Emmerdale actress Sally Oliver tells why losing her baby means Lexi could lose Carl too. Lexi’s ecstatic to be pregnant. Why is she so desperate to have a baby? “She thinks it will cement her relationship with Carl and any doubts he has about her will drift away when he sees her cradling his baby.” Has she really no idea Carl doesn’t want children with her then? “Carl’s managed to convince her that his worries are about money, not about having a baby, and she believes him.” Yet she tricked him into having a child… “Her plan was to get pregnant then see how Carl felt about it. She’s been underhand but it’s because she’s so insecure.” Tragically she loses the baby… How? “She’s in a lot of pain during the night and tells Nicola in the morning. Nicola convinces her it’s nothing but during the day it gets worse and Lexi collapses and is rushed to hospital.” What’s gone wrong? “She’s rushed into the operating theatre and when she comes round Carl tells her she’s suffered an ectopic pregnancy and lost the baby and one of her fallopian tubes.” Carl is consumed with guilt because he knows he didn’t want the baby. Is this the start of a more loving Carl? “He feels so guilty that Lexi could have died and initially he’s there for her. Then he starts to back off. When she comes out of hospital he leaves her alone at home and rushes back to work. Things start to fall apart very quickly.” Then Lexi gets more devastating news… “She goes back for a check-up and is told that her other fallopian tube has been damaged by an old undiagnosed infection. She knows she will never have a child naturally. It’s a huge thing for her to take on board. She can only get pregnant again through IVF.” How does Carl take the news? “At first she doesn’t tell him. She pretends everything’s fine and still talks about having a baby. But she tells Nicola who urges her to tell Carl and he ends up feeling even more guilty.” Could the tragedy bring them closer? “It’s not looking like it. Jimmy’s disgusted with Carl’s lack of compassion. He advises Carl to let things calm down then come clean with Lexi about how he really feels about her.” Would Lexi be able to cope with losing Carl on top of losing the baby? “Carl might be too weak to ever tell. But Lexi is strong-minded. Whatever she wants she goes for… and what she wants is Carl and a baby!”
