Emmerdale’s beloved Mandy Dingle actress Lisa Riley has revealed the hilarious reality of working alongside her on-screen husband Dominic Brunt — and it turns out their partnership behind the scenes is just as unpredictable as it is on-screen.

“He’s My Best Friend — But Things Go Wrong!”

Speaking exclusively to Daily Star in collaboration with Betway, Lisa admitted that while filming with Dominic (who plays fan-favourite Paddy Dingle) is an absolute joy, it often leads to some unexpected chaos.

“Working with my husband in character — he is my best friend in the whole world — and there are things that can go wrong because of the clumsiness of the scene,” she said. “But we will happily go on. If you know your lines so well, you can keep going and keep the scene flowing perfectly. That’s how it would happen in real life.”

Lisa explained that their ability to improvise together often saves scenes from total collapse, especially when the show leans into Mandy and Paddy’s trademark humour. “When you’re playing comedy, that’s brilliant,” she added.

A Steamy Scene Gone Wrong

Even seasoned pros have their awkward moments. Lisa laughed as she recalled a recent steamy scene with Dominic that had to be reshot.

“We had to stop the other week because we are on at a certain time of night, so you can only show so much skin,” she said. “Once we had to stop, though, I had to run downstairs after a time of passion with Paddy, and there was too much skin — so we had to go, ‘cut, let’s go again!’”

The moment, while embarrassing at the time, has since become one of her favourite behind-the-scenes memories.

Comedy, Drama, and Loyalty in the Dales

Lisa also shared that her on-screen relationship with Dominic is what makes their work so rewarding. “We have that trust in each other. He is the best of the best,” she said warmly.

The pair have recently been filming major scenes ahead of Christmas, promising a mix of humour and heartbreak. “It is so nice to do the comedy, but it’s great to do the high-end drama together too — that pain of a couple,” she explained.

While Mandy and Paddy are often viewed as Emmerdale’s resident comedic duo, Lisa believes their emotional depth is just as essential to the village. “As a couple, Mandy and Paddy are the loyalty of the village, and people lean on them,” she said. “We really enjoy doing that. People see us as the comedy couple, but we love doing the drama too — it’s great and good for us as actors.”