Emmerdale boss promises big Sugden developments as clan is re-established

When Emmerdale shared the news earlier this year that a new Sugden would soon make her way to the village, they also confirmed her arrival would mark the start of a new era for the family.

Serena Sugden, played by Casey Al-Shaqsy, headed to Emmerdale in search of her distant cousin Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley). On her way, she became a pillar of support for Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins), who had reached a crisis point amid an overwhelming amount of secrets she was keeping.

The newcomer has been very busy in the short period of time that we’ve known her, and her life isn’t going to get any quieter.

Sophie Roper, producer of the show, has shared the news that Serena will continue being at the centre of the drama as part of Emmerdale’s efforts to build the new Sugden legacy.

‘Serena is a really fantastic new character within the show, and I think we’re absolutely re-establishing our wonderful clans and the Sugdens being a huge part of the show and the rural community that we enjoy and celebrate on the show’, she said.

‘Obviously, Serena also has a police background, so it was really interesting to include her in this dynamic with Sarah and Charity. But I think, as well, it’s three incredibly strong women all holding their own in how you deal with this impossible situation that presents.

‘But Serena is an incredibly moral character and there’s a lot of trust between these three women that we potentially will go on to test as the story develops. But she’s a brilliant addition to all of this material, and it absolutely embeds her in the Sugden clan and embeds her in that relationship between Sarah and Serena as Sugdens.’

Serena is currently embroiled in the aftermath of Dr Caitlin Todd’s (Caroline Harker) death. Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) pushed the woman during a confrontation, which saw her hit her head and die.

Charity, Sarah’s gran, immediately told the police that she killed Todd in order to protect Sarah.

Charity is a character who has been on the show for so many years and has been through so much, which is why it’s deeply important to Sophie to always remember who Charity is in her heart when thinking about what’s next for her.

‘Charity has had some journey on this show over all of her years with us, and Emma continues to bring such brilliance to the screen. I think the joy of a character like Charity is that she grows’, she explained.

‘She doesn’t always learn; she’s absolutely made some similar mistakes over the years, but she grows as a person, and I think you’ve seen that. And I think emotionally through this storyline with Sarah, though she hasn’t always necessarily made the right decisions, they’re all coming from a place of love and that need to protect family, and I think that’s why Charity’s character will be able to go on.

Sophie added: ‘There will always be stories for her because she’s such a dynamic individual and she’s so driven by love, loyalty and family. We will test her. There will be things that she has to overcome, but she’s somebody that, I don’t want to say we’ve barely scratched the surface, but there is so much more that I’d love to learn about that character, to see her tackle as an actor and as a character on the show.

‘So, it’s pressure on us to make sure we can keep finding those brilliant and dynamic stories for her.

‘It’s a challenge, but one I think we’ll relish.’