Emmerdale

05 March 2009, 16:03

DOB: 1st July, 1969
Marital Status: Divorced
Address: Smithy Cottage
Occupation: Vet

Paddy first arrived in Emmerdale in February 1997 when Zoe Tate took him on at the vets’ surgery. He became a partner in the business and rented the cottage with Mandy Dingle.

Quiet, unassuming Paddy has a heart of gold and is Emmerdale’s resident lovelorn vet. He has been married twice and is currently single.

When Paddy arrived in the Dales, he took a shine to Mandy Dingle. But when Paddy’s mum found out she was horrified and offered Mandy cash to marry her cousin Butch and leave her son alone. After a fling with Bernice, Paddy proposed to Mandy and they wed in 1999.

However, after Mandy’s affair with her father’s carer, Paddy and Mandy’s marriage ended. He stayed in Smithy Cottage and was joined by his second wife, Emily. When the passion dwindled, the couple both felt unhappy in the marriage. And while Emily tried hard to make things work, Paddy slept with Viv Windsor. When the affair was revealed, Emily announced her husband’s betrayal to a shocked audience in the Woolpack and left him.

His employee Jo Stiles then played a practical joke on Paddy by pretending to be his internet lover Fireblade and the lovelorn vet went to Portugal for a rendezvous. He returned with brassy babe Toni Daggert on his arm. Paddy fell in love with Toni but when it became clear that she didn’t feel the same way, he became close to Del Dingle.

Paddy was torn between Del and Toni but picked the Dingle. Toni then realised that she actually loved the vet and tried to win him back. When Del found out, she confronted Toni and the ensuing showdown ended in tragedy when Del accidentally pushed Toni into a pan of hot fat, scarring her for life.

Paddy kept a vigil at Toni’s side and he dumped Del, sickened by her actions. With Paddy’s love and support, Toni made a slow recovery and the two of them enjoyed a night of passion together with Paddy determined to win back his woman. They even got engaged, by accident. After realising that Paddy didn’t want to marry her, Toni left Emmerdale and broke the vet’s heart.

Paddy’s head has also been turned by another Dingle - his employee, Chastity - and he was seduced by heron more than one occasion.

In 2009, Chas and her rebellious son Aaron Livesy moved in with Paddy, leading to a relationship between Paddy and Chas. However, when he later found out that Chas and Carl had slept together behind his back, he ended his relationship with Chas and threw her and Aaron out. He later let aaron move back in and the pair developed a strong father/son bond, with Paddy being one of the first people Aaron confessed to about his sexuality.

Paddy was involved in a love triangle with Marlon and Rhona Goskirk, who fell pregnant with Marlon's child. Unable to cope with the situation after the baby was born, Rhona left the village, breaking Paddy's heart.

Dominic Brunt plays Paddy. He has appeared on TV in shows including 2Point4 Children, Soldier Soldier and Inspector Morse. He also appeared in Boyzone's music video for When The Going Gets Tough, the official single of Comic Relief 1999.

Last updated: 24 January 2012, 12:42