Emmerdale fans have seemingly worked out newcomer Serena Sugden’s (Casey Al-Shaqsy) connection to a major storyline that’s currently airing. Yesterday, the ITV soap confirmed that West End star Casey has joined the show as Serena.
As part of the show’s efforts to strengthen the Sugden presence in the village, Serena will find herself at the heart of the drama when she’s drawn into the aftermath of a character’s traumatic situation. The mysterious newbie will find herself conflicted in what she’s become involved in and soon enough, her presence will raise questions about her true motivations for settling in the Dales, and where her loyalties lie.
The exact details of Serena’s introductory storyline haven’t been revealed yet, but star Casey has said on her Instagram Stories that it’s important for people to tune into the episodes being broadcasted right now, as her entrance will then ‘make sense’.
‘I know there’s some wonderful people who already watch this amazing show, but to the people who have messaged me who haven’t seen it, or haven’t seen it in a long while, and are asking me when I’m on and when I should start watching, you should start watching now’, the actress said. ‘Reason being is because the storyline that’s happening is relevant. It’s all relevant, you need to know what’s going on.
‘The show is great and I’m not tooting my own horn, because I’m not on screen yet! You should watch it now because…drama, chaos, things are going down! And for my entrance, you must see all the things going down. So watch the things going down, and then my entrance will make sense, and all the things that are about to unfold.’
Amid these comments from Casey, and the knowledge that Serena will be linked to the aftermath of a character’s traumatic ordeal, fans of the ITV soap are now wondering if the new face will be involved in Charity Dingle’s (Emma Atkins) story. The beloved character was sexually assaulted by Doctor Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker) a few days ago, and is currently dealing with keeping this trauma all to herself. Could Serena discover what Charity has gone through, unaware of her connection to relative Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill)?
Fan theories emerge
Taking to social media platform X, one fan wrote: ‘Some are saying Serena may be caught up in Charity’s story (aftermath of a characters traumatic experiences) which puts her with Sarah and Layla Sugden and something about her loyalites are tested. The show said Sarah will have a more of a relationship with Robert.’
In agreement, another user said: ‘Oh yeah I can see it, She becomes an ally to Charity after suffering from Todd. She finds out she’s somehow related to Sarah. The truth about the baby is revealed. In the end her loyalties are tested on who she will side on, Charity or Sarah.’
A third couldn’t help but speculate that Serena might have ‘ulterior motives’, but agrees with the theory that she will be involved in what’s going on with Charity. ‘She probably has ulterior motives. Hope she’s not a psycho like the other long lost Sugden. But there’s some theories she gets mixed up in the Charity sl and that’s how she comes into the village as a counselor or something. that makes sense.’
Official comments
Discussing the arrival of Casey and Serena, Emmerdale Producer Laura Shaw said: ‘The Sugdens are a core part of the Emmerdale fabric, and we are thrilled to welcome Casey to the family. Her character will be at the heart of some extremely gripping and unexpected storylines, forcing her to make difficult choices that will have dramatic consequences for some of the village’s biggest names.’
Casey added: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining such an iconic show and playing a Sugden! Serena is a fantastic character with so much going on beneath the surface. I can’t wait for the audience to see the drama unfold.’
