‘s Bob Hope’s love life has taken yet another twist, with his latest romance ‘exposed’ and it’s a familiar face that viewers adore.
Bob (played by Tony Audenshaw) has been a fixture in the village since 2000. As ‘s most-wed character, he’s navigated a labyrinth of romantic entanglements.
His marital escapades include tying the knot with Viv Windsor (Deena Payne) and Brenda Walker (Lesley Dunlop), not to mention his notorious fling with Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy). His tenure in the Dales has certainly been peppered with tumult.
This week saw the father-of-seven back on the singles market as his partner Wendy Posner (Susan Cookson) departed the village after a six-year stint. Viewers will remember Wendy’s dramatic confession about selling a story on Rhona (Zoe Henry) to the tabloids.
Blackmailed into spilling the beans by a journalist, Wendy ultimately came clean to her nearest and dearest, leaving Bob furious and devastated by her betrayal. Realising she had no future left in the village, Wendy chose to make her exit, reports .
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Bob is now single after Wendy’s exit (Image: ITV)
However, in the wake of her departure, Bob turned to his ex, Brenda, for comfort, misjudging the moment and attempting a kiss only to be promptly rebuffed by a stunned Brenda.
But now, fans believe they’ve figured out who Bob’s next romantic interest might be someone with whom he shares a complicated past. On an fan page on Facebook, speculation is rife, with one user posing the question: “Now Wendy is gone who will Bob move on with next?”
Prompted by recent plot twists, viewers were swift to propose Bob’s former spouse Jean Hope as a contender for reigniting an old flame. Long-term fans recall that Jean was Bob’s inaugural wife, debuting in 2003 with actress Julie Higginson portraying her.
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Fans are predicting a Jean return (Image: ITV)
In a cast change-up, Susan Penhaligon stepped into Jean’s shoes in 2006. The couple’s backstory includes two offspring, Dawn and Jamie, whom Jean parented single-handedly in Spain following Bob’s departure.
She made her exit from the show in December 2006, venturing off to Morocco with her grandson T. J. Anticipating a dramatic twist, one viewer speculated: “I’d like to see his ex-wife Jean come back!”
Another chimed in excitedly: “Oh yes I forgot about her! ” A third supporter added their voice: “It would be a good way to bring her back and give Bob a decent storyline.” Meanwhile, another individual simply wrote: “Anyone but Brenda please.”
airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm