers have largely been on Paddy's side, his latest move did leave them reminding Paddy of his own 'short memory' while pointing out another problem
@harrysimcox18 said: "Paddy has no right for a start... Charity and Ryan owns the pub and secondly he can't talk... he cheated on Rhona a few years back... what comes around goes around... i don't feel sorry for him one bit." Emma Vann-Sawicka fumed: "I understand what Chas did was wrong but does he not remember what he did to Rhona. I am sick of this storyline. Can they not make a couple work it out!!"
Lynn Higgins Sambrook echoed: "Paddy cheated on Rhona, but now it's happened to him, he wants to be all high and mighty on the moral high ground..... short memory." Suzanne Danielle added on Facebook: "It's Charity's pub tho i can't see her letting Chas go and Paddy moving in as she runs the pub."
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