Paddy Kirk has been a staple on Emmerdale for almost 30 years but his time on the soap could be coming to an end soon

Emmerdale’s Paddy Kirk could be set for a shock exit, according to fans.

Paddy (Dominic Brunt) made his debut on the long-running ITV soap way back in 1997. And as the loveable village vet, it didn’t take him long to become one of the show’s most iconic and adored characters.

He’s also been involved in several big storylines over the years. From his shock affairs to the heartbreaking loss of his child, Paddy’s time in the Dales has not been short of drama.

Especially at the moment, as last month, he helped cover up the murder of Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) after his dad, Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards), murdered him.

Bear ended up handing himself in, with Paddy hoping that he’d be able to get off on a self-defence charge. Although Bear was given bail, he broke his bail conditions and went missing.

This week, Paddy found Bear, and he agreed to go to a mental health unit. Later on, DS Walsh (Amanda Ryan) revealed to Paddy that a psychological report advised against apprehending Bear again.

However, DS Walsh ended up spotting some rope on the counter behind Paddy; the same rope that was used to wrap up Ray’s dead body. And in Tuesday’s episode (February 3), Paddy was brought in for questioning at the station.

There, DS Walsh interrogated Paddy about the rope she spotted, pointing out that it matches the one used to tie up Ray’s body. The detective once again insisted that Bear didn’t act alone when he disposed of Ray’s body, and gave Paddy one last chance to tell the truth.

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But Paddy continued to lie, denying Walsh’s claims that he helped move the body. The detective then revealed that they would be testing the rope to see if it was an exact match, leaving Paddy even more startled.

And now, with no doubt more drama still to come on the soap, fans can’t help but think Paddy’s prison exit is just around the corner. On an Emmerdale Facebook fan page, one person said: “Is Paddy going to prison?” Another suggested: “I think he will!” A third chimed in: “Oh, poor Paddy!” Echoing their thoughts, someone else penned: “I was thinking that as well.”