Emmerdale's Gemma Oaten: Rachel's full of fight and won't accept Sam with Tracy (VIDEO)

(Image credit: PA Archive/Press Association Ima)

Emmerdale's Gemma Oaten says her character has her fight back and she's ready to take on Tracy Shankley for the hand of unlikely Casanova Sam Dingle.

Gemma told What's on TV: "She's come back with a bit more fight. Obviously she came back into court with a bit of fight, sending Charity Dingle down is really a big ask, you've got to have some guts to do that."

Gemma added: "She's had to sort of really support herself and stand on her own two feet and she's grown up a lot. She's become possibly more aware of what real life is about and human nature and what people will do to get what they want..."

Gemma says Tracy needs to be on guard, because Rachel won't accept Sam with another woman. "She's heartbroken, everything she did she did for Sam really, all to protect him. The fact she's come back and there's this other woman... and not being horrible to Amy [Walsh, who plays Tracy], but blonde and quite bimboey and there's Rachel in a trackie and trainers and she's like... REALLY?!"

Watch Gemma Oaten discuss her shock comeback and what's in store for Rachel Breckle on Emmerdale, above.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.