Emmerdale's Michelle Hardwick: 'Fans want Vanessa to be gay'

Emmerdale star Michelle Hardwick has revealed she gets comments from fans who are disappointed her character is not gay.

Vet Vanessa Woodfield shared a short lesbian affair with friend and colleague Rhona Goskirk in the soap, and actress Michelle is gay in real life.

But Vanessa is currently in a relationship with 17-year-old toyboy Kirin Kotecha (Adam Fielding).

Vanessa is dating toyboy Kirin (ITV)

Michelle revealed: “There are certain people on Twitter that were so upset that Vanessa is not a lesbian after the Rhona story.

“I don’t respond to everyone but what I say is that when Vanessa came into the village, she wasn’t a lesbian. She was a free spirit who was quite man mad, eyeing up Andy Sugden at the bar. Vanessa fell in love with her best friend who she was helping through a difficult time, and it became more of an obsession.

Vanessa had a fling with Rhona (ITV)

“Some people would prefer her to be with a woman, but hey ho – let’s mix it up a bit, that’s what I say!”

Vanessa’s relationship with Kirin is set to be tested when he finds a lump on her breast. Viewers will see Vanessa celebrate her 39th birthday and Michelle admitted that even she is shocked by how big the age gap is between her and Kirin.

Vanessa is 22 years older than Kirin (ITV)

She said: “I thought I was going to be called a dirty old woman, but people have just said, ‘You’re doing all right for yourself there!’ It’s all been really positive – I’ve not had one negative comment.”