Emmerdale's latest plot twist has seen Bear Wolf, portrayed by Joshua Richards, displaying some alarming behaviour that's gone unchecked, leaving viewers worried about his mental state.
The hit ITV soap has shown Paddy Kirk (played by Dominic Brunt) and his other half, Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley), growing increasingly anxious over Bear's erratic actions of late, leaving them to speculate about what’s going awry with Paddy's father.
Exhausted and fraught with concern, Paddy promptly scheduled a doctor's appointment for Bear after clocking onto his strange nocturnal habits. Yet, when confronted, Bear came clean: "I'm a pain in the bum, I know," he confessed.
His heartfelt admission continued: "But I'm an old man, and I'm living in someone else's house and I sit up at night just staring at the telly, just waiting, waiting for the day to end."
Eager to give Bear a new focus, Paddy and Mandy gifted him a run-down motorbike to refurbish, brightening his spirits as Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) gave him a nod to utilise his garage for the restoration project, reports Belfast Live.
However, on Wednesday (June 18), frictions flared as Bear grew increasingly vexed with the bike repair, culminating in a clash with Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah) at the workshop.
Kammy's attempt to calm the situation went south as he suggested: "Just go home bro, yeah. It don't look great, you battering the bike like a nutter."
This prompted an intense reaction from Bear, who retaliated: "Don't call me a nutter. I could snap you like a twig!"
Aghast, Paddy happened to catch sight of the skirmish and quickly stepped in. Later, back at the homestead, he and Mandy were left reeling as Bear brushed off the incident as if it never happened.
Questioned about the skirmish, Bear became agitated and hurriedly went upstairs, leading Paddy to sense trouble was afoot.
"Something's going on," Paddy mused nervously, as Mandy tried to offer solace.
Speculation among Emmerdale watchers is rife that Bear might be battling an undisclosed health issue, possibly Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
Given Bear's past as a professional wrestler, some fans theorise that the physical demands of the sport over time have resulted in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease thought to stem from repeated head injuries and concussions.
The NHS states that "It slowly gets worse over time" and initial symptoms may be subtle, but can escalate to include: mood disturbances like depression or thoughts of suicide, changes in personality, behavioural shifts such as aggression, and unpredictable temper.
A certain Emmerdale viewer posted on Reddit: "Do we have any ideas what might be going on with Bear at the moment??"
This individual continued: "I find him personally insufferable at the best of times. But it's like he's dialled up to maximum recently! The angry outbursts for one. If my dad spoke to me the way he does Paddy sometimes I'd be telling him to pack his bags!"
Another chimed in: "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive brain condition thought to be caused by repeated head injuries and concussions."
One individual shared: "I found this: 'Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a disease linked to repeated blows to the head. CTE has most commonly been diagnosed in athletes, but it can happen in anyone who has had recurring head injuries'.
"Chronic traumatic encephalopathy. I'm American and it's finally recognised how it's destroyed sports players. Even at the teenage level," another viewer chimed in.
A different person concluded: "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, stemming from repeated TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) an affliction that anyone who's had a career where head injuries are commonplace is at risk of. Bear was a wrestler, so the theory fits."
Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX
