As Emmerdale's Eric Pollard deals with a heartbreaking diagnosis, we take a look at the long-time soap star's real life away from the Yorkshire Dales, including his surprising appearances in adult films

As the longest-serving character in Emmerdale, businessmanEric Pollard (Chris Chittell) has experienced plenty of highs and lows during his time in the village, including multiple marriages and countless dodgy deals. Although the character was initially introduced as someone not to be trusted, Eric has mellowed notably in recent years, with a softer, more caring side emerging.

Viewers were therefore saddened last week to learn that a tough health battle was on the horizon for Eric, with the farmer's shop owner opening up about his secret Parkinson's disease diagnosis during a tearful heart-to-heart with Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley). Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological condition that results in a range of symptoms including involuntary shaking and slow movement.

As Eric deals with feelings of uncertainty about the future, we take a look at the fascinatingly varied life of actor Chris, from his unexpected roles in adult films to finding love with his equally famous wife.

Chris had some very interesting roles before getting his big break in Emmerdale (

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Raunchy roles

Even before joining the cast of Emmerdale in 1986, Chris had already enjoyed a long career in film, TV, and theatre, and some roles may surprise those who know him best as his iconic soap character. Back in the 1970s, Chris appeared in a number of adults films, including the 1975 movie Adam and Nicole (known also as Erotic Inferno), plus the equally raunchy Sex in Sweden, Let's Play Sex, and Practise Makes Perfect (also known as Girl On Her Knees).

Chris initially feared his racey past would come back to haunt him, and for a long time worried his X-rated parts would negatively impact his dreams of a successful acting career. Opening up about his anxieties during a 1997 interview with the Sunday Mirror, Chris explained: "I did films like Let Us Play Sex and Swedish Sex Games when I was on my uppers, after running up terrible bills and seeing various ventures fail. One was an antiques business. Another was a Jewish-Italian restaurant in Hatton Garden, London. I took them to pay off some heavy-duty people and clear the bills. I thought I would never work in England again because of the content of those films."

Chris and Lesley are in love both on and offscreen (

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Finding love with soap star wife

Many viewers may not realise that Chris is happily married to co-star Lesley Dunlop, who plays his onscreen girlfriend Brenda Walker in the beloved ITV soap. The couple first started dating in 2008, shortly after Lesley joined the cast, and delightedly announced their engagement in 2015. One year later the pair tied the knot in an intimate ceremony held in the picturesque Cornish village of Coverack.

Opening up about falling for Lesley in a 2012 interview with the Daily Record, Chris remarked: "That’s something else I've got to thank Emmerdale for. Everyone thinks it's the younger members of the cast who have all the fun but we more mature ones do, too. It was weird. Somehow we'd never met before and we just kept bumping into each other at work. I can't even remember if I asked her for a date or she asked me but she is wonderful and we're very happy".

Chris, who now shares a home with Lesley in Yorkshire, added: "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."

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads

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