Emmerdale’s Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) is currently in the spotlight on the ITV soap as she mourns the tragic death of her partner Suzy Merton (Martelle Edinborough), who was killed in last month’s limo crash.
However, Vanessa is still unaware that Mary Goskirk (Louise Jameson) and Suzi shared a secret kiss before the fatal accident, leading Suzi to plan to end their relationship. Will Vanessa ever uncover Mary’s betrayal?
Michelle Hardwick, 49, has portrayed the character of village vet Vanessa since 2012, when she was introduced as Frank Clayton’s (Michael Praed) daughter and Tracy Metcalfe’s (Amy Walsh) half-sister.
However, some viewers may not know that is where Michelle met her real-life wife, Kate Brooks.
Kate, 42, a talented TV executive, previously worked as a series producer on before being appointed as ‘s producer last year.
Michelle Hardwick has played Vanessa in Emmerdale since 2012 (Image: ITV)
The couple announced their relationship in October 2018, on National Coming Out Day, with a sweet photo.
The pair got engaged after Michelle organised a memorable proposal featuring a flash mob of The Greatest Showman performers at their local cinema.
They opted for a private wedding, flying to ‘s iconic Graceland in Memphis in September 2019 for an intimate ceremony, reports .
Kate Oates, the former boss, has tied the knot with her partner in a sun-soaked ceremony at ‘s iconic Graceland estate.
Michelle Hardwick (left), wife Kate Brooks and their son Teddy during an appearance on Loose Women (Image: ITV)
Sharing the joyous news on social media, Kate posted: “In over 100 degrees heat, on Tuesday 10th September, I became Mrs Brooks.”
Prior to their nuptials, Michelle spoke candidly with The Mirror in August 2019 about their laid-back approach to wedding planning, revealing: “There’s no magazine deal, we’ll just pick up a few witnesses wherever we are and it will just be me and her,” and “We only have a few months to go and we haven’t even got our outfits sorted and that’s because it doesn’t matter. That’s the biggest lesson I learned.”
Michelle further disclosed their unconventional plans for the big day: “We’ll get married abroad, hit a few bars and probably have chicken and chips for our wedding breakfast. Then a big party for our family when we get back to England. That’s all I can tell you! It will be ace.”
Emmerdale actress Michelle Hardwick got married to Kate Brooks (Image: Instagram: @missmichellehardwick)
The couple has since expanded their family with two children, Teddy and Betty.
Kate, now a mother of two, continues to champion LGBTQI+ representation on television, particularly through storylines on .
Highlighting the romance between Carla Connor and Lisa Swain, Kate emphasises that their sexuality is merely one facet of their rich characters, stating that it’s the least interesting aspect given their complexity and depth.
According to the producer: “It’s about them as a couple navigating life,” in a recent interview with . Seeing that kind of representation and seeing them as a family unit and the acceptance of their friends, albeit with a few raised eyebrows along the way, I think it’s really important.”
Kate added: “Carla and Lisa’s relationship is really strong and refreshing because they’re both confident in their sexuality and it’s not what defines their relationship or their storyline.”
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