Inside the lives of real life Emmerdale soap couple Eric Pollard and Brenda Walker
ERIC Pollard and Brenda Walker are an Emmerdale institution at this point and fans will be thrilled to learn that the soap couple are also an item in real life.
The popular soap couple are portrayed by actors Chris Chittell, 76, and Lesley Dunlop, 68.
Chris and Brenda first met in 2008 when Lesley made her debut in the dales. Meanwhile, Chris has been starring on the soap since 1986.
During a 2012 interview with the Daily Record, Chris admitted there was an instant spark between them.
“It was weird. Somehow, we’d never met before, and we just kept bumping into each other at work.
“I can’t even remember if I asked her on a date or she asked me, but she is wonderful and we’re very happy,” he revealed.
This connection translated to their characters, too, who became a couple shortly after Brenda’s arrival in the village.
Although they’ve had a rocky relationship with many obstacles to overcome.
The latest has been Eric’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, which he didn’t want to share with Brenda.
Last year, Eric revealed the tragic news that he has Parkinson’s Disease to Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) in emotional scenes.
Viewers learned of his diagnosis during flashback scenes when Lydia (Karen Blick) attempted to work out who killed Craig Reed (Ben Addis) – with Eric confiding in Mandy how terrified he is of the future.
Scared to tell Brenda, Eric instead to break up with her out of the blue, leaving her devastated.
But, after a change of heart, Eric opened up to her, and she vowed to stick by him.
Chris, who is Emmerdale’s longest serving cast member, said he feels “privileged” to be given the storyline.
“I want to do this storyline justice for the most courageous of people who are having to bear the brunt of this condition,” he explained.
Happily, he is fit and healthy in real-life and enjoys spending time with his wife, Lesley.
Chris and Lesley married in 2016
Chris and Lesley began a real-life relationship after meeting on the set of Emmerdale.
They got engaged in 2015, marrying the following year, on June 18, in Cornwall.
The couple enjoyed an intimate ceremony with their close family and friends. This includes their four children from previous relationships.
Chris shares Rebecca and Ben with his ex-wife Caroline Hunt, who he split from in 2015, while Lesley has two daughters, Daisy and Rose, with her former partner, musician Christopher Guard.
Members of their TV family were also present, including Emmerdale stars Bhasker Patel, Sam Hall and Nicola Wheeler.
They looked lovely, all dressed up for their summer wedding, with Lesley looking radiant in an off-white gown, fairytale-esque gown and veil, complete with a flower crown.
Meanwhile, Chris looked equally impressive, suited and booted in a three-piece beige ensemble, which he paired with blue suede shoes.
They credit the soap with bringing them together
Chris and Lesley credit Emmerdale with bringing them together, and admit that they love going to work together each day.
“For some people, working together would be a nightmare, but we love it,” Chris said.
However, they do draw a strict line between their work and home lives.
Real-life soap couples
Soaps are renowned for their sweet and scandalous romances – but it's not just in scripted storylines where love is blossoming. A number of our favourite small-screen actors have fallen for co-stars and soapland rivals when the cameras have stopped rolling.
Max Parker and Kris Mochrie
- Despite playing brothers Luke and Lee Posner on Emmerdale, the pair never actually shared any scenes together. But the pair still fell in love after meeting on set. Max and Kris got together in 2020, moving in together later than same year and got engaged in 2022. In a sweet Instagram post, the couple confirmed they’re planning a 2025 wedding.
Beth Cordingly and Ian Kelsey
- Beth, who plays Ruby Fox-Miligan, announced her love for her co-star Ian Kelsey, who played Dean Glover, shortly after she joined Emmerdale at the beginning of 2024. “I am very in love with Ian and very happy. I think it really does work him being an actor too. He has been so fantastic,” she gushed.
Laura Norton and Mark Jordan
- Kerry Wyatt and Daz Eden actors Laura and Mark met on the set of Emmerdale in 2014. The couple, who got engaged in 2018, told Loose Women they spent a long time deciding whether they should “just stay as friends.” Although it seems they were meant to be and the pair now share two children together.
Zoe Henry and Jeff Hordley
- Emmerdale favourites Zoe and Jeff, who play Rhonda Goskirk and Cain Dingle met at drama college in 1994 and have been together ever since. While working together might be too much for some couples, that’s definitely not the case for Zoe and Jeff. Zoe previously told The Sun: “Working on the same show as Jeff also helps because if one of us is having a bad day then the other will completely understand.”
Lesley Dunlop and Chris Chittell
- Lesley and Chris are another Dales romantic success story. Unlike some of the other soap stars, the pair who play Brenda Walker and Eric Pollard, are together on and off screen, officially tying the knot in 2016. They also adore working together, but have clear home-work boundaries. “We make a point of not talking about Emmerdale when we’re at home, though – that would be just too sad, wouldn’t it?” Chris revealed.
Sally Carman and Joe Duttine
- Abi Franklin and Tim Metcalfe actors Sally and Joe got together after meeting on the set of Coronation Street in 2017 and they tied the knot in July 2022. But unlike some of the Emmerdale stars, Sally and Joe prefer that their characters don’t interact much. Sally previously admitted it “would be horrendous” to work on a storyline with Joe because “he’s too funny.”
Anthony Cotton and Peter Eccleston
- Sean Tully may have been unlucky in love on the cobbles, but in real life Antony’s met his Prince Charming. The soap star started dating long-term partner Peter in 2005, after they met when he was working as an assistant props buyer on Corrie.
Jane Danson and Robert Beck
- Corrie favourite Jane Danson tied the knot with soap star Robert Beck in 2005. The actress, who plays Leanne Battersby, shares two children, Harry and Sam, with the former Brookside star. During their marriage, Robert has also done a stint in Weatherfield playing criminal Jimmy Dockerson.
Caroline Harding and Chris Gascoyne
- Chris, who played pub landlord Peter Barlow, married soap star Caroline in 2002. Although she is best known as an Emmerdale star, Caroline did visit her husband at work when she did a two-episode stint as doctor on the Manchester soap in 2020. The couple share a daughter called Belle, plus two children, Pip and Freddie from Caroline’s previous marriage.
Nadine Mulkerrin and Rory Douglas Speed
- Nadine Mulkerrin, and Rory Doulas Speed are known for their Hollyoaks alter egos Cleo McQueen and Joel Dexter. The loved-up pair got engaged on a December 2018 trip to Amsterdam – just over a year after they announced they were dating. They now share two kids, Reggie and Dougie.
Sophie Austin and Shayne Ward
- Former Hollyoaks star Sophie, whose best known for playing villain Lindsay Butterfield, was introduced to singer and ex-Corrie star Shayne through mutual friends. She gave birth to their daughter Willow in December 2016 and they welcomed a son in 2022.
“We make a point of not talking about Emmerdale when we’re at home, though – that would be just too sad, wouldn’t it?” ITV star Chris said.
Although, while they find it easy to leave their characters at work, viewers are not always able to when they seem them out and about.
“We do get strange looks when we’re out sometimes. You can see people getting confused,” Chris admitted.
It has its benefits, though. Being a real-life couple made their relationship storyline a lot easier to film when Emmerdale had strict social-distancing rules in place because they were part of the same household bubble.
Lesley had previously said that she disliked it when the pair would have to do romantic scenes together in front of the Emmerdale crew because it felt like they should be solely private moments.
However, it seems like it’s become less of an issue as the years have gone by.
Long may Eric and Brenda’s relationship last – both on and off screen.