Emmerdale’s Bear Wolf actor Joshua Richards has been married to fellow soap actress Sarah Parks for over 30 years
17:09, 28 Apr 2026Updated 17:14, 28 Apr 2026
Emmerdale Bear actor’s real-life romance with soap co-star ‘she supports me'(Image: ITV)
Joshua Richards has become a beloved figure on Emmerdale in his role as Bear Wolf – but what’s known about the accomplished actor’s personal life alongside his well-known wife?
The television personality arrived on the enduring ITV soap in 2019, playing the dad of Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt). The ex-wrestler character Bear quickly won over viewers with his compelling presence.
His character has featured in numerous major plot developments, particularly at present, as audiences will remember he’s currently behind bars following his admission to the killing of Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) earlier this year.
Bear committed the fatal act to prevent the villainous Ray from harming his son Paddy and Dylan (Fred Kettle), with both Paddy and Dylan subsequently assisting Bear in concealing the incident. Yet Paddy ultimately admitted his part in the affair, leading to both him and Dylan facing charges for perverting the course of justice.
Joshua has played Bear for several years(Image: ITV)
Beyond the drama of the Dales, however, Bear’s portrayer Joshua enjoys a considerably calmer existence with his spouse of over three decades, fellow performer Sarah Parks – who has her own notable television credentials, reports the Mirror.
Sarah has actually featured in Emmerdale herself, taking on the role of barrister and subsequent judge Hilary Browning intermittently between 2001 and 2005. Beyond Emmerdale, Sarah has made appearances in Coronation Street across 11 episodes in different roles.
His wife is also an actor(Image: Getty Images)
Back in 1998, she took on the part of a midwife, and during July and August 2021, Sarah played DS Pullen, who was investigating the unlawful detention of Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien). Sarah returned to the soap in January 2004, this time as Council planning officer Andrea Chaplin. Her final stint came in 2007 when she portrayed Linda, whose husband conducted an affair with Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard).
Her extensive CV also features appearances in The Bill, Shameless, Meet the Richardsons, Fat Friends, My Parents Are Aliens and Scott and Bailey.
She has appeared on Corrie several times
Joshua and Sarah, who reside together in Halifax, West Yorkshire, maintain a deliberately low profile regarding their relationship, though Joshua has occasionally opened up about Sarah publicly.
In 2025, he acknowledged her crucial support during his remarkable health journey, which saw him shed four stone from 17 and a half stone down to 13 and a half stone. Joshua explained: “My health wasn’t too good. And I was tucking into all the wrong meals from Emmerdale catering like lasagne and chips.
“We read a book by Dr Meghan Rossi called Eat More Live Well – and that really helped me lose the weight. I did what it told me – ate more vegetables, more fibre and looked after my gut health.”
The actor has gushed about his wife previously(Image: ITV)
During a recent conversation with The Mirror, Joshua also discussed Sarah’s connection to the soap world. He revealed: “She has played a judge in Emmerdale before,” while confessing he’d initially assumed Sarah would secure a permanent soap role rather than himself.
He continued: “In the end, I ended up being on Emmerdale and she is the one who supports me. I was only supposed to be in the soap for six months, but I’m now in my eighth year and it’s flown by. I love being in Emmerdale. It’s the best job in the world.”
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX
