Bear Wolf is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Joshua Richards. The character and casting were announced in January 2019 and Richards made his first appearance as Bear in the episode airing on 12 February 2019. Richards was happy to be cast and revealed that his deceased mother was a superfan of the soap. Bear was introduced as a professional wrestler and the potential father of Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt). The character was modelled on real-life wrestler Giant Haystacks. When Paddy finds out that his mother had an affair with Bear, he is reluctant to find out the truth about his paternity as he does not want to betray the man who he believed was his father. However, he later meets Bear and a DNA test reveals that they are father and son. Bear initially gives Paddy a bad impression but they later bond in special episodes filmed in Northern Ireland. Richards explained that Bear is surprised that he has a son but is grateful to receive genuine attention and love. Bear later moves to the Emmerdale village and his subsequent storylines see him become a grandfather, reveal that he is illiterate and support Paddy when he attempts suicide.
In 2023, Bear develops romantic feelings for Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley), but she rejects him as she has feelings for Paddy. Bear later finds out about Mandy's Findom sex work and exposes her to Paddy ahead of their wedding. Bear also develops feelings for Claudette Anderson (Flo Wilson), but it does not go anywhere. In 2025, Emmerdale producer revealed that Bear would go missing in a new storyline and that he would be different upon his return, which prompted several fan theories. Reception to the character has been mixed from critics and viewers. Bear's love triangle with Paddy and Mandy was described as awkward by critics but the storyline where Paddy teaches him to read was praised but viewers, although they also noted a plot hole. The storyline where Bear tries to stop Mandy and Paddy from getting married was criticised by viewers who theorised that he was doing this due to his jealousy over Paddy being with Mandy. Viewers have also noted on social media about Bear's change in appearance and Kerry Barrett from Emmerdale Insider opined in 2025 that the character needed to be used more.
Casting and characterisation In January 2019, it was announced that experienced actor Joshua Richards had been cast on Emmerdale to portray Bear Wolf, a wrestler and the potential father of established character Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt). Emmerdale producer Kate Brooks said of Richards' casting, "We are absolutely delighted to have an actor of Joshua's calibre join our show. An actor of immense talent and charisma, he's a brilliant addition to the Emmerdale team". Richards was "delighted" to join the soap, adding, "Having been based in Yorkshire for most of my life, it's fantastic to now be filming there too. Bear Wolf is a great character and I am looking forward to seeing what's in store for him". Bear was described as being a professional wrestler who "doesn't let his age get in the way of his career in the ring". Richards' first episode as Bear aired on 12 February 2019. Richards' mother was a big fan of Emmerdale and Richards used to watch it with her when it was still called Emmerdale Farm. Richards's mother died before he was cast on the soap, with Richards commenting, "It's really sad that she couldn't be around to watch me in it. She didn't know I got the part. I just thought, if only my mum was here to see this." Richards said that his experience on the soap was not as daunting as he thought it would be and praised his colleagues for being so welcoming. He commented that the "learning curve" was quicker as he was used to acting in theatre roles where he had longer to learn the scripts, adding, "With this you throw out your short-term memory. It's a new habit to get into". Bear's character was modelled on real-life wrestler Giant Haystacks. Richards was happy that the soap modelled his character on Haystacks and liked the outfits, commenting, "It works for me because it's not spandex or budgie smugglers. And wrestling is very much theatre. Where I live in Yorkshire is where Big Daddy trained so I know it well. My neighbours knew him. There are lots of stories about his entire family". Richards liked Bear's outfits and was relieved that they were not made of spandex. Richards wore a wrestlers wig as part of Bear's wrestling costume. Brunt had liked wrestlers as a child and opined that Bear's character felt very authentic. Bear was characterised as being born in 1945. In 2023, Richards described his character as a "soft-as-butter wrestler" and believed that he would great friends with EastEnders character Eve Unwin (Heather Peace). Richards also revealed that his sister, nephews and nieces watch the soap and that his sister asks him about future storylines. Richards also said that he would cast artist Grayson Perry to be Bear's best friend due to being a fan of his work.
Development Introduction
Bear is first mentioned when Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) tells Paddy's best friend Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) that the reason that she has returned to the Emmerdale village is because she found a letter revealing that Paddy's mother had an affair with "famed" wrestler Bear Wolf, who may be Paddy's biological father. Up until this revelation, Paddy had believed that another man was his biological father. Marlon and Chas are unsure about whether to tell Paddy the news, especially when Paddy says that his happiest memories of his childhood were when he and his mother followed Bear around on tour across the country to see him fight.
When Paddy finds out, Marlon suggests going to a wrestling convention to meet Bear, but Paddy is initially not interested in meeting Bear or finding out if he is his father; Brunt explained that this is because Paddy does not want to face the situation or lose his identity, and he does not want to sully the memory of the man who brought him up. Brunt added that the thought of Paddy's mother cheating on the man Paddy thought was his father has shocked him. Brunt added that Paddy would rather never think about the situation and initially does not want to know about the wrestling convention. However, Marlon tries to persuade Paddy to go to the wrestling convention and meet Bear as he thinks that is what is best for Paddy, with Brunt explaining, "Paddy doesn't have any blood relatives and Marlon thinks it's important that he knows either way if Bear Wolf is his father". Paddy then "Paddy bits the bullet" and decides to go to the convention; however, when they arrive there, it is slightly "anticlimactic" and disappointing for Paddy, who becomes speechless, with Brunt revealing, "They turn up at this workingmen's club and the wrestlers are at the tale-end of their careers, it's like a sad 'legends' thing. It harks back to the days of Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks - these guys are still going even though their backs have gone!" Brunt revealed that Paddy grew up idolising Bear as his favourite wrestler and used to go to his tours with his parents, and hence he is "star-struck" when he meets Bear and cannot get a sentence out. Although Paddy is nervous and stuttering, he asks Bear if he remembers his mother, Barbara, to which he replies that he has been with a lot of women; however, Paddy also notices that Bear also stutters a bit and wonders if he is where he gets it from.
Bear later admits to Paddy that he does remember Barbara and describes her as a "firecracker" and "the one that got away". Marlon and Chas push Paddy to do a DNA test but he is unsure; Brunt believed that Paddy feels like he is betraying the father who raised him, and that Paddy says he does not want a relationship with Bear even if it turns out that they are related. Brunt revealed that Paddy is disappointed by who Bear is, explaining, "Bear is a bit of a big-head so after he meets him Paddy wants nothing to do with him. Where was he when Paddy was little and needed his nappy changed, or learnt to ride a bike?" Despite Paddy and Bear's initial rocky relationship, Brunt enjoyed working with Richards, saying that he just "grabbed this role and run with it". Brunt hoped that Richards would be able to stay on the soap as Richards was "loving" his time there. Richards believed that Bear would be "quite grateful to receive any kind of attention and love which is genuine, not just for this persona that he's been inhabiting for so long". Paddy is underwhelmed at his initial meeting with Bear and convinces himself that he is not his father; however, Chas is determined to get proof, so she and Marlon for Bear to have a special 'meet and greet' session at her pub, the Woolpack, in order to get a sample of Bear's DNA. Paddy is annoyed that Marlon and Chas have gone behind his back, and he remains reluctant to find out about whether he is Bear's biological son as he feels that the man who raised him is his father "regardless of biology". The DNA test eventually reveals that Bear is Paddy's biological father.
Reconnecting in Northern Ireland The continuation of the plot occurs in special episodes that take place in Northern Ireland. In order to find out the truth "once and for all", Paddy gatecrashes the honeymoon of Marlon and Jessie Grant (Sandra Marvin) and goes to the wrestling convention in Belfast so he can get answers from Bear, who is on a wrestling tour in Ireland, on what happened between him and his mother. The storyline saw several cast members go to location filming in Newcastle, County Down for several days. Brunt had previously teased that he and Charnock would go to Belfast for a 2019 storyline. Brunt called the scenes in Northern Ireland "hilarious, over the top but ultimately very sweet by the end". The Emmerdale cast found the Newcastle town to be very welcoming for them and one of the cafes even baked an Emmerdale cake for them, with Charnock revealing that there were many superfans of the soap in the town. Several of the cast members also went to visits parts of Northern Ireland as tourists for pleasure. Richards called the "warmth" of the people in Northern Ireland "incredible" and revealed that when he and his colleagues would go to the pub, the pub staff give them the drinks for free and would not allow them to pay.
In the storyline, Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton) also travels with Jessie, Paddy and Marlon to find her daughter, Amy Wyatt (Natalie Ann Jamieson). Brunt explained that Paddy needs to see Bear as he believes that it can be a good thing, and that he does not want to be rejected again, but instead find a connection as he wants to be loved. Paddy ends up finding Bear at a working men's club, where Bear initially has this "massive ego". However, Paddy and Bear end up having a "breakthrough" when they have a one-to-one on the beach, and Paddy finds out that Bear is actually "really a nice chap". Brunt explained that Bear catches himself being honest and has to cover up with his "bravado", but Brunt believed that Bear was a "great character" with a "good presence". The scenes that were filmed on the beach between Richards and Brunt attracted a crowd of people that Inside Soap – who had come to see parts of the filming – suspected were fans of the soap. Richards explained that Bear is very surprised that he is Paddy's father and he believes that it is too late to be his parent as he is quite old, though Richards also believed that there would be love between the father and son despite Bear not being good at it. Richards enjoyed working with Brunt, calling him a "very fine actor" with a good sense of humour, and revealed that the pair often laugh together in scenes.
Life in Emmerdale