Sian Reeves is swapping the Scottish springs for the Yorkshire Dales as she joins the cast of Emmerdale. The Cutting It star will play Sally Spode, an old flame of Rev Ashley Thomas, and she's sure to cause tension between Laurel - who takes an instant dislike to her - and Ashley when she arrives in the Dales at the end of August. "I'm delighted to be joining such a celebrated show and looking forward to filming my first scenes," she admitted. "Sally was Ashley's first love and he is a bit unnerved to see her in the village." The show's producer, Gavin Blyth, is thrilled that Sian will be joining the award-winning soap. "We're delighted to welcome an actress of Sian's calibre to the show," he said. "We have a great story coming up for Laurel and Ashley and Sian's character will be right in the thick of the action, as the strength of their marriage is put to the test with unusual yet dramatic consequences." Sian, who has signed a six-month contract with Emmerdale, is currently starring in BBC1 drama Hope Springs opposite Alex Kingston. Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's new weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop
