Eric Pollard married the sixth (count ’em) of his wives in Emmerdale tonight, marrying Kerry in a surprise ceremony on Christmas Eve. How the tables turned on Jacob and Sarah, who had turned up at the registry office for their own surprise nuptials.
They were stunned to see Pollard come sauntering out, arm in arm with Kerry, having just gotten married. Pollard explained that the arrangement was a financial one, in the hope that he could secure his finances by marrying Kerry to protect his assets.
Oh Pollard, you old romantic, you.
While Jacob and Sarah are in on their secret, Pollard and Kerry tried to convince their fellow neighbours that it’s a legitimate marriage. Honest.
But who else has Pollard been married to? Let’s have a look back at the former loves of the latter-day Henry VIII, shall we?
The ex-wives of Eric Pollard in Emmerdale no.1: Eileen Pollack
The first of Pollard’s wives was Eileen Pollack. They married in 1964 – prior to his joining the show – and shared a stillborn son together.
They parted ways soon after that, with Pollard arriving in the village in 1986. He was followed by Eileen after the death of his second wife – and she threatened to expose him as the bigamist he was.
Eric paid Eileen off, securing a divorce after 30 years.
Wife number 2: Elizabeth Feldmann
Elizabeth moved to the Dales in 1990 and soon drew attention from both Alan Turner and Eric. Ultimately it was Eric she chose and they married in 1992 – though the marriage is technically void due to previously mentioned bigamy.
Marital bliss didn’t last long and things soon turned sour between the couple. Elizabeth threatened to report Eric to the police for cheque fraud, but she never got the chance to as she was killed in the devastating plane crash.
There was speculation that Eric had killed her, but this ultimately turned out not to be true.
The ex-wives of Eric Pollard in Emmerdale no.3: Dee de la Cruz
Eric flew to the Far East looking for love and was delighted to meet Filipino student Dee de la Cruz. He proposed just two weeks later.
When she arrived in the Dales, the locals were shocked when she revealed who she was. Despite village gossip, the pair got married in 1997 – though it did not last long.
Eric became jealous and paranoid, resulting in some controlling behaviour – such as hiding letters from her family in which it was claimed Dee’s mother was seriously ill. Eric believed they were lying to try and con money out of him, but it turned out to be true. Dee did not find out until after her mother’s death, missing the chance to say goodbye. A devastated Dee left Eric and the village soon after.
Wife number 4: Gloria Weaver
Gloria first appeared as a member of the congregation at church and initially it seemed like her and Eric were ideally matched.
But deep down she was power hungry. After marrying Eric in 2002, she pushed him to become mayor, and even told him to sleep with councillor Glynis to secure her nomination. But when the scandal became public, Gloria twisted things to make herself look like the wronged wife.
Gloria later had a fling and was finally dumped by Eric at the end of 2003. When her car and shoes were found it was believed she was dead, but she later sent Eric a video of herself sipping a cocktail saying she was glad to be rid of him.
Wife number 5: Valerie Lambert
As Kerry pointed out, Valerie was the love of Eric’s life and no one can replace her. The pair bickered constantly, but were a match made in heaven.
The pair married in 2008. In 2011, the couple clashed over Amy’s decision to have Kyle adopted. And while away from Emmerdale, Eric started a relationship with Brenda. Val and Eric eventually reunited, but Val soon received the devastating news in 2014 that she was HIV positive following a holiday fling in Portugal.
Actress Charlie Hardwick decided to leave the soap in 2015 and Val was killed off when the helicopter crashed into the summer fete.
Will he have more luck with his sixth wife?