{"id":302054,"date":"2026-01-24T23:02:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T23:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/302054\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T23:02:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T23:02:15","slug":"emmerdale-legend-confirms-future-on-soap-as-killer-twist-teases-three-exits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/302054\/","title":{"rendered":"Emmerdale legend confirms future on soap as killer twist teases three exits"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emmerdale’s Paddy Dingle actor Dominic Brunt has addressed whether he will leave the ITV soap after 29 years, following Bear Wolf killing Ray Walters in a huge week<\/p>\n

09:00, 24 Jan 2026Updated 10:09, 24 Jan 2026<\/p>\n

\"Emmerdale's<\/p>\n

Emmerdale’s Paddy Dingle actor Dominic Brunt has addressed whether he will leave the ITV soap after 29 years(Image: ITV)<\/p>\n

As Emmerdale<\/a>‘s killer week draws to a close, actor Dominic Brunt said the turmoil is far from over for his character, soap legend Paddy Dingle.<\/p>\n

Viewers tuned in on Thursday to see Paddy\u2019s father Bear Wolf murder villain Ray Walters, moments after Bear was confirmed alive. Having been ‘killed off’ in December, Bear\u2019s true fate was the first of two big shocks for fans in the episode, after human trafficker Celia Daniels had claimed she’d killed him last month.<\/p>\n

The second shock came when Ray, played by Joe Absolom, was brutally killed after being crushed in a headlock by the former wrestler. For Dominic, 55, Bear\u2019s killer actions take the dark storyline into the unknown, as detectives continue to investigate Ray\u2019s murder.<\/p>\n

The special week of episodes featured flashbacks that detailed Ray\u2019s final moments, and the movements of suspects including Laurel Thomas, Rhona Goskirk, Marlon Dingle. Everyone had something to hide, but ultimately it was Bear who was named his killer.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Emmerdale’s Bear kills Ray: All the clues Bear was alive and would turn killer<\/a>READ MORE: Emmerdale fans ‘rumble Ray’s true fate’ as Bear ‘didn’t really kill him’<\/a>\"As<\/p>\n

As Emmerdale’s killer week draws to a close, actor Dominic Brunt said the turmoil is far from over for his character, soap legend Paddy Dingle(Image: ITV)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was dark, I wondered how they were going to film it for pre-watershed,\u201d Dominic, 55, exclusively told The Mirror. \u201cI think in real life, I’d probably ring the police straight away, but he\u2019s protecting his dad. I was just excited to be a part of it.\u201d The flashbacks confirmed Paddy had been lying in recent episodes too, allowing other characters to be questioned over Ray\u2019s death while Bear is still presumed missing.<\/p>\n

Dominic found filming the murder fallout strange, as it aired before viewers had been let in on the secret of what had really happened to Ray. \u201cIt was very confusing,\u201d he shared. \u201cBut then when it’s all been put together, it all makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dominic has played Paddy for 29 years, and he\u2019s been at the centre of some major storyline since his 1997 debut, including five weddings, the heartbreaking death of his baby daughter Grace and his depression in 2023 that saw him attempt to take his own life.<\/p>\n

\"Viewers<\/p>\n

Viewers tuned in on Thursday to see Paddy\u2019s father Bear Wolf murder villain Ray Walters(Image: ITV)<\/p>\n

Paddy\u2019s depression was part of ITV<\/a> \u2019s Britain Get Talking campaign, which promoted mental health awareness. Dominic worked with Andy’s Man Club during the storyline, a men’s suicide prevention charity, and the episodes encouraged an increase in their attendance figures.<\/p>\n

He told us: \u201cI was really proud, and you think, imagine if we save somebody from suffering in silence. The fact that they can go somewhere and talk, and men don’t want to do that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to supply the solutions and the answers to everything, and we want to be the traditional thing that maybe our dads and granddads were, and in this modern time, maybe we don’t have that role as much as we did. I know for a fact that some friends of mine see opening up as being weak or effeminate, and it’s not.<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

Paddy is trying to cover up his father\u2019s crime (Image: ITV)<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter filming, I was going home thinking, thank God I’m pretending, and I’ve not actually gone through this like a lot of people have. Nobody gets away with it, but I never suffered like that. It was an honour to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Paddy covers up his father\u2019s crime in upcoming scenes, Dominic shared he would be sad if it led to his exit after almost three decades. He doesn\u2019t worry about the dreaded axe anymore though, and he\u2019s just signed a year-long contract to stay on the soap.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I’ve been so lucky for so long,\u201d he said. \u201cIf they told me I was going I would be sad, but I’ve got to be grateful for everything. It completely changed my life. Hopefully I’ll be here for another 29 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

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