UNBELIEVABLE: TV star Bradley Johnson, who plays Vinny Dingle in Emmerdale, is planning to marry fiancée Sammie in the US instead of the UK for a heartbreaking reason

Sensationally dumped tonight (Thursday) just five weeks after tying the knot with Gabby Thomas on September 15, Emmerdale ’s Vinny Dingle has been left devastated. Discovering that Vinny was struggling with his sexuality and concerned that history was repeating itself after her first fiancé, Nicky Milligan, admitted he was gay, Gabby told him she was moving back to Home Farm with her son, Thomas – who he’d hoped to adopt.

Theirs had never been a marriage made in heaven. As well as Vinny worrying he was gay, there was the discovery that Gabby had cheated on him while she was away in Portugal.

And Vinny’s secretive online friendship with a man called Graham Connolly, known as ‘Mike’, earlier in the summer turned very nasty when he mistakenly thought his intentions were romantic. Mike beat Vinny up and then blackmailed him.

The scenes attracted nearly 300 Ofcom complaints from viewers who were upset seeing the Dales favourite treated so badly. Vinny bravely stood up to his blackmailer, who was jailed. But the consequences for his relationship were catastrophic, with Gabby deciding enough was enough.

Actor Bradley Johnson, 28, who has played Vinny for six years, says he has been overwhelmed by the support shown by concerned fans for his character. He tells The Mirror : “The amount of support I have had has been really lovely.

“The attack scenes were a hard watch but it’s been an important storyline to tell and I’ve had messages from people telling me they have been through something similar. As an actor, if I can help one person think ‘if Vinny can tell the truth, then so can I’, then that’s a positive thing.

“Emmerdale is very good at telling subjects people don’t want to talk about. People do confide in online forums and this has highlighted the dangers of doing that. But, with the right support network around you, things can change. It’s been lovely to receive all the kind messages over the past few weeks.”

Bradley – originally employed for just three episodes – loves his job. He says:“I actually originally auditioned for another part playing a guy called Lachlan White years ago. I didn’t get the role and at the time, I was gutted.

“But I’m a great believer that everything happens for a reason and, later, I then got a call to audition for Vinny. But it was only for three episodes! Seven months later, they rang again and asked if I’d like to sign a six-month contract when Lisa (Riley) returned to play Mandy. And here I still am! I’ve got the best job in the world.”

Shattered by his marriage ending, Bradley says of Vinny: “Even though Gabby cheated on him, he is a very forgiving person and after losing his first wife, Liv, three years ago, he felt he’d created a strong bond with Gabby. What’s hurting even more is he wanted to be the dad to Thomas that he never had. All he wants is a family unit and now she has taken that away from him.

“But, obviously, he has been really struggling with his sexuality too. He’s been very confused.” Bradley’s own home life is a complete contrast to Vinny’s.

He has been happily engaged to his fiancée, Sammie, for two years and the couple live in Bradford together with their 11-month-old son, Albie. “Being a dad is the most incredible thing ever,” he says. “When you become a parent, life changes in a way you can’t ever explain, but it is the most rewarding and amazing thing. Now when I come home and walk through the door, he smiles and it’s such an incredible feeling. I love it.”

Bradley laughs, admitting that parenting can also be challenging. “I do actually get into more of a panic now,” he says. “He is crawling and I’m constantly worrying about what needs sorting! He is such an active person and doesn’t stop. I just want to be the best person I can for my son.”

He also reveals his intention to get married in real life next year. He says: “We both love country music and so we have just booked to go to the States to Nashville to get married. It will be Sammie and me and we want to enjoy the time together. The cost of marrying in the UK now is extortionate and we will be able to have a holiday too.”

His happy home life has really helped him when preparing for the tough storylines he’s been involved in since arriving in Emmerdale in a taxi with his adopted screen mum, Mandy, in January 2019. “To be involved in so many storylines like the Casino Heist with Mandy, then all the revelations about his mum, Tina, his abusive dad and now his confusion over his sexuality and marriage to Gabby has been great to play out,” says Bradley.

“We get our storylines every two weeks and one of my favourite things to do is find a quiet corner – which admittedly can be quite rare nowadays when we have got an 11-month-old at home – to see what is going to happen to my character. There are so many different layers and when I read the court stuff, there was a tear in my eye. I care so much about Vinny.”

Now a favourite with Emmerdale fans, Bradley once considered giving up acting – despite landing his first film role when he was just 10. Originally from Bradford, he landed the role of playing a young Blake Morrison, the character portrayed by Colin Firth as an adult in the 2007 film, And When Did You Last See Your Father?

He says: “It was amazing and I can remember turning to my mum saying ‘this is what I want to do when I am older’. But I soon discovered it’s such a hard industry to get into.” In 2017, Bradley reached the final of Gary Barlow’s Let It Shine BBC competition to find a group of singers to be part of a musical featuring the work of Take That.

But, sadly, he wasn’t picked. “I kept getting recalls for acting roles after that, but then you’d hear nothing back,” he explains. “I was so close to giving it up, but then when I got the call for Emmerdale, I knew I wanted to really try to make it happen!

“I feel really lucky. I can’t call Emmerdale work as it’s so much fun.” Being a member of the legendary Dingle family is, he says, a real honour. “The Dingles always look out for each other,” he adds. “It’s a bit like me and my family, as we would do anything for each other.”

Pausing, he then laughs, adding: “Well to a certain extent –the Dingles will cover up murders, my family definitely won’t!”

The actors who play the Dingles clearly have a blast together. “Lisa is like a second mum and she’s absolute mint,” says Bradley. “I’ve learnt so much from her, but it’s mayhem when we all have a big Dingle scene!

“I am the person on set that once I get the giggles, I can’t stop!” And he hopes Vinny may enjoy more laughter than tears in the future.

“Who knows what lies ahead, but I would love Vinny to find happiness,” says Bradley. “He has got a bit of work to do to find out who he is as a person and get his identity back but, hopefully, with the right people around him, he will be ok.”

Whatever happens, he hopes Vinny will stay put in the Dales, as he loves being in Emmerdale. “I will stay for as long as they will have me and as long as I get these amazing storylines,” he says. “I’m really happy at Emmerdale. Life is great.”