Emmerdale airs 8pm on ITV1
As the true nature of their crimes unfold in the village there is the new mystery of who is responsible for Ray’s death – and there is no shortage of suspects. Ahead of a week of reveals Zoe Henry is talking Rhona’s desperation, the “ultimate betrayal” of Laurel, and what it’s like working alongside her real-life husband, Jeff Hordley.
For Rhona, the introduction of Ray into her life hasn’t just been a threat, it’s a haunting reminder of her past. Zoe explains that the mere mention of her abusive ex, Pierce, was a turning point in the darkness.
‘Well it was particularly dark when he mentioned Pierce. Yeah, I mean, that’s her Achilles heal anyway. Ray knew what he was doing, bringing that in. It just derails her any time his name is mentioned. This period in her life is just constant abject fear and panic. Having witnessed what Ray did to Dylan on the phone when we were in the room with Celia. They’re just like rabbits in the headlights. There’s not, you know, a noise in the night, the door opening, you know where they’re not straight back there. They think they’re at constant risk and therefore are in absolute fear and panic constantly.’
On whether the friendship with Laurel can survive, Zoe is hopeful but realistic: ‘I think it’s going to be tough. It’s kind of the ultimate betrayal. But they’ve got a long history. I mean, Marlon was married to Laurel, so, you know, she’s an ex-wife. But yeah, I very much feel and hope that they can come back from it. But it’s a big ask.’
Fans were eager to see Cain Dingle jump into the fray to help Rhona and Marlon, but Zoe had mixed feelings about the potential crossover with her husband, Jeff Hordley.
‘Professionally disappointed, personally thrilled. I don’t want to work with Jeff and he doesn’t want to work with me, but I also think my husband is a brilliant actor. I’m always keen to work with people that are brilliant and he is so it’s a double edged sword, I suppose.’
Despite the storyline, Zoe has relished the opportunity to lead this high-stakes storyline alongside guest stars Jaye Griffiths (Celia) and Joe Absolom (Ray).
‘Oh, it’s a joy. And one of the biggest joys of this story is the appearance of Jaye Griffiths and Joe Absolom, who are both exceptional actors, so much fun to be with and so much fun to work on set with. In a way, I wish the story had been longer because they’ve just been absolutely joyful creatures to work with, they really have. I miss working with them very much, already.’
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