Pete Barton is terrified when a body is found. Is it Ross? Emmerdale's Anthony Quinlan tells Soaplife how Pete reacts by confessing all…
How has Pete been feeling since he buried Ross?
"Awful. It's a terrible thing for him to have to live with. He didn't set out to kill Ross. He had been humiliated in front of the whole village, Ross [Michael Parr] had turned his life upside-down and he saw red. He wanted to hurt him, not kill him."
How are things with Debbie?
"Pete can't really be himself as he is in turmoil. His wedding day turned out to be the worst day of his life and he wants to forget it ever happened. However, he does love Debbie [Charley Webb] and wants to wipe the slate clean and get on with the rest of his life with her. We will have to wait and see if that's going to be possible."
It sounds unlikely after a body is found…
"As soon as the police get involved and a body shows up, panic sets in. Pete wasn't careful about disposing of the body – he just chucked it in the boot and then dropped it into a grave. He thinks the police will know it was him."
So he confesses to Debbie! Why?
"He thinks the police are onto him and wants to tell Debbie himself."
How does she react to the news?
"Imagine being told something like that. You'd worry about what that person might do next. Debbie flies off the handle. This is someone she has let into her home and left with her kids. She's also clearly upset and Pete realises there is a massive bond between her and Ross. He cannot come to terms with that."
How does Pete feel when Debbie compares him to Cameron?
"Awful, because he knows it brings back bad memories for Debbie. Cameron was a massive ordeal for her and Pete knows this. It took a lot of reassurance from Pete before Debbie could trust a man again… She must be the unluckiest character in soap when it comes to relationships!"
What does his family make of the confession?
"Pete has always been the golden boy of the family and this really puts a spanner in the works. As soon as Pete tells James [Bill Ward] what he did, the lid is off and he cannot expect anything from his family from now on. There is no way back."
Emmerdale, ITV
