Emmerdale star Lisa Riley discusses the importance of Paddy's devastating story

The soap has collaborated with Samaritans on this one.

By Dan Seddon

10 Feb 2023

ITV

Emmerdale spoilers ahead.

Emmerdale star Lisa Riley has addressed the upcoming issue-based storyline for Dominic Brunt's emotionally crushed Paddy Kirk.

It was confirmed this week that Paddy will contemplate suicide in future scenes, following his wife Chas Dingle's affair with the late Al Chapman and the depression which resulted from that.

"Obviously since he found out about Chas and Al having the affair, it's been layers and layers, and there's a child involved. They love Eve together as Chas and Paddy, and it's that kind of... where should he live?" Mandy Dingle star Riley said on Lorraine this week.

"And all these layers and layers have kind of just suffocated him. And we are tackling depression to the fullest form.

"Emmerdale does that well. We saw it last year with Marlon doing the stroke storyline and of course with Wendy, the Alzheimer's storyline we did. We do these stories but this year with Dominic, who plays Paddy, he's going to attempt suicide."

ITV

On why it's such an important psychological area to explore, the soap star went on to explain: "Men don't want to talk, and so we're working with Samaritans and we've been working with Andy's Men Club, and together they've advised us.

"It is a slow-burner because we want to tell the story properly, but just for other people out there who have had a friend like Mandy who is gonna be very worried."

Riley also praised the writers for their particularly effective choice of using Mandy and Paddy, who are traditionally associated with comic relief in the village, for the storyline.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.