EMMERDALE actress Michelle Hardwick was left heartbroken when she split from her first wife a little over a year after their fairytale wedding.
The devastating break-up four years ago left Michelle feeling so upset that she was unable to talk about what had happened with music teacher Rosie Nicholl, and even kept her marriage split a secret from her cast mates.
Michelle and Rosie had tied the knot in as lavish ceremony in the sweeping grounds of Danby Castle in Yorkshire in April 2015. With the actress gushing afterwards that it had been the best day of her life before thanking her new wife.
It had been Michelle’s relationship with Rosie, which started in 2012 shortly before she landed her role in Emmerdale, that prompted Michelle to come out publicly as gay in 2013.
She’d already come out to her family at the age of 29 but never felt able to talk openly about her sexuality until that time.
She said: “Life is good and my life with Rosie is a big part of that, it really is bliss. I’ve not spoken about it sooner because it never seemed like the right time.
“I don’t want to hide anything. I’ve never actually been able to talk about ‘my girlfriend’ or ‘partner’ – this person that means everything to me, and it feels good to be able to finally do it.”
But sadly Michelle and Rosie never got their happy ending and the stunning actress finally opened up about her marriage split at the beginning of 2017, saying that they’d drifted apart.
Speaking at the time she said: “Unfortunately Rosie and I split last year but we are still good friends.
“It was one of those unfortunate things where we did drift apart. We had the big fairytale wedding and I still love that day, it was brilliant.
“It’s just really sad and one of those things that happens. I don’t know how else to explain it. I grew out of love and she became more like my best friend.
“It was like we were living as friends, not as a married couple.”
Finding herself single again, Michelle admitted that her marriage ending was the hardest thing she’d ever been through.
But forever the romantic, she refused to rule out walking up the aisle for a second time, as she threw herself into her work.
And it was at work, where she plays the role of village vet Vanessa Woodfield, that Michelle would find her one true love.
A year after Michelle revealed all about her heartbreaking marriage split, talented TV executive Kate Brooks was made series producer and love blossomed between the pair on the Emmerdale set.
Kate made Michelle smile again and the loved-up soap couple announced their relationship in October 2018, on National Coming Out Day, by sharing a cute picture of them together on Instagram.
Putting her first marriage behind her, Michelle captioned the picture with a rainbow emoji and the words: "It will all work out in the end.”
The couple’s whirlwind romance saw a smitten Michelle pop the question a few months later after spending weeks planning the perfect proposal.
“I hired out a small local cinema and I said to Kate, ‘ooh, can you keep that date free because there’s a special screening of The Greatest Showman” she said.
“She’d never actually seen it at the cinema but we both love the music…We got there and a couple of my school friends were dotted around with their families, my brother drove us with my niece and nephew.
“And then I said: ‘I’m gonna ask you a question but before you answer, there’s somebody else that’s going to help me,’ and our little dog Fred, he was at the back and he had a jumper on saying Mummy please say yes.”
The whole cinema cheered after Kate said yes in December 2018. But unlike her first wedding in front of 130 family and friends, Michelle decided to things differently second time around and the pair eloped.
They got hitched in September last year after flying out to Elvis Presley's former home Graceland where they tied the knot in a low-key ceremony.
Michelle once again took to Instagram to share the news of their Memphis wedding with a picture of them on the steps outside Graceland, and the words: “In over 100 degrees heat, on Tuesday 10th September, I became Mrs Brooks.”
The actress wore a white jumpsuit in homage to The King of Rock and Roll, while Kate opted for a floor length dress.
The newlyweds arrived home a few weeks later and threw a massive party to celebrate their nuptials with family and friends in October.
The two brides couldn’t have been happier or more in love as they danced on stage alongside the Dolly Parton tribute act they’d booked to entertain their guests.
They enjoyed their first Christmas together as a married couple in December, and started making big plans for 2020.
Speaking back in February Michelle admitted she couldn’t be happier with her life. She said: “I’d happily stay in Emmerdale as long as they’ll have me.
“The last eight years have just flown by, and I just adore Vanessa. Kate and I just had our first Christmas together as Mrs and Mrs Brooks which was just gorgeous.”
Earlier this week the happy couple announced that they were expecting their first baby together with Michelle due to give birth in October.
Sharing a picture of Kate holding their dog Fred and pointing at her baby bump, Michelle said: “Fred's big brother duties commence in October #BabyBrooks.”
Michelle has always praised Emmerdale for normalising same sex relationships, and couldn't be more proud to be a part of the ITV soap.
Her much-loved character, who is currently battling bowel cancer, is in a relationship with Charity Dingle. And the popular couple have been dubbed “Vanity” by their army of fans.
She said: “It’s really important to have two women, especially ones of our age, in their 40s and they’ve found love with each other.
“We’re normalising it on TV, it’s coming into peoples living rooms every night. It’s great for the younger fans who are possibly struggling with their sexuality and wanting to tell their parents or maybe their parents are watching and it’s showing them that it’s all just so normal.
“I could not be more proud of what we do.”
Not only is Michelle helping to normalise same sex relationships on TV, but she's also been doing it by sharing all the big moments in her personal life, both good and bad, since coming out publicly in 2013.
She said: "As a teenager, it was hard as I had to keep things secret and it shouldn’t be that way. Hopefully things are different now.”
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