The Breakdown Before the Breakdown

Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) is no stranger to heartbreak. From his tumultuous relationship with Chas to the quiet storms of mental health he’s battled, Paddy has often been Summerdale’s emotional anchor—silent, loyal, and endlessly forgiving. But this week, something finally cracked.

It was Bear’s birthday.

That simple date on the calendar was enough to jolt Paddy out of denial and into sorrow, triggering a confession that brought Rhona—and viewers—to tears. In a rare moment of vulnerability, he whispered the words no one expected:

“I miss my dad.”

It’s the sentence that changes everything.

A Father Lost… and Found

For fans who remember how Paddy and Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) grew close in recent years, this turn is especially cruel. Their bond—born from a shocking paternity twist involving a wrestler and a secret affair—blossomed into something deeply sincere. Bear stood by Paddy during his darkest days. But when the tables turned and Bear himself began spiraling—lashing out, forgetting things, growing paranoid—Paddy, worn thin, finally told him to leave.

And Bear did.

What Paddy didn’t know was that his father wasn’t just wandering. He was being trapped.

Slavery in the Dales: The Celia Connection

Weeks after Bear’s disappearance, Emmerdale delivered a gut punch that no one saw coming: Bear was alive, but enslaved. Forced into brutal domestic labour on Celia Daniels’ remote farm, the once-boisterous wrestler is now a shell of himself—controlled by Emmerdale’s most terrifying villain and her twisted son, Ray.

Paddy has no idea. Not yet. All he knows is that he regrets pushing his father away—and he’s haunted by the memory of their final, hurtful words.

“You’re a doormat. No wonder Chas left you.”

It was the last thing Bear said. And for Paddy, it was a dagger too deep to pull out. Until now.

A Birthday, A Realisation

When Rhona reminds Paddy of Bear’s birthday, it cracks his emotional wall. He’s tried so hard to forget, to distance himself, to silence the ache—but the silence has become deafening.

He admits to Rhona—quietly, brokenly—that he’s not angry anymore. He’s just worried. About where Bear is. About what might’ve happened. And worst of all, about what he might never get to say.

Is Redemption Coming… or Another Tragedy?

With the Celia storyline heating up and April Windsor’s trauma threatening to expose the entire operation, time is running out. Will Paddy uncover the truth about his dad before it’s too late? Or will Bear remain a prisoner—forgotten by the world, remembered only on his birthday?

One thing is clear: Paddy’s confession isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of an emotional reckoning.

Will father and son get one final chance at forgiveness? Or is Bear already lost forever?