Emmerdale Eric star’s secret to ‘very happy’ romance with soap co-star
Popular actor Chris Chittell has played Eric Pollard in Emmerdale for nearly 40 years
Chris Chittell plays Eric Pollard in Emmerdale(Image: ITV)
Popular Emmerdale actor Chris Chittell is married to a well-known actress.
The 78-year-old is best known for his role as Eric Pollard in the ITV soap, a role he has played since 1986. Chris is now the longest-serving actor in the history of the soap.
Eric originally served as the show’s villain, but has since become a beloved fixture in the Yorkshire village.
During his time in the Dales, Eric has been married six times; to Eileen Pollock (Arbel Jones) in 1964, Elizabeth Feldmann (Kate Dove) in 1992, although the marriage was bigamous, Dee de la Cruz (Claudia Malkovich) in 1997, Gloria Weaver (Janice McKenzie) in 2002, Val Lambert (Charlie Hardwick) in 2008, and Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton) in 2025.
Eric left his grandson, Jacob Sugden (Joe-Warren Plant), speechless when he married Kerry on Christmas Eve in an effort to siphon cash for Jacob’s future to her.
Eric enjoyed a brief romance with Brenda Walker(Image: ITV)
Despite not being romantically involved, Kerry has continued to care for Eric, who suffers from Parkinson’s.
Away from the Dales, actor Chris shares his life with his acting wife Lesley Dunlop, who notably played Brenda Walker in Emmerdale.
Brenda bid farewell to the Dales after 17 years last year when she won a three-month cruise around the world in a magazine competition. She notably had an on-off romance with Eric during her time in the village, leading to their emotional goodbye as she left for her worldwide adventures.
Some soap fans may be surprised to learn that the actors are married in real life, having tied the knot in June 2016.
In an interview with the Daily Record in 2012, Chris said that he has Emmerdale to thank for his relationship.
Chris is married to his co-star Lesley Dunlop in real life(Image: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images)
“Everyone thinks it’s the younger members of the cast who have all the fun but we more mature ones do too,” he said.
“It was weird. Somehow we’d never met before and we just kept bumping into each other at work. I can’t remember if I asked her for a date or she asked me but she is wonderful and we’re very happy.
“For some people, working together would be a nightmare but we love it. We make a point of not talking about Emmerdale when we’re at home, though – that would be just too sad, wouldn’t it?
“And we do get strange looks when we’re out sometimes. You can see people getting confused.”
Chris also shares his life with his two children, who he welcomed with his ex-wife Caroline Hunt, while Lesley also has two children with her former partner, Christopher Guard.
Emmerdale airs weekday nights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX
