"Paddy doesn't want Bear Wolf to be his real dad" - Emmerdale's Dominic Brunt on family reunion
Is the has-been wrestler really Paddy's biological father?
Emmerdale's Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) comes face-to-face with the man who could be his long-lost dad next week when he confronts wrestler Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) with the notion they could be biological father and son.
The vet's ex-wife Mandy Dingle delivered a bombshell when she returned to the village last month that she had proof Paddy was a result of an affair between his late mum Barbara and the faded 1970s wrestling star in the form of love letters between them she had unearthed in her former mother-in-law's belongings.
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Next week, Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) tries to convince his mate to attend a wrestling convention Bear is appearing at, but Paddy is not interested in raking up the past.
"The thought of his mum cheating and his dad not being his real dad has shocked Paddy," reveals Brunt. "He feels like he's losing his identity and doesn't want to face it. Paddy is not interested in sullying the memory of the dad who brought him up.
"But Marlon meddles to try and get him to go, not to be malicious but only because he wants what's best for him. Paddy doesn't have any blood relatives and Marlon thinks it's important that he knows either way if Bear Wolf is his father."
Along with Chas Dingle and Jessie Grant, Paddy bits the bullet and heads to the convention but it's hardly WWF territory, as Brunt explains… "They turn up at this workingmen's club and the wrestlers are at the tale-end of their careers, it's like a sad 'legends' thing. It harks back to the days of Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks - these guys are still going even though their backs have gone! It's a little anticlimactic for Paddy."
Does Paddy get proof Bear Wolf is his dad?
Despite his nerves, the conflicted Mr Kirk decides he's come all this way so he might as well speak to big Bear himself and he goes straight in with the big question: "He asks him if he remembers his mum, Barbara. Bear replies there have been a lot of women along the way and denies knowing her at first, but Paddy is so nervous he is stuttering and he notices Bear has a little stutter - he wonders if that's where he gets it from!"
"Later they see each other again and Bear admits he does remember Barbara - he describes her as a firecracker and the one that got away…"
Marlon and Chas push Paddy to get a DNA test, but he's still unsure about having the definitive answer to the question of his paternity. "Paddy feels he's betraying the dad who raised him," admits Brunt. "Bear is a bit of a big-head so after he meets him Paddy wants nothing to do with him. Where was he when Paddy was little and needed his nappy changed, or learnt to ride a bike? Even if it turns out they are related, Paddy says he doesn't want a relationship with Bear."
That may yet change as Brunt and Richards, along with some other cast members, are currently filming on location in Northern Ireland for the continuation of Paddy's 'Who's the daddy?' plot, so the story is only just beginning. "I hope there's an opportunity for Joshua to stay because he's loving it so far," enthuses Brunt about his potential new on-screen dad. "He's brilliant and really pleased to be here. We're filming some stuff in Ireland that is hilarious, over the top but ultimately very sweet by the end…"
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