Emmerdale star Dominic Brunt, known for playing beloved vet Paddy Kirk, has a famous wife who has also appeared on the ITV soap. The actor, 56, married Joanne Mitchell in 2003 after they met at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Mitchell has played four different roles on Emmerdale, including Sandra Flaherty, the mother of Liv Flaherty and stepmother of Aaron Dingle, between 2016 and 2022.
Joanne Mitchell's Soap Career
Mitchell first appeared on Emmerdale in 2003 as DS Karen Barnborough. She returned in 2006 as a midwife named Yeo, and in 2009 as Susan Davies. Her most prominent role was Sandra Flaherty, which she played from 2016 to 2022. Beyond Emmerdale, Mitchell has appeared on Coronation Street as Marsha Clifton, Waterloo Road as Mrs. Turner, and A Touch of Frost as Joan Atkins.
Film and Production Work
Mitchell is also a director and producer, with credits including the movies Evie and Wolf Manor. In 2011, the couple founded their own production company, Mitchell Brunt Films. Speaking about working together, Dominic Brunt told the Metro in 2024: "It's a really positive thing because with working in Emmerdale for so long, if you're very busy you can go for like two years where you have to set off at the crack of dawn... This is a way we can actually work together and it's fun. They're low-budget horror films."
Family Life
Dominic Brunt and Joanne Mitchell live in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, with their two children, Mickey-Joe and Danny Lee. Brunt has played Paddy Kirk on Emmerdale since 1997, making him one of the show's longest-serving cast members. His character has been involved in major storylines, including a recent plot where Paddy discovered his father Bear Wolf had been trafficked and was charged with murder but avoided prison. Paddy is currently married to Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley), having remarried her in August 2024.
