Vanity fans are in for a treat as Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) steps in to act as her ex Charity Dingle’s (Emma Atkins) confidant next week in Emmerdale.
Charity is in a mess. She seemingly sealed the fate of her marriage to Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) when she agreed to act as a surrogate for her granddaughter, Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill).
When a drunken Mack confronted his wife over his true feelings about the surrogacy, it quickly descended into a blazing row, resulting in Charity kicking him out and completely ghosting him. It would now appear, that the chance of any reconciliation between the couple is zero.
Turning to ex Vanessa and throwing herself at her resulted in being turfed out into street, where Charity then successfully tries her luck with Ross Barton (Michael Parr). When she received news that the surrogacy has been successful, Charity was hit with the realisation that’s unaware whether the baby she’s carrying is Sarah’s embryo, or the result of a night with Ross.
Charity is always gonna Charity!
Speaking on her predicament, Emma said: ‘There’s just so many avenues now of dilemma – she’s stuck in this hellhole of what do I do next and who do I turn to and it’s cataclysmic holding in that kind of secret.
It just ups the stakes with everything. Sarah’s just got this desperate need to be a mum, Charity’s so desperate to please Sarah in that, she feels her vocation is being this vessel to carry this child. There’s so much at stake for them and the audience finding this out, is just that amazing moment. It’s a good soap moment, a gift.
‘Surely at some point she’s definitely going to implode. I think the audience enjoys witnessing that, don’t they? They like to witness someone holding a secret. Who is she going to tell, who’s going to find out?’
One person who will find out (albeit partially) is Vanessa, who offers a shoulder to cry on for Charity after learning that her marriage is over.
Finally at breaking point, Charity reveals that there’s a very real possibility that the baby she’s carrying isn’t Sarah’s, but stops short of correcting Vanessa, who presumes the baby could be Mack’s.
Emma said: ‘It has literally been like playing out a jigsaw puzzle, because all the parts are all over the place. Charity’s lies – trying to keep on top of them.
True to form, Vanessa implores Charity to be honest, and just as true to form, Charity resolves to completely ignore the situation, though getting Ross to do the same may prove much more difficult…
‘This has created a huge element of conflict for her and as an actor you can’t hope for a better storyline. When you’re just in the midst of chaos, dilemma and moral questioning of your own character. It makes you go, how are you going to get yourself out of this one?’ Emma said.
Although Charity has done the utmost to convince Ross that the baby couldn’t possibly be theirs as she’s had testing (which she hasn’t), he demands to see the results (which don’t exist), and when she refuses, he insists on his own testing (which she really doesn’t want).
When asked if his alter-ego could buy what Charity’s selling, Michael said: ‘No, he doesn’t believe her. I think he’s desperate to find out the answer because it comes with such responsibility, having another child, it’s a lot of pressure on him because he’s not doing so well with work right now and his living situation isn’t ideal as he’s always swapping and changing.
Plus he’s just met his brother Lewis. There’s a lot going on for him in his head, so he just needs to get to the bottom of this. So he can get a good night’s sleep.’
‘Nobody should trust Charity. She’s a menace!’ Mike added. When asked whether he’ll give up trying to get to the truth, he said: ‘Ross is like a dog with a bone he’s not going to let this lie and won’t be fobbed off by Charity trying to baffle him with science.’
