Dominic Brunt
Paddy Kirk is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Dominic Brunt. Paddy demonstrates the dedication of the soap's writers towards maintaining a comedic tone in plotlines. While he has appeared at the centre of some grave storylines, Paddy is often a manifestation of the faintly ridiculous. His bumbling ways and perpetual ill luck act as an amusing antithesis to the sometimes traumatic incidents which befall those around him.
Paddy is one of the longest-serving characters currently in the programme. He has been married three times: to Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) in 1999, to Emily Dingle (Kate McGregor) in 2002, and to Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) in 2012. He has also had several flings since arriving, notably with Viv Hope (Deena Payne) and Tess Harris (Nicola Stephenson). Brunt took a break from the show with Paddy departing on 18 April 2016 and returning on 29 August 2016.
Storylines[edit]
Paddy comes to Emmerdale as a locum for Zoe Tate (Leah Bracknell). He is drawn to Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) and they are smitten but their relationship was rocky. Paddy's mother, Barbara (Judi Jones), disapproved of Mandy and offered her money to marry someone else. Needing money to stop her family from being evicted, Mandy took it and married her cousin, Butch (Paul Loughran), leaving Paddy depressed. After a bad date with Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles), Paddy proposes to Mandy and she accepts. They marry the following year but over the next two years, Mandy is frequently absent as her father, Caleb, is ill. She misses Paddy but begins an affair with her father's carer and their marriage breaks down.
A heartbroken Paddy becomes close to Emily Dingle (Kate McGregor). They begin dating and later get engaged. On the day that Marlon (Mark Charnock) and Tricia Stokes (Sheree Murphy) were supposed to marry, Tricia gets cold feet so Emily and Paddy get married instead. Their marriage is happy and they become foster parents, looking after several children including Debbie Jones (Charley Webb) but over time, the marriage loses its spark. Emily tries to make things work but Paddy tells Emily about his affair with Viv Windsor (Deena Payne), after Viv jokes to Paddy that she told Emily. When it becomes public knowledge, Paddy is punched by Viv's estranged husband, Bob Hope (Antony Audenshaw) and Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell). Soon after, Emily leaves the village with Debbie's baby daughter, Sarah.
Paddy begins internet dating and goes to Portugal after Jo Stiles (Roxanne Pallett), plays a practical joke by pretending to be his Internet lover Fireblade and suggesting they meet. He goes but realizes he was tricked and returns with Toni Daggert (Kerry Stacey). A horrified Jo thinks Toni wants Paddy's money and is relieved when Paddy and Toni reveal they were paying her back. Paddy later develops feelings for Toni but she didn't feel the same so he moves on and starts dating Del Dingle (Hayley Tamaddon), making Toni realize that she is in love with Paddy. Toni tries to split them up but it fails but Paddy and Del's relationship ends after Del accidentally burns Toni with hot fat in the Woolpack kitchen. Paddy admits that he loves Toni but the relationship breaks down when Toni learns Paddy does not want to marry her.
Paddy's cousin Ross Kirk (Samuel Anderson) comes to the village. One morning, Ross accidentally hits Genesis Walker (Sian Reese-Williams), and knocks her off her moped. Genesis seems fine and Ross, afraid of losing his job, persuades Paddy to say he was responsible. Genesis, or Gennie as she called herself, soon collapses and is intensive care. Ross refuses to own up so Paddy tells Ross's colleague, Shane Doyle (Paul McEwan), what really happened. Shane convinces Paddy that he will be jailed for perverting the course of justice so he remains silent. After he learns about Ross's affair with Marlon's wife, Donna (Verity Rushworth), Paddy throws Ross out.
Paddy begins a relationship with Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) and deals with her wayward son, Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller). The problems aren't helped by Carl King (Tom Lister), telling Paddy that he and Chas slept together. At first Paddy refuses to believe it, thinking that he was just stirring things but realizes it is true and evicts Chas but lets Aaron stay and they build up a father-son relationship and Paddy helps Aaron come to terms with his homosexuality.
Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) returns to the village. She and Marlon reignite their relationship but Rhona falls in love with Paddy and ends it with Marlon. Rhona learns she is expecting Marlon's baby and he initially decides not to be part of the baby's life but has a change of heart once he learns that the baby may have Down's Syndrome. They repair their friendship and Rhona gives birth to a baby boy, Leo, in 2011. Paddy gets a job in New Zealand and Marlon decides to go too but changes his mind. The Kirks and Marlon go to court over Leo when Marlon refuses to allow them to take Leo out of the country. Paddy creates a distraction for Rhona and Leo going to New Zealand by fighting with a police officer but has to stay in the country to face charges of assaulting a police officer and his veterinary licence is suspended. This leads to the job in New Zealand being withdrawn and Marlon tells Paddy to tell Rhona to come home voluntarily or risk being arrested for not attending a court hearing and brought back under arrest. Rhona and Leo return and Rhona takes over Paddy's work and gets an old friend, Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick), to help her. Paddy resents her for doing his job but he and Vanessa later learn to get on and Vanessa later buys a share of the business. When Paddy's suspension was over, he, Rhona and Vanessa all had their names above the door.
Paddy and Rhona's marriage faces a major test after Rhona becomes addicted to the painkillers she was prescribed for a back injury. Paddy and Vanessa become worried as Rhona's mood swings are visible and matters get worse when Rhona begins buying pills from a dealer named Gary, leading her to attack Paddy physically when he confronts her. Eventually Rhona collapses from taking too many painkillers and is rushed to hospital where she learns that her kidneys are about to collapse. Consequently, Marlon removes Leo and Rhona goes to rehab. Eventually, when Marlon is satisfied that Rhona is capable, Leo returns to live with her and Paddy.
Paddy became involved in Aaron Livesy's relationship with Robert Sugden, after Aaron tells him in February 2015. Paddy and Chas Dingle tried to keep Aaron and Robert apart, with little luck. In July, Paddy was worried that Aaron and Robert were continuing their affair and found he was right when he caught them half dressed at the scrapyard. Paddy sent a note to Robert's wife, Chrissie White, telling her to 'rein her cheating husband in'. While helping out at the farm, Paddy fell into a grain pit and injured his leg. Robert then turned on the grain pit to scare Paddy after he discovered that Paddy sent the note to his wife. Paddy fell unconscious and was about to drown when Robert turned the machine off and went to help, only to be scared off by Andy Sugden's approach. Paddy spent a night in hospital. He suspected Robert of being responsible and this was confirmed when Robert threatened him and his family. A while later, Paddy told Aaron so Aaron planned a night at a lodge with Robert to get him to confess. Worried what Robert might do, Paddy went to the lodge and was shot by Robert. Paddy helped Robert stitch his wound and persuaded him to let him and Aaron leave but Aaron retaliated by telling Chrissie about his affair with Robert. Paddy demanded Aaron leave Robert alone, telling him that it'd be his fault if something happened to his family.
Following the helicopter crash, Paddy discovered Rhona and Marlon had kissed at Debbie Dingle's wedding so he set up an online dating profile for Marlon. Marlon invites Paddy to a night out and meets a woman named Tess. He offloads on her about the situation regarding Robert and Aaron and they end up having sex in her car. Tess turns out to be Leo's teaching assistant, who is also married. They break things off, but resume things after a short while. Feeling broody after Vanessa gives birth to her son, Johnny, Rhona suggests to Paddy that they adopt a child and Paddy eventually agrees. Amongst others, Aaron and Tess are asked to be references for the social worker. After Tess gives her reference, she texts Paddy but Rhona finds the phone and asks why he has a second phone, Paddy says that it's Aaron's and consequently tells him about the affair. Reeling, Aaron tells the social worker that Paddy and Rhona are having marital issues. After Aaron blames Tess, she is furious and reminds Paddy that she can take everything away from him in an instant.
In February 2016, Paddy and the Dingles are informed by Cain, that Aaron was sexually abused as a child by his father, Gordon. Tess and Paddy's affair comes to an abrupt end when a drunken Kirin Kotecha accidentally kills her. Tess dies in Paddy's arms. Rhona learns about the affair after Paddy goes to Tess's funeral but is spotted by Megan Macey. After a series of rows, which includes Paddy telling Rhona about Aaron and Robert's affair, nearly dying in the grain pit, getting shot by Robert and also revealing that Robert killed Katie Sugden's, Rhona decides that the conversation never happened and that they should continue as normal. Unfortunately they try to make it work but Rhona is haunted by the extent of Paddy's deceit and cannot forgive him so they agree that he should take a new job in Germany and cancel the adoption plans.
In October, he is involved in a car pile up, caused by Emma Barton pushing her husband James off a bridge along with several other villagers, such as Rhona and Paddy is badly injured but asks Pierce to help him survive which he does, but in the ambulance, tells him if Rhona doesn't survive then Paddy will suffer. Paddy watches as Rhona gets more and more involved with Pierce but every time someone suggests to Rhona that Pierce isn't quite what he seems to be, she refuses to listen. As they still work together, Pierce reluctantly accepts that Paddy is still part of Rhona's life but when he learns that Rhona and Paddy kissed just before his and Rhona's wedding, he confronts her on their wedding night and rapes her. Rhona reports Pierce to the police but Pierce initially convinces him and Marlon that she's back on the painkillers and making up stories about him to cover herself but Rhona and Vanessa tell them the truth. Disgusted, Paddy and Marlon support Rhona
Reception[edit]
Brunt was nominated in the category of "Best Actor" at the 2011 British Soap Awards.[1] In August 2017, Brunt was longlisted for Funniest Male at the Inside Soap Awards.[2] He later made the viewer-voted shortlist.[3] On 6 November 2017, Brunt won the "Funniest Male" accolade.[4
