Emmerdale grooming victim actor Joe Warren Plant, 16, in real-life relationship with 22-year-old model
12 April 2019, 07:46
Joe, who plays grooming victim Jacob in Emmerdale, has been in a relationship with model Nicole Hadlow 2017
Emmerdale actor Joe Warren Plant, 16, is in a relationship with a 22-year-old model named Nicole Hadlow, it has emerged.
Joe, who is involved in a storyline that's seen his character Jacob Gallagher be groomed by his dad David Metcalfe's girlfriend Maya Stepney, has seemingly been dating Nicole since 2017.
Nicole, who has a private Instagram account, regularly features on Joe's grid - as he posts loved-up pictures and gushes about how much he loves her.
In August 2018, he revealed that they were celebrating their one year anniversary, posting a picture of them together alongside the caption: "1 Year Today. I look forward to making even more memories with you right by my side. I love you."
The Emmerdale storyline has caused controversy among viewers, many of whom have claimed it difficult to watch.
Read more: Emmerdale’s Shila Iqbal fired from role of Aiesha Richards after racist tweets
Louisa Clein, who plays Maya, recently defended the show against the controversy during an appearance on Lorraine, saying: "There's a lot more of the story to tell but it's moving towards an end.
"We've had a real mixed reaction, we've obviously had people who are incredibly shocked, which is right.
"We don't want to tell a romantic, titillating story.
"We've had this mixture of people saying 'please make it stop now, we've had enough' but others saying 'thank you for telling this story'."
Read more: Emmerdale star Matthew Wolfendon defends controversial paedophile storyline
Louisa also revealed that she had been bombarded with messages from real-life victims of abuse, saying: "I've had messages from people saying 'this has really helped me, the relationship I thought I had was wrong.
"I am getting these messages and it's amazing and it makes it worth it."
And opening up about her character, Louisa added: "She has this veneer of being a professional, intelligent woman, she seems to have a normal relationship with David.
"There's nothing that's screaming dirty old man.
"It has been tough for me to play, it's been a real challenge, but I'm here to get that word out there."
