Christmas in the Dales is set for explosive drama as Emmerdale's Vanessa Woodfield threatens to unravel a huge secret held by Charity Dingle. The festive season brings panic for Charity as her carefully constructed story about her pregnancy risks being exposed.
Charity's Christmas Crisis
On the ITV soap, pregnant Charity Dingle, played by Emma Atkins, faces a nightmare scenario. She had confessed to her ex-lover, Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick), that she is not carrying a baby as a surrogate for Sarah Sugden and Jacob Gallagher, but is instead pregnant naturally. This confession came after a one-night stand with Ross Barton, though Vanessa mistakenly believes the father is Mackenzie Boyd.
The plot thickens as Vanessa and Charity are forced to spend Christmas Day together. Tensions reach a peak when Vanessa gets drunk over dinner, sending Charity into a panic about what secrets might spill out. Later, as Mack and Charity reflect on their day, the looming threat remains: will Vanessa reveal the truth about the baby's origins?
Michelle Hardwick's Real-Life Romance
While her character navigates soap turmoil, actress Michelle Hardwick, 49, enjoys a much happier real-life storyline. The Leeds-born star, who joined Emmerdale as village vet Vanessa in 2012, met her wife on the set of the show.
Kate Brooks, a talented TV executive, was working as a series producer on Emmerdale before becoming the producer of Coronation Street last year. The couple announced their relationship on National Coming Out Day in October 2018.
Their engagement was a spectacular affair, orchestrated by Michelle and featuring a flash mob of performers from The Greatest Showman at their local cinema. Opting for an intimate ceremony, they flew to Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis in September 2019 to tie the knot.
Speaking to The Mirror before the wedding, Michelle revealed their laid-back plans, stating they would "hit a few bars, and probably have chicken and chips for our wedding breakfast." The couple have since welcomed two children: a son named Teddy and a daughter called Betty.
Life Before Vanessa
Prior to her marriage to Kate, Michelle was married to Rosie Nicholl. The pair wed in 2015 but parted ways amicably a year later. Michelle explained the split was mutual and that they had simply drifted apart, remaining good friends and sharing custody of their dogs.
Before landing her defining role in Emmerdale, Michelle had notable parts in Heartbeat and Coronation Street. She also played a leading role as Lizzie Hopkirk in the Heartbeat spin-off, The Royal.
As the drama unfolds on screen, viewers will be watching closely to see if Vanessa's drunken Christmas dinner leads to Charity's devastating secret being exposed to all.
