Emmerdale’s Gillian Kearney tells Soaplife that Emma Barton's reappearance is going to create merry hell...
We've heard a lot of talk about the mysterious Emma Barton and now we - and all the Barton boys - finally get to meet her properly. Emma goes to a gay bar to seek out Finn and ends up finding him along with brothers Ross and Pete (Anthony Quinlan), who she hasn't seen face-to-face for 22 years. Will they be pleased to see her?
What is Emma like?
"She is a mother to three boys who she genuinely loves and I think she still holds on to the love for her husband James [Bill Ward]. She is quite vulnerable and childlike, quite fragile. There is darkness there, too, because she remembers what she's missed out on."
Why did Emma stay away from her family?
"She did stalk them for a bit in the early stages. She watched them from afar - at football matches and school plays - until Ross [Michael Parr] was about 10. I think she lost confidence and wasn’t able to go back. It’s been about 10 years since she last laid eyes on them."
Why does she go looking for Finn?
"It looks as if Finn [Joe Gill] isn't going to get back in touch with Emma and, having been told by Finn that he's gay, she decides to hang out at Hotten's premier gay venue in the hope of seeing him again."
What happens when she finds him?
"There is a punch up and, as Emma is a nurse, she tends to one of the injured guys, who turns out to be Ross. Finn is pleased to see her, but his brothers are angry because, in their eyes, she ditched them. At the moment, Finn is really on her side, but she is working on the others."
How does Emma feel when Finn tells her James slept with Moira?
"Emma saw that James was falling for Moira all those years ago and he denied it and told her she was crazy. It is one of the reasons the marriage broke up. Emma is not happy when she realises that James lied to her. She goes to the village and finds James, who lets slip that Adam [Adam Thomas] is his son. She’s furious!"
No wonder! And she goes to see Moira… What happens?
"I won't tell you what happens, but Moira [Natalie J Robb] is definitely the scarlet woman in Emma's eyes."
What are the other reasons the marriage broke up?
"There is a big secret that is soon to be revealed."
