Lydia Dingle in Emmerdale is the devoted, but no-nonsense wife of Sam, and the heart of the whole Dingle family.
But she’s been through a lot in her time in the village, most recently a brutal rape at the hands of her former boyfriend.
Here’s the lowdown on everything that happened.
Lydia struggled to process what had happened to her (Credit: ITV)
Lydia’s childhood
Lydia grew up in a children’s home, where she met Craig Reed. Lydia – who at the time was called Jenny Finn – got pregnant by Craig. She gave birth alone in the bathroom to a stillborn baby boy. Lydia wrapped her son in a jumper and buried him on what would become the site of Hotten Academy.
More than 30 years later, Craig came back into Lydia’s life. They reconnected at a jobs fair in the Hide, and became friends. Lydia told Craig about their baby – who she’d named Toby – and took him to his final resting place to pay his respects.
Craig pinned Lydia down and raped her (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale: Lydia is sexually assaulted
After that, Lydia and Craig spent more time together and she even started working for him. But Craig was developing an unhealthy obsession with Lydia and had convinced himself she felt the same.
It all came to a head when one evening, in his office, Craig started to make a move on Lydia. When she turned him down, he pinned her down and raped her.
Lydia eventually told Sam what had happened (Credit: ITV)
The aftermath
It took Lydia a few days to really process what Craig had done – she even went back to work. Her family realised she was acting oddly, but didn’t know why.
Craig continued to torment Lydia, telling her they could make a life together, while befriending her family. When Lydia snapped, she went to the police and told them she wanted to report a rape. But she ended up rushing away before she gave any details.
When Lydia told husband Sam and the rest of the Dingles what had happened to her, they supported her as she went to the police and Craig was arrested.
But when the case against him was dropped, Lydia was devastated.
Kim was a great support to Lydia (Credit: ITV)
Craig’s death
After the case was dropped, Craig was found dead in a field, and the shocked Dingles gathered to piece together who was to blame.
As it turned out, Kim inadvertently caused Craig’s death. She came across him when out riding and though she told him to stay away from her horse, he spooked the nag and got kicked in the head. Cain Dingle saw what happened and helped Kim cover up the crime by setting the horse free and concocting a story that it had escaped.
The killing really tested Lydia’s friendship with Kim, and her relationship with the whole Dingle family, but she’s back where she belongs now, at Wishing Well Cottage.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think!
Kim and Will are well and truly over! Their slow-burn romance took a long time to get started and it’s fallen apart in a matter of days, and we’ve got to be honest, we’re disappointed.
The Taylor-Tates (or would it be Tate-Taylors? We can’t imagine Kim would want second billing!) were hardly love’s young dream. They’d both been round the block a few times separately and together when they finally tied the knot.
But that’s why we liked them – they knew each other’s flaws and they didn’t care. In fact, we suspect the flaws were one of the things that attracted them to one another.
And now we’re facing weeks of revenge and plotting as they try to out-do each other and we’re not looking forward to it.
Here’s why we think the couple are much better together!
Kim and Will are much better together! (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale: Kim and Will know each other’s secrets
Between them, Will and Kim have a LOT of secrets. But it seems they’ve been totally honest with one another (until Rose arrived, that is!). When Caleb turned up trying to fleece Kim of her worldly goods, it became obvious that Will knew all about Kim’s – ahem – toxic marriage to Frank and the way he died (for those of you too young to remember, he died at Kim’s feet as she watched).
And Kim, of course, knows all about what happened to DI Malone – at Dawn’s hands – and how his body was buried in the graveyard, until she made it go away.
Will was in on the plot when Kim faked her own death (Credit: ITV)
They’ve got each other’s backs
When Kim’s son Jamie was trying to poison his mother, Will and Kim weren’t actually together. In fact, it was Will who Jamie tried to frame for drugging his mum. But of course Kim found out – of course she did. And she set about taking the ultimate revenge.
With a bit of help from former lover Will, she set things up to look like she had died and Will had been arrested for her murder. Jamie was horrified, but not as horrified as he was when Kim strolled back into Home Farm and kicked him out!
Newly weds Kim and Will took time out from Harriet’s funeral to take on Alex (Credit: ITV)
They’re a formidable team
With both Will and Kim having a very flexible approach to morals and what’s right, they made an intimidating team. Never more so, in fact, when Dawn’s ex Alex – dad to both Clemmie and Lucas – showed up in the village.
Alex had showed up wanting access to the kids. Or actually, what he wanted was to get his grubby mitts on the money Dawn had inherited from Harriet Finch and he was using the kids as leverage.
Kim promised Dawn that she’d sort it, and she did! She and Will kidnapped Alex and held him hostage in the stables where they offered him cash to go away. Alex refused and the newly weds told him their offer would drop in value every day. So cold!
Of course the Home Farm pair came out on top in the end, with Alex scarpering and Dawn and Billy adopting Clemmie.
Kim and Will need to reunite in Emmerdale
It was a disaster as soon as this storyline got going – there was only one way it could end really. And while we love Queen Kim and her bad ways, this was not the way to bring her back. Emmerdale should have teamed them up and made them Queen and King of the Dales. What a missed opportunity!
[boxout]
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think!
In Classic Emmerdale spoilers for episodes airing on ITV3 on Tuesday September 24, Steph’s changing her mind, Pearl is spilling the beans, and Carl’s giving Chas parenting advice. These episodes originally aired on January 27 and 29, 2006.
Steph changes her mind
Betty manages to convince Steph to stay in the village. Betty tells Steph that if she’s telling the truth about abusive Terence then he’ll have won if she runs away. Steph realises that Betty has her doubts about Terence and draws strength from her discovery.
She approaches Terence and tells him his charm is wearing thin – Betty has already seen through him and soon others will too. She says that if he doesn’t leave the village, she will tell everyone what he did. But Terence says it was a long time ago, and she needs to get over it.
Terence causes chaos
Terence approaches Steph in the shop and whispers a threat to her. Viv notices the tensions between them and mentions it to Alan, who talks to Terence about it. Terence takes the opportunity to blame it all on Betty. So Alan storms off to confront her. She tells him she thinks there could be something in Steph’s claims but Alan is furious. He tells Betty he’s going to move out as soon as he can.
Nicola’s counting the pennies
Nicola arranges a budget-friendly evening for her and Simon – watching a DVD at home. And she tells him she’s hopeful their relationship has turned a corner.
Budget backfires!
Simon’s fuming when he finds out Nicola paid Louise £20 to make herself scarce before their movie night.
Back home, Nicola’s cooking a slap-up dinner when Simon confronts her about the money and tells Nicola she’s got no idea how to save. He storms out and Nicola’s left upset. She pours her heart out to his mum Lesley, admitting she equates fun with spending money. Lesley urges her not to give up.
Pearl decides it’s time to tell grandson Owen the truth (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Pearl’s got something to say
Pearl decides it’s time to tell grandson Owen the truth about his dad, Frank. She explains that he was in and out of prison and that Owen’s mum lied to stop Owen getting bullied in school.
Chas is gloomy about her parenting skills (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Playing mum!
Chas enjoys spending time with Carl’s kids, Thomas and Anya. But after a successful day, she tells Carl that she’s good with other people’s kids, but her own son, Aaron, still hates her.
Carl suggests she asks Aaron to come and stay, pointing out that she has to keep trying because otherwise they will become more estranged.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think!
In Emmerdale, Victoria Sugden is delighted to have discovered a new half-brother, John. But John’s prickly nature and love of keeping secrets isn’t going down well with family-loving Vic.
We caught up with Isabel Hodgins, who plays Victoria, to find out how she’s feeling about the new member of her family.
“I think she’s very happy,” Isabel tells us. “I think she’s been on her own for quite a while. Emmerdale can be a lonely place when you haven’t got any family. So I think she’s thrilled that she’s finally got another Sugden around.”
Victoria’s desperate to get to know John (Credit: ITV)
Slow burner!
Though John was initially desperate to leave the village, he seems to be settling in. Does that mean he’s starting to warm to his new-found sister?
“I think ever so slightly,” laughs Isabel. “He’s a slow, he’s a slow burner that one. So it’s taken a while, but he’s starting to come around. But he really doesn’t care about the Sugdens. He’s very much thinking that he’s staying in the village until he can drive off in his van.”
And Victoria is the opposite! “She doesn’t care what’s going on as long as he stays,” admits Isabel. “I think that leaves her open to getting hurt. She’s not that bothered, actually, if he’s a good guy or not, or, you know, how he receives her because he’s not that warm. He’s not that friendly, but he’s a Sugden and he’s there. And that’s all that matters.”
John’s not giving anything away (Credit: ITV)
Family secrets
But Victoria is nothing, but not determined!
“So on this particular day, Vic’s kind of twisted John’s arm already to get him in the pub to show him some old pictures,” explains Isabel. “And she’s going through it, he’s really not interested and he’s really not bothered. Â And she’s getting nothing from John. He’s not interested. So she grabs his phone. She completely disrespects his boundaries, standard. And she sees that there’s quite a few texts off Aaron. And she sees that one is of a particular nature!”
So how does Vic feel about that?
“She’s very shocked to see that!” says Isabel. “So she asks him what’s going on, why is Aaron messaging you like that? I think she’s shocked because she’s now got this relationship with Aaron where it’s back to Victoria and Aaron rather than Aaron being with Robert. First and foremost at the minute, Aaron is her friend. So there’s a little sense of betrayal there as in how could he be doing this to me when he’s my friend?”
And she adds that there is another layer to how Vic is feeling. “Aaron has been involved with Robert and Aaron is a bit of a liability,” Isabel tells us. “If John and Aaron continue to see each other and it goes wrong, John’s going to leave the village. And that’s the last thing that she wants.
“She wants to get to know him and she’d love for him to open up to her. And I just think it’s like blow after blow after blow of going, oh, he really doesn’t consider me as family because he doesn’t confide in me. So I just think it’s constant frustration that she’s not really getting anywhere with him.”
John’s dog tag has the name Aidan Moore (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale: John’s keeping more secrets from Victoria!
John’s been keeping secrets already – he didn’t tell Vic he’d been in the army, then didn’t tell her he was a medic until it was revealed during the fire. And so, Victoria ends up snooping round his van…
“I swear it is an accident,” laughs Isabel. “Because of how she behaved in the pub. So she goes to his van to find him and apologise, and would you believe the doors open? And she has a little snoop. And, you know, I’m a little sister in real life and we snoop. It’s what we do! She comes across some of his belongings and she has a good old nosy and she finds a dog tag with Aidan Moore on it.”
But of course, this is Emmerdale so as soon as Vic finds the tag, John arrives.
John’s angry with Vic when he finds her in the van (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale: John angry at Victoria!
“He is angry with her, but she is suspicious because she’s just either been drip fed or found everything out by accident. And so I just think she wants the chance to be able to have a frank conversation.”
And what if John’s done something terrible? Would Victoria still want to know him?
” I think so,” Isabel muses. “Because, you know, Andy did questionable things. Robert did questionable things and she stood by them through whatever. So I think she’d be the same in John’s case.”
So is Isabel pleased to have another Sugden in the village? “It’s been really nice because obviously when I first came into it, there were so many of us and it was always seen as all around the table having breakfast and stuff. And as the years have gone on, the numbers have dwindled. So it’s nice to try and re-establish the Sugden family and the Sugden connection, really. So I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Our Emmerdale review this week is mostly just full of confusion. After the thrills and spills of last week’s barn fire, it’s been a bit quieter, a bit baffling, and we have to admit – a bit disappointing.
Here’s what’s been leaving us wanting in this week’s Emmerdale review.
Like a twisted game of Taskmaster, Kim’s revenge sent Will hunting through the woods for clues (Credit: ITV)
Just to recap. Will cheated with his ex, Rose and thought he’d got away with it. But unbeknownst to him, Kim had worked it all out.
In the meantime, Will got a mysterious message from a mysterious blackmailer, demanding £10k to keep his secret. He sold his precious watch – the one Kim had bought him as a wedding present – for the cash. But when he was on his way to the drop-off, he found out about the barn fire and went to help, getting injured in the process.
Anyhoo, that didn’t sit right with his blackmailer, who then upped the price to £50k and nicked Kim’s horse too. And then finally Kim herself vanished. A frantic Will had to follow strange instructions and the distant strains of Fleetwood Mac to find his kidnapped wife.
It was like some weird, twisted version of Taskmaster, as he was forced to dig a grave, spurred on by a recording of Kim’s voice shouting for help. And what did he uncover? A coffin with his own name on it. Seriously who has the time or the energy to set all that up?
Kim’s got a grave to dig and a coffin to buy (Credit: ITV)
Surprised? Nope.
Well, we were about to find out! Because the blackmailer appeared and what do you know? It was Kim all along! Hands up if you were surprised? No? Neither were we.
What we were surprised about, though, was the HUGE amount of effort Kim put into this ridiculous revenge plot. Buying a coffin with Will’s name on it, and burying it. Dressing a mannequin up as herself. Laying the trail for him to follow… the whole thing was ridiculously complicated, time-consuming, expensive and totally bonkers (and not in a good way!).
If we’re being honest, it was all very unlike Kim. Ms Tate is the mastermind behind a business empire. She is no fool.
She wanted to make Will pay, which is really no less than he deserves, the big wally. We get that.
But we reckon she’d have done it in a cold, calculating Kim kind of way. Not this elaborate prank that served no purpose – Kim’s better than that!
Caleb and Ruby have a daughter! (Credit: ITV)
More Miligans!
The biggest news of this week, though, was Caleb and Ruby talking about their daughter Stephanie! She was mentioned by Ruby’s dying mum, Helen, and then by Caleb and Ruby.
Obviously, we’re now desperate to meet her and to find out what they did that made her cut them off!
Ruby and Caleb are a great addition to Emmerdale (when Caleb’s not weirdly fixating on Kim that is) and we’re really enjoying finding out more about Ruby’s back story especially. Though we love Sharon Maughan and we’re sad we didn’t get to see Helen and Ruby together.
But like we said, now we’re eager to find out more about Stephanie and hopefully meet her too. In fact, we’re busy putting together a wishlist of actresses who could play her. Watch this space!
Nate’s alive!
One disappointment this week was finding out that Nate is alive! We didn’t wish him dead, but his exit seemed so brutal and unfair, we were convinced he was really another victim of the fire.
We pictured Cain calling his son, ready to apologise, only for the camera to focus on the phone ringing out as Nate lay unconscious nearby. We imagined his final hours – once someone (probably Mack, let’s be honest) had found him. Nate in a hospital bed, Cain and Tracy waiting to say sorry for the awful things they said. And then the long beep as his life slipped away… SOB!
But instead we got a half-hearted mention of him settling into his new life in Shetland. Is that really it?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think!
Emmerdale tonight saw Moira make a big decision about her treatment for her brain tumour. She’d been adamant that she wasn’t going to have the surgery, but after the dramatic events of this week, she’s changed her mind.
Meanwhile, a battered Will returned to Home Farm, Arthur was giving Laurel a headache, and Ruby was having regrets about her family situation.
Here’s everything that happened in Emmerdale on Friday September 20.
Will’s made some very bad decisions (Credit: ITV)
Bad Will hunting
Like a couple of mismatched detectives in a Sunday-night thriller, Lydia and Jimmy were off hunting for Will in the woods. As they tried to find Will using his phone tracker, Lydia took the opportunity to take a few digs at Jimmy’s support of his abusive nephew Tom (good work, Lyds). But her shade was interrupted when they came across Will, who’d crawled out of his grave.
Gazing at the grave with Will’s coffin inside and his exhausted, filthy mate, Jimmy came to the belated conclusion that the blackmailer meant business. As a detective, Jimmy makes a great lorry driver.
Kim sent Will on a wild goose chase to confirm what she already knew (Credit: ITV)
Will and Kim are over in Emmerdale tonight
As Will made it home, he confronted his unrepentant wife about what she’d done – and what he’d done with Rose.
The pair picked over the bones of their marriage, and Kim demanded Will sign the papers giving her back ownership of everything in his name. But Will refused. He told her bluntly they weren’t separating. Yeah, good luck with that, Will. Kim always gets her own way in the end.
And then he asked the question we’ve all been wanting to ask. Why didn’t Kim just ask him if he’d cheated? Why go to the lengths of pretending her horse had been stolen, or Kim was kidnapped?
But Kim had the answer ready – she said Will had proved she meant nothing to him. Ouch.
Will dug his heels in and refused to go. But when he admitted he’d signed over his life, or his share of the haulage yard at least, to Caleb, Kim wasn’t impressed. Though where else she thought he’d get £50k in a hurry we don’t know.
Still refusing to sign the paperwork, Will left. And Kim took off her wedding ring. Seems it’s really over!
Ruby was fretting over getting in touch with her daughter (Credit: ITV)
Family ties
Emotional Ruby begged Caleb to talk about Stephanie, revealing more about their relationship with the daughter they’d never mentioned before this week. Ruby said losing her mum had made her think of Steph. She said if she’d died in the fire, Stephanie wouldn’t have known how much she loves her, and she was tearful as she talked about her daughter.
But by the end of the episode, Ruby had decided not to call her daughter after all, meaning we’re going to have to wait a bit longer before Steph inevitably shows up in the village!
Is Arthur going off the rails? (Credit: ITV/ Composite EI)
Also in Emmerdale tonight…
Jai made a move
Arthur was defiant after being caught drinking with the date he met online, lashing out at his mum and Jai. Laurel tried to calm him down and tell him she just worried about him, and that he was too young to be on dating apps.
With the air cleared between mum and son – almost – he warned Laurel that Jai was trying to worm his way back into the family. And he was proved right later when Jai made a move on Laurel – and she threw him out. Yay, Laurel!
Cain was pleased when Moira told him she is going to have the surgery (Credit: ITV)
Moira made a decision
Worried Moira was shocked when Cain admitted he’d told their boys how to call an ambulance in an emergency. And she was grateful that little Isaac had got help after she’d had a seizure. She told her relieved husband that she’d decided to go ahead with the surgery after all. Let’s hope it’s the right decision.
In Classic Emmerdale spoilers airing on ITV3 on Friday, September 20, Jasmine’s thinking about her future, the Dingles are getting ready for Samson’s homecoming, and Nicola’s got a crush! These episodes first aired on January 23 and 24, 2006.
Where will Jasmine go, in Classic Emmerdale?
There’s a decision to be made for Jasmine as Ashley breaks the news that her parents are not returning. She tells him that she wants to stay in Emmerdale and go to school there instead of going back to a boarding school.
When Ashley hesitates, Jasmine takes it to mean he doesn’t want her either, and upset she heads out into the village.
How will Alice and the Dingles cope with baby Samson? (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Alice comes home
Sam brings Alice home from hospital, and the family discuss the changes they will have to make to get the house ready for baby Samson’s arrival. Alice is touched by the Dingles’ enthusiasm, but she is very frail. Can she cope with a newborn baby and her cancer treatment?
Nicola can’t stop thinking about Ivan (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Nicola’s got it bad in Classic Emmerdale
Nicola has got the hots for Ivan (played by Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank)! She can’t get him out of her head and she tells Laurel that the spark between her and Simon has gone.
Laurel urges her to make a go of it with Simon if she still loves him. But will Nicola listen to her friend’s advice?
Money troubles?
After thinking about her relationship woes, Nicola tells Simon she just wants the man she fell in love with and she gives him a cheque from Rodney for £25,000. She says that given their recent arguments over money, she hopes he’ll accept for the sake of their relationship. Will Simon take the cash?
Jasmine’s staying!
A delighted Jasmine tells Debbie that Ashley has agreed she can stay at the vicarage and go to Hotten Comprehensive. Debbie feels envious, realising she has ruined her own academic opportunities and worries about how different she and Jasmine are.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you
Kim knew he’d slept with his ex, Rose, and she was making him pay in the most drawn-out way, ever.
And Will’s not the first foolish man to think he could pull the wool over Ms Tate’s eyes. Here’s a few other times Kim came out on top.
Kim and Frank Tate in Emmerdale
Don’t mess with Kim Tate (Credit: ITV)
Faking her own death – the first time
Kim’s marriage to Frank Tate was turbulent, to say the very least! She cheated with Dave Glover and when she found out she was pregnant, wasn’t sure who the father was. But son Jamie’s dad turned out to be Frank. When Dave died rescuing the baby from a fire, Kim went off the rails.
She paid a lookalike woman to drive her car round the village so everyone would think she was still there – and fled to the Caribbean. But things went a little awry when the woman was found dead at the wheel and Frank identified the body as Kim. He served time on remand, charged with his wife’s murder! But he was released when Kim showed up again.
Kim coldly checked if Frank was breathing (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Leaving Frank to die
The shock of finding out that Kim wasn’t actually dead, caused Frank to have a heart attack! He collapsed on the floor and Kim didn’t go for help. “You’re a dinosaur, Frank,” she said. “And you know what happened to them.”
She waited for him to die, then she calmly pulled out her makeup compact and used the mirror to check if he was breathing. When she saw he wasn’t, she powdered her nose!
Kim Tate and Steve Marchant in Emmerdale
Kim framed Steve for the crime they both committed (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Framing Steve
Kim married Steve Marchant and the pair were soon facing financial troubles. They decided to steal an expensive horse and sell it, but replace it with an older, less valuable nag before passing it on.
When Steve stole the horsebox, though, he ran over Kathy Glover. In a panic, he later tried to off poor Kathy in the hospital, too. Kim managed to manipulate Kathy into thinking Steve was the only one responsible, framing him for the crime.
Kim seduced Chris to get her money back (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Seducing her stepson
Kim had buried a bag of money in Frank’s grave and she was horrified to discover her stepson Chris Tate had discovered it.
Desperate to get her hands on the cash, she seduced Chris then whacked him over the head with a paperweight.
Kim made her escape with son James and the cash in a helicopter. When the pilot asked if she was Kim Marchant, she replied: “No, I’m Kim Tate.”
Jamie thought he’d killed his mum (Credit: ITV)
Faking her own death – the second time
Kim’s son Jamie Tate was a right piece of work but even his once-adoring mum wasn’t going to let him get away with it!
When she found out Jamie had been poisoning her, she teamed up with Will – now her husband, then her ex – to get revenge.
They came up with an elaborate plan involving fake ambulances and police officers, to fool Jamie into thinking he’d killed his mum!
Kim knew what Caleb was up to and cleared her accounts (Credit: ITV)
Foiling Caleb’s plan
When he arrived in Emmerdale Caleb Miligan thought he was going to stroll into the village and take everything Kim had. Ha! How wrong he was.
While Caleb was busy scheming to empty Kim’s accounts, she had worked out what he was up to. She hid all her cash, and told Caleb it was time to give up! Now Caleb’s scheming again and we can’t help think he’s not going to win this one, either.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think!
Jenna Coleman is a shining light of British television, having starred in hugely popular shows including Doctor Who and Victoria.
But she started her acting career in Emmerdale playing vicar Ashley Thomas’s troublesome niece, Jasmine. Jasmine has recently returned to Classic Emmerdale wanting to stay for good.
But actress Jenna ended up staying for four years before moving on to bigger things. Here’s everything we know about Jenna.
Jenna starred as Ember Manning in The Jetty (Credit: BBC)
Jenna’s early years
Jenna was born in Blackpool, with excellent soapy credentials – apparently her grandmother suggested the name Jenna after the character Jenna Wade in Dallas!
Jenna-Louise, as she was known back then, took part in all sorts of drama productions growing up, including a professional production of Summer Holiday at Blackpool Opera House.
Jenna was planning to go to York University to study English, but she changed her plans, because she’d been offered the part of Jasmine in Emmerdale.
Jenna arrived in the village in 2005 as Jasmine (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Jasmine in Emmerdale
Jasmine was the troubled and troublesome niece of Ashley Thomas. She stayed with Ashley and Laurel for a short while, then after she was expelled from boarding school, she returned to the village for good.
Things were never boring with Jasmine around! She and Debbie Dingle fell in love. But Cain Dingle also seduced teenaged Jasmine – urgh – and she got pregnant (though she had a termination).
Jasmine’s journalism career
When she left school, Jasmine was determined to become a journalist and started investigating Tom King’s murder. She didn’t find the killer – who was Tom’s son, Carl – but she did help suspect Jamie Hope clear his name.
Later Jasmine started looking into local crime family the Macfarlanes. She got to know a police officer Shayne Doyle, who was helping her. She even started a romance with Shane. But he was not a good person. Turned out he was in cahoots with the Macfarlanes. When Jasmine started asking too many awkward questions, he attacked her. She fought back and accidentally killed the crooked cop!
With the help of Eli and Debbie, Jasmine got rid of the body. But in the end, Jasmine admitted what she’d done and she went to prison.
After Emmerdale
Jenna joined Waterloo Road for a short while in 2009, playing ‘hard girl’ Lindsay James.
But it wasn’t a straightforward journey after that. Instead, Jenna went six months without acting work. She moved to Hollywood and though she won a small role in Captain America: The First Avenger, things were tricky.
Big break!
After a fair amount of disappointment, Jenna was asked to return to the UK to join the cast of Titanic, a four-part drama written by Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes.
And after that, the jobs kept coming! Jenna starred in the adaptation of PD James’ story Death Comes to Pemberley, among others.
Jenna became a household name when she played Clara in Doctor Who (Credit: BBC)
Doctor Who!
In 2012 it was confirmed that Jenna was to play Clara Oswald, the companion of the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith. She was very popular with Doctor Who fans, and went on to be the companion when Peter Capaldi took on the role.
Victoria, which starred Jenna as the young queen, ran for three series (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Jenna as Queen!
After Doctor Who, Jenna played the young Queen Victoria in the historical drama Victoria. The show ran for three series. Since then Jenna’s been in shows including The Cry, The Serpent, Wilderness and Sandman. Most recently she starred in detective drama The Jetty.
She’s also appeared on stage in the West End.
Jenna’s personal life
Jenna was in a relationship with Game of Thrones star Richard Madden for several years and then dated Tom Hughes, her Victoria co-star. In 2020, she met her current partner Jamie Childs, and this summer Jenna announced she is pregnant with their first baby.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think!
In Classic Emmerdale spoilers airing on ITV3 on Thursday, September 19, Jasmine’s back in the village, Alice is taking drastic action and Steph’s moving on. These episodes first aired on January 20 and 22, 2006.
Alice’s bad hair day
Alice is alarmed when she sees another cancer patient whose hair is coming out in clumps. Desperate to take control, she gets a pair of scissors and starts hacking at her own hair. When Sam is shocked to see his wife’s new look, she asks him if he still loves her as an ‘egg head’. But Sam’s taken aback at the reminder of just how serious Alice’s condition is.
Ashley’s cross with Jasmine for getting expelled (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Jasmine in trouble in Classic Emmerdale
Ashley’s fuming as he heads off to pick up his wayward niece Jasmine, who’s been expelled from school for smoking and setting fire to the school chapel!
Later, though, Jasmine tells Sandy she took the blame for someone else. She adds that she wanted to come back to Emmerdale and she’s hoping she can stay with Laurel and Ashley permanently.
Scott makes an offer
Wanting to move out of his mum’s house, Scott tries to persuade Carl to rent him Dale View. He says he’ll pay more than whatever current tenant Val is paying, but Carl says she’s got a contract. Scott’s deflated.
Steph is left feeling like second best (Credit: ITV/Shutterstoc)
Steph’s moving on in Classic Emmerdale
Steph’s upset when Terence wows the crowds at Betty’s birthday party, by playing the piano so everyone can sing along. Later, when she’s alone with Adam, she wonders if the way she admired Terence when they were young could have caused the abuse.
But Adam assures her victims often feel they’re to blame, even though they’re not. Steph tells him she’s going to put the abuse in her past.
Sam’s breakdown
Sam heads off to visit Alice in hospital and he’s worried and frustrated when the van breaks down on the way. Soon he’s panicking that with the van out of action, he won’t make it to see Alice at all.
Ashley’s worried
Ashley tells Laurel that Jasmine’s parents have told him they can’t come back from abroad, and they want him to look for another boarding school for their daughter. He’s shocked by how little concern his brother seems to have for Jasmine.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you
