Lydia Hart spins a very tangled web in Emmerdale when she’s untruthful. What does it mean for Sam? Karen Blick explains exactly what happens…
Emmerdale’s Karen Blick talks to Soaplife about the mess her character Lydia finds herself in after she tells a big fat lie.
What’s the story?
Are Lydia Hart and Rishi Sharma having an affair? That’s what Kerry Wyatt thinks when she sees them together. In truth, Rishi is pushing to meet Lydia’s new “worker” Una, and, in her panic, Lydia’s efforts to distract Rishi lead Kerry to jump to the wrong conclusion. “Lydia is mortified that anyone would think that,” Karen Blick told Soaplife. “She has created this fictional employee and feels really uncomfortable with her ongoing lies about it.”
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Karen Blick’s Soaplife interview
Soaplife: So why has Lydia invented Una?
Karen Blick: “She has jobs at the factory, The Woolpack and Home Farm, and employment laws say that she shouldn’t be working that many hours. She is struggling financially, so she creates this fictional employee to enable her to work all the shifts she needs.”
S: That lie was never going to fly!
KB: “No. Well, Lydia is not comfortable with lying. At first, it was a little white lie and she wasn’t setting out to deceive anyone, but it is getting out of hand now.”
S: It is. Kerry suspects she’s cheating on Sam…
KB: “Lydia is very principled and cares deeply for her boyfriend, Sam Dingle, so she’d never do anything to jeopardise their relationship. She is horrified that Kerry thinks that. Lydia likes to see herself as an upstanding and moral member of society.”
S: Are you like Lydia at all?
KB: “I would like to say ‘No’, but my husband might disagree. Lydia is warm-hearted, kind and her heart is in the right place, so I like to think we are similar in that respect. I hope I am a bit more socially aware than she is, though. Lydia tends to say exactly what is on her mind, whereas I think about it before I open my mouth.”
S: Do you have a favourite scene so far?
KB: “Sam and Lydia’s date in the shop, with David listening in was brilliant to film. Matthew Wolfenden was laughing in the background. It was beautifully written and fun to do. Also, I love working with James Hooton, who plays Sam. He’s a fantastic actor and so unlike Sam in real life.”
S: What would be your dream storyline?
KB: “It would be lovely if Sam and Lydia had an amazing Dingle wedding and finished off the celebrations with a nod to the Dirty Dancing routine in the village hall. If they did that, it would be a highlight.”
Emmerdale, ITV
