5 things you need to know about Bear’s Emmerdale exit

Emmerdale spoilers follow.

There are sad scenes in Emmerdale tonight as Bear Wolf waves goodbye to the village following his heated clashes with son Paddy.

With tensions at an all-time high, Paddy makes it clear that his dad is no longer welcome at Tenant House and sternly sends him packing.

Claiming that he’s arranged to stay with a friend, Bear warns Paddy and daughter-in-law Mandy that he may not come back.

But what’s really going on with Bear? Here are 5 things you need to know as he bows out for a short time…

1. Bear’s bad advice is the final straw

ITV

Bear and Paddy have now been at odds for several days. Sensing that his dad is struggling, Paddy has repeatedly tried to reach out to him but has been rebuffed at every turn.

Things turned nasty this week when Paddy was attacked by a dog on newcomer Celia’s land.

Although Bear rushed to his son’s rescue, he later took the opportunity to make nasty remarks about Paddy’s mild-mannered ways, issuing a full-on character assassination.

The final straw comes in tonight’s hour-long episode – already streaming now on ITVX and YouTube – as Bear can’t resist giving Paddy some advice.

Bear suggests that Paddy needs to stand up to a bully like Celia, but when Paddy tries it out and his bold tactics backfire, he bitterly blames Bear and kicks him out.

2. Bear is lying about his whereabouts

ITV

Determined not to stay where he isn’t welcome, Bear gets on the phone to his old friend Gnasher and asks about coming to stay.

Bear is dismayed when Gnasher refuses to put him up, which essentially leaves him with nowhere else to go.

Proud Bear fails to tell Paddy and Mandy about this, falsely making out that his arrangements are all set in stone.

Doubling down, Bear even hints that he’ll be welcome in Gnasher’s spare room indefinitely.

3. Bear isn’t leaving for good

ITV

Bear’s departure from the village seems ominous as he heads into the unknown, but he won’t be leaving our screens for good.

Emmerdale bosses first announced this storyline at a press event in early May, confirming that it was all part of a bigger plot for the former wrestler.

“The character of Bear, we’ve got a big storyline coming up for him,” producer Laura Shaw said.

“He’s going to go off screen for a little while, he’s going to go missing. And when he comes back, what you’ll see is a very different Bear in a really different situation.

“We’re all going to be watching and going, ‘What the hell has happened here?’ That’s going to be really exciting.”

4. Paddy will face major guilt

ITV

Since Paddy’s early attempts at supporting Bear backfired, he hasn’t been his usual understanding self when it comes to his dad.

Paddy has seemingly missed the signs of how Bear has felt isolated and unwelcome in his own home.

The lack of communication has left the once-strong father-son relationship in a total mess.

Dominic Brunt, who plays Paddy, recently told us: “It’s because he’s been personally attacked. So the way Paddy defends himself is by going: ‘Right, go away. You’re not part of my life anymore, you’ve been too mean, and now, you’ve been physical, so that’s it’. He just cuts him off.

“We’ll see the guilt – the guilt that Paddy experiences.”

5. There are big plans once Bear is back

ITV

Joshua Richards, who plays Bear, has already spoken about what’s ahead for his character once he’s back in the village.

“I think there’s something big coming up for him, which I’m really looking forward to,” Joshua told us at a recent Emmerdale press day.

“For anybody who is lucky enough to work on this wonderful thing, when you’re given a nice, juicy storyline, it’s helpful.

“You feel safe as well, because you’re surrounded by very sympathetic and well-versed and expert writers and story editors, and also you’re in the hands of great directors and great colleagues to work with. I can’t wait.”

Asked about Paddy’s role in Bear’s issues, Joshua added: “Paddy will feel guilty, because this is his father’s experience and it’s right next to him and he can’t see it. He can’t put his finger on it, even though he’s experienced it himself.

“That’s one part of the storyline that will be going on – is that somewhere down the line, he’ll have to realise that he missed it. That’ll be an important part of Paddy’s storyline as well.”

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

Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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