Emmerdale viewers were left stunned upon discovering the identity of actress Paula Lane’s real-life spouse.
Paula, who portrays Ella Forster in the soap, made her Emmerdale debut in 2024, with her character harbouring a significant secret. It was later revealed that Ella had been imprisoned for killing her best friend when she was just 11 years old.
Now known as Ruth, she has spent her life moving around the country. Ella arrived in the Dales in January and managed to establish herself, forming a friendship with Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) and embarking on a romance with GP Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson), which has since ended.
Before joining Emmerdale, Paula was known for her role as Kylie Platt on Coronation Street from 2010 to 2016, where she played the half-sister of Becky McDonald (Katherine Kelly) and wife of David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd). Kylie’s tragic exit from the show occurred in 2016.
However, it’s Paula’s off-screen life that has recently surprised fans. The actress is married to fellow soap star Tom Shaw, with whom she shares two children, Arthur and Penny, reports Leeds Live.
Paula and Tom, both of whom have appeared in Corrie and Emmerdale, are childhood sweethearts who began dating after meeting at Huddersfield Tech. They tied the knot in May 2014 at Leeds Cathedral.
Arthur, the couple’s first child, was born in December of the same year. Their second child, Penny Grace, followed in July 2016. As an actor, Tom’s notable soap roles include playing Kim Vaughan in Coronation Street in 2017 and 2018.
Kim was a character connected to Fiz, played by Jennie McAlpine, through their shared past in a care home. Additionally, Tom appeared in Emmerdale, the soap his wife stars in, as village police officer Craig Bishop, making intermittent appearances across eight episodes between 2014 and 2019.
Another fan recalled: “He was in Emmerdale years ago and Coronation Street.” Further comments included: “I thought I recognised him.” And “I remember him from Corrie.”
