Loved-up Leyla proposes to hunky fella Pete in Emmerdale, not knowing he’s cheating on her with her friend Priya. Actress Roxy Shahidi reveals more
When one of Leyla Harding’s clients cancels their wedding, she sees it as an opportunity to propose to boyfriend Pete Barton. Little does she know that he’s slept with her best mate, Priya Kotecha!
“Leyla wants to lock him down,” Roxy Shahidi told Soaplife. “This cancelled wedding is a unicorn-themed affair. But the more ridiculous for Leyla, the better.”
So Leyla doesn’t suspect anything’s been going on between Pete and Priya? “Not at all. Priya [Fiona Wade] is her best friend and she’d be so hurt if she knew about her betrayal. If Leyla were at all suspicious, she’d find out what’s going on. She can be really savvy sometimes and totally blind to other situations. Leyla’s blinkered obsession with Pete means that he and Priya are just not on her radar at all.”
Why does Leyla want to marry Pete? “I just think she wants to get married. She’s always been after the perfect guy who really loves her. Now she’s a bit older, she wants to have children because she didn’t get the opportunity to bring son Jacob up. Pete [Anthony Quinlan] is that steady guy she’s been looking for – or so she thinks! Deep down, though, she knows he’s not 100 per cent ready.”
What happens? “There’s a lot of talk about weddings. Leyla tells Priya she’d jump at the chance to marry Pete, then thinks he heard her. She confronts him, but he changes the subject. Then this wedding is cancelled and Leyla mentions it, but Pete doesn’t get the hint. Finally, Tracy Metcalfe persuades her to propose. She’s like, ‘If you want something, go and get it!’ And Leyla does…”
Tell us about the proposal? “Priya walks in at the tail end of it and it’s super awkward. I can’t tell you if Pete says ‘Yes’. You’ll have to tune in for that.”
How does Nell find out about Pete and Priya’s affair? “After the proposal, Pete talks to Priya at Holdgate about how guilty he feels and Nell overhears everything.”
Emmerdale, ITV
