Emmerdale star Shebz Miah has confirmed a shocking twist for his character Kammy Hadiq that fans won't see coming. The recipe for a perfect soap character is simple: start with a fresh face, stir in clashes with locals, fold through a romance, then bake in a storyline that adds depth. Kammy is ticking off each ingredient, and with a darker storyline airing next week, he's on his way to becoming a success.
Introduced last year, Kammy is a chaotic young man with a heart of gold, deeply loyal to his friends, and now in a romance with Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper). This week, things change as he becomes a suspect in Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) and Robert Sugden's (Ryan Hawley) investigation into who keeps setting their barns on fire. Aaron wonders if Kammy's hiding a secret when he rocks up late for work, tired and with his shirt on backwards. Despite no proof, Aaron questions what little the villagers know about Kammy: where he's from, if he has family, and where he sleeps at night.
Belle's Investigation Uncovers the Truth
Next week, Belle starts digging into her boyfriend's life. At the garage, Aaron notices Kammy looks exhausted. Already on edge, Kammy uses a sharp tone to shut down Belle's request to meet his family. Belle is taken aback and considers checking Kammy's phone but is disgusted at herself for invading his privacy. She opens up to Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley), admitting it feels like Kammy isn't telling her something. It's soon revealed that Kammy is homeless and has set up camp in a barn.
Since his arrival, Kammy has brought light to the show and villagers' lives. Actor Shebz Miah has enjoyed playing Kammy with a constant smile but is looking forward to exploring what's behind his happy façade. 'It's that thing of peeling back the layers and learning more about the character. One thing about Kammy is that he is the first Pakistani Muslim we've had on Emmerdale, and that itself is a big thing,' he explained. 'And I think now we can finally start to truly understand what that looks like, especially in British soap. It's not really common. So, I am excited to be able to finally tap into that. But also, the beauty is that I get to show Kammy as just a normal British Bradford lad. It's amazing that I'm able to blur the lines slightly. And also show myself, as Shebz. I am also Muslim and South Asian background, I get to show that as well, and it's a big thing. I am so glad. I went to the producer and said, "please let it happen." I'm truly excited. A lot of fans constantly ask me, "When are we ever going to learn more about Kammy?" I think now's the perfect time.'
The Mask Comes Off
He added: 'I think from when I first came in to now, it's been a slow burner, but we are starting to learn more about Kammy and see that there is more to him than this cheekiness and bravado he puts on. The mask comes off, and we get to see this different version of what we've seen so far. Uncomfortable at times, but at the end of the day, he's human, and there's only so long you can keep the bravado for. Fans won't expect it, and it will snowball into other things as well, but we start to see why and where it all came from.'
Aaron and Robert's quest to find the barn firestarter takes a turn when Matty Barton (Ash Palmisciano) calls them, saying he saw someone acting shifty in a field. When they arrive, they find Kammy carrying a petrol can and a lighter. They jump to the conclusion that Kammy is the culprit, but he admits he was planning on torching his car. To avoid further questions, Kammy legs it, making Robert and Aaron believe he is responsible for the barn fires. Later, Kammy is taken out of the village in a police car.
Shebz revealed that Kammy is left 'really annoyed' when accused, and the situation brings back 'a lot of trauma' for the character. 'He's not had an easy ride, and all of this is bringing back a lot of unpleasant memories for him. And it's just one of those things where, because he's got no one, he's got no leg to stand on. I think it's that right person, wrong time thing, and he sort of accepts it, but it's just one voice against the rest of the village, and there's nothing you can do about that. But I also imagine it's not the first time that Kammy has been in a position like that. He has been against the majority quite often before.'
Kammy's Confession to Belle
The actor also shared that there will come a point where Kammy does tell Belle about sleeping rough and the secrets about his family. 'I think when Kammy realises he is backed into a corner and he's got no way out, he does submit, which we will see later on, and that's when the stakes are very high for him. I think he also sees the innocence, and he really, really likes her. The connection he's had with her so far is really genuine, and he's not really had anyone care for him sincerely like that. I think because of that, he just puts his hand up and waves the white flag and confesses everything, which we'll see later on. It is traumatic for him, because we do talk about things that have happened previously. However, he's doing it because deep down, he has submitted to Belle and he just wants to address it now.'
Shebz was surprised to learn of Kammy's storyline given that his soap alter-ego is 'always so spick and span', but research and working with a charity on this plot helped him discover that many unhoused people often go to great lengths to avoid drawing attention to their circumstances. 'It's something so exciting to get your teeth stuck into as an actor. I feel like this is the first moment where we start to learn more about Kammy. We actually start to see what's going on beneath the surface. Obviously, it was a shock to me, and I was like, "Oh, this is interesting." At first I couldn't get my head around it, he's always so spick and span and done up. But then, when I started to do a bit of research, we were working with a charity, and I could see the rationale behind it. That is so interesting and way more common than we think. So, to be able to step into that and live a dual lifestyle, like a Hannah Montana, it's nice and exciting to give that. And it's something that the fans aren't going to expect. I was shocked. I really hope that I can do it justice.'
If the perfect soap character is built step by step, then Kammy Hadiq is on the edge of his most defining moment yet. With a more layered, emotionally driven storyline coming up, there's a real sense this could change everything for him. It will offer a deeper, more complex side to the character and will give Shebz Miah, who always gives his all, a storyline that matches that energy.
