Michelle Hardwick, best known for playing Vanessa Woodfield on the ITV soap Emmerdale, has had a love life that has frequently made headlines. The actress joined the show in 2012 and quickly became a fan favourite, playing a key role in dramatic storylines such as a heartbreaking bowel cancer diagnosis and her romance with Charity Dingle.
Currently, her character has fallen for the evil Dr Caitlin Todd, played by Caroline Harker, after she moved into her spare room. Dr Todd has been making life a nightmare for medical student Jacob Sugden in recent months.
Away from the soap, Michelle was previously married to Rosie Nicholl. The pair met in 2011 when Michelle was performing in pantomime and Rosie was playing in the orchestra. They tied the knot in 2015 at Danby Castle near Whitby, North Yorkshire, beaming with happiness in their wedding photos.
Sadly, in 2017, Michelle confirmed their split. Speaking to the Daily Star, she said: "Unfortunately Rosie and I did split last year but are still good friends. It was one of those things where we did drift apart. We had a big fairytale wedding and I still love that day, it was brilliant."
She added: "It's just really sad and one of those things that happens. We still have our dogs which we'll share and nobody else was involved, it just happened and it was a mutual decision. I don't know how else to explain it. I grew out of love and she became more of my best friend. It was like we were living as friends, not a married couple. We're still living together, just in separate rooms while the divorce goes through but it's underway."
After her split from Rosie, Michelle found love with Kate Brooks, a TV executive who previously worked as a series producer on Emmerdale before becoming the producer of Coronation Street. The couple announced their relationship in October 2018 on National Coming Out Day with a sweet Instagram photo. They got engaged after Michelle organised a memorable proposal featuring a flash mob of The Greatest Showman performers at their local cinema.
Michelle and Kate eventually ditched a big showbiz wedding in the UK and kept their nuptials private, flying to Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis in September 2019. The happy couple have since welcomed two children, a son named Teddy and a daughter named Betty. Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
