Faith Dingle says she can talk to the dead, which leads Emma Barton to run to church to confess all about James Barton’s death in Emmerdale, reveals Sally Dexter
There are plenty of muffled giggles when Faith Dingle announces that she can talk to dead people, but Emma Barton isn’t laughing. What if Faith can communicate with those on ‘the other other side’ and her late husband James speaks up? “Faith wants to get more money for grandaughter Sarah’s cancer fund,” Sally Dexter tells Soaplife. “She doesn’t see it as not being truthful – she sees it as not being entirely serious, but she can see that Emma is a bit of a nutcase.” And Faith’s con forces Emma to confess in church to killing James!
Why on earth does Faith pose as a psychic? “It’s one of those things. She decides to have a go at it for a bit of fun and to get some cash for Sarah’s fund. So she decides to hold a psychic night at the pub.”
And that scares Emma, right? “Emma [Gillian Kearney] is rattled and heads to the church, where she confesses to killing James. She hears a noise and wonders if somebody is eavesdropping.”
Is it Faith? It might be Faith and, if it were, this would put Emma under a lot of pressure. Faith has a darker side and could well use the information to her advantage.”
Is Faith afraid of Emma? “Faith is sensitive, but she doesn’t scare easily. When you dig down, she has a Dingle core – there is iron in her soul and also a bit of diamond.”
Do you believe it is possible to talk to the dead? “I would never say never, but I suspect that a lot of these things are about intuition. Some people might be more in tune with it than others. Perhaps we glean more from each other than we actually realise. It’s fun to play a psychic, though!”
Which former character would you like her to speak to from beyond the grave? “I am intrigued about Shadrach. I have an image of what he looks like, but wonder what he was like as a young man. How did they get together and what was it that led her to leave her children? That is the thing at the heart of all the hurt between her, Chas [Lucy Pargeter] and Cain [Jeff Hordley]. It is monumental and I would like to know why it happened.”
Emmerdale, ITV
