Emmerdale producer Sophie Roper has confirmed that newcomer Serena Sugden (Casey Al-Shaqsy) will remain at the centre of the show's drama as the programme re-establishes the Sugden clan. Speaking about the character's future, Roper said Serena is a 'fantastic new character' and that the show is 'absolutely re-establishing our wonderful clans and the Sugdens being a huge part of the show and the rural community that we enjoy and celebrate on the show'.
Serena arrived in the village earlier this year in search of her distant cousin Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley). During her journey, she became a pillar of support for Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins), who was facing a crisis point amid an overwhelming number of secrets. The newcomer has been busy since her arrival, and according to Roper, her life is not going to get any quieter.
Serena's police background and dynamic with Sarah and Charity
Roper highlighted that Serena's police background adds an interesting layer to her interactions with Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) and Charity. 'Obviously, Serena also has a police background, so it was really interesting to include her in this dynamic with Sarah and Charity. But I think, as well, it's three incredibly strong women all holding their own in how you deal with this impossible situation that presents,' she explained.
Roper emphasised the trust between the three women, noting that it may be tested as the story develops. 'But Serena is an incredibly moral character and there's a lot of trust between these three women that we potentially will go on to test as the story develops. But she's a brilliant addition to all of this material, and it absolutely embeds her in the Sugden clan and embeds her in that relationship between Sarah and Serena as Sugdens.'
Charity's growth and future storylines
Serena is currently involved in the aftermath of Dr Caitlin Todd's (Caroline Harker) death. Sarah pushed Todd during a confrontation, causing her to hit her head and die. Charity, Sarah's gran, immediately told the police that she killed Todd to protect Sarah.
Roper spoke about Charity's long history on the show and the importance of remembering who Charity is at heart. 'Charity has had some journey on this show over all of her years with us, and Emma continues to bring such brilliance to the screen. I think the joy of a character like Charity is that she grows,' she said.
Roper acknowledged that Charity does not always learn from her mistakes, but she grows as a person. 'She doesn't always learn; she's absolutely made some similar mistakes over the years, but she grows as a person, and I think you've seen that. And I think emotionally through this storyline with Sarah, though she hasn't always necessarily made the right decisions, they're all coming from a place of love and that need to protect family, and I think that's why Charity's character will be able to go on.'
Future challenges and stories for Charity
Roper added that there will always be stories for Charity because she is a dynamic individual driven by love, loyalty, and family. 'We will test her. There will be things that she has to overcome, but she's somebody that, I don't want to say we've barely scratched the surface, but there is so much more that I'd love to learn about that character, to see her tackle as an actor and as a character on the show.'
She concluded by acknowledging the pressure to keep finding brilliant and dynamic stories for Charity. 'So, it's pressure on us to make sure we can keep finding those brilliant and dynamic stories for her. It's a challenge, but one I think we'll relish.'
