SOAP fans are only just realising that Emmerdale’s latest newcomer is hitched in real life to a star from a rival show.
Newcomer DI Roberts (Isobel Middleton) has been turning heads in the Dales - but it’s their off-screen romance that’s really got fans talking.
The actress made her Emmerdale debut as the new village detective back in February this year - investigating the disappearance of Anthony Fox's (Nicholas Day).
As fans know, evil abuser Anthony met a grisly end back in January when his daughter Ruby Fox-Miligan (Beth Cordingly) bumped him off - sparking a major cover-up involving Caleb (William Ash), Chas (Lucy Pargeter) and Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley).
DI Roberts previously slapped the cuffs on Cain over the disappearance, but had to let him go due to lack of evidence.
Now the copper’s back in the village this week - and Caleb’s left rattled.
In Tuesday's episode of the ITV soap, she informed Caleb and Ruby about a break-in at their depot.
But it's Isobel’s real-life romance that’s got fans talking - as she’s hitched to a soap legend from the cobbles.
Off-screen, the Emmerdale star is married to none other than Corrie favourite Jane Hazlegrove, best known for playing Bernie Winter.
The loved-up pair tied the knot in 2015 after more than two decades together - and Jane couldn’t help gushing over her wife in a 2019 appearance on Lorraine, saying: “She’s sensational, a really beautiful woman. I am very obsessed.”
Isobel’s face might be ringing a few bells with Emmerdale fans.
The talented actress is no stranger to the Dales, having popped up in a string of different roles over the years.
Coronation Street reveals true identity of Bernie Winter's long-lost son
She first rocked up as Dr Lane back in 2014, returned as a barrister during Simon McManus’s gripping trial in 2018, and more recently popped up as Jean Rawson in 2020.
Now she’s back once again - but this time, it looks like she’s sticking around.
Soap fans might also remember her as Sadie Banks from EastEnders back in 2002.
She even made a brief appearance on Jane's home turf, Coronation Street, in 2022.
Real-life soap couple
Soaps are renowned for their sweet and scandalous romances – but it's not just in scripted storylines where love is blossoming. A number of our favourite small-screen actors have fallen for co-stars and soapland rivals when the cameras have stopped rolling.
Max Parker and Kris Mochrie
- Despite playing brothers Luke and Lee Posner on Emmerdale, the pair never actually shared any scenes together. But the pair still fell in love after meeting on set. Max and Kris got together in 2020, moving in together later than same year and got engaged in 2022. In a sweet Instagram post, the couple confirmed they're planning a 2025 wedding.
Beth Cordingly and Ian Kelsey
- Beth, who plays Ruby Fox-Miligan, announced her love for her co-star Ian Kelsey, who played Dean Glover, shortly after she joined Emmerdale at the beginning of 2024. “I am very in love with Ian and very happy. I think it really does work him being an actor too. He has been so fantastic," she gushed.
Laura Norton and Mark Jordan
- Kerry Wyatt and Daz Eden actors Laura and Mark met on the set of Emmerdale in 2014. The couple, who got engaged in 2018, told Loose Women they spent a long time deciding whether they should "just stay as friends." Although it seems they were meant to be and the pair now share two children together.
Zoe Henry and Jeff Hordley
- Emmerdale favourites Zoe and Jeff, who play Rhonda Goskirk and Cain Dingle met at drama college in 1994 and have been together ever since. While working together might be too much for some couples, that's definitely not the case for Zoe and Jeff. Zoe previously told The Sun: "Working on the same show as Jeff also helps because if one of us is having a bad day then the other will completely understand."
Lesley Dunlop and Chris Chittell
- Lesley and Chris are another Dales romantic success story. Unlike some of the other soap stars, the pair who play Brenda Walker and Eric Pollard, are together on and off screen, officially tying the knot in 2016. They also adore working together, but have clear home-work boundaries. "We make a point of not talking about Emmerdale when we’re at home, though – that would be just too sad, wouldn’t it?" Chris revealed.
Sally Carman and Joe Duttine
- Abi Franklin and Tim Metcalfe actors Sally and Joe got together after meeting on the set of Coronation Street in 2017 and they tied the knot in July 2022. But unlike some of the Emmerdale stars, Sally and Joe prefer that their characters don't interact much. Sally previously admitted it "would be horrendous" to work on a storyline with Joe because "he's too funny."
Anthony Cotton and Peter Eccleston
- Sean Tully may have been unlucky in love on the cobbles, but in real life Antony's met his Prince Charming. The soap star started dating long-term partner Peter in 2005, after they met when he was working as an assistant props buyer on Corrie.
Jane Danson and Robert Beck
- Corrie favourite Jane Danson tied the knot with soap star Robert Beck in 2005. The actress, who plays Leanne Battersby, shares two children, Harry and Sam, with the former Brookside star. During their marriage, Robert has also done a stint in Weatherfield playing criminal Jimmy Dockerson.
Caroline Harding and Chris Gascoyne
- Chris, who played pub landlord Peter Barlow, married soap star Caroline in 2002. Although she is best known as an Emmerdale star, Caroline did visit her husband at work when she did a two-episode stint as doctor on the Manchester soap in 2020. The couple share a daughter called Belle, plus two children, Pip and Freddie from Caroline's previous marriage.
Nadine Mulkerrin and Rory Douglas Speed
- Nadine Mulkerrin, and Rory Doulas Speed are known for their Hollyoaks alter egos Cleo McQueen and Joel Dexter. The loved-up pair got engaged on a December 2018 trip to Amsterdam - just over a year after they announced they were dating. They now share two kids, Reggie and Dougie.
Sophie Austin and Shayne Ward
- Former Hollyoaks star Sophie, whose best known for playing villain Lindsay Butterfield, was introduced to singer and ex-Corrie star Shayne through mutual friends. She gave birth to their daughter Willow in December 2016 and they welcomed a son in 2022.
There, she took on the role of feminist author Persephone Braxton, who made quite the splash at Roy's Rolls during her book launch.
The versatile actress also made a splash on the big screen, taking on a role in 2009’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Fans were completely gobsmacked upon discovering Isobel's off-screen marriage to Jane.
Taking to a Coronation Street Facebook fan group, where a photo of the duo was shared, a fan wrote: "As if Bernie from Coronation Street is married to the detective in Emmerdale!"
Another added: "Wow I didn't know that."
A third penned: "How sweet! A gorgeous couple."
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 or stream from 7am on ITVX.
