ITV Emmerdale spoilers as Paddy Kirk to be attacked and new character arrives
Casualty and The Bill actress Jaye Griffiths joins Emmerdale next month
Emmerdale is set for a big shake-up as a new character played by Jaye Griffiths joins the soap and will soon be involved in a storyline that will leave one of the show's most loved characters a victim of a dog attack.
Jaye is to arrive in the Yorkshire village in June to play new character Celia, a tenant farmer known for having a bad reputation. She will soon have a run-in with her new neighbour Moira Dingle when she asks to rent two of her fields.
But the drama will begin when Moira says no to Celia, causing chaos to soon ensue, which will lead to vet Paddy Kirk being attacked by the farmers new guard dogs, leaving him in hospital. In the aftermath, the soap teased that Celia will show her “true colours from her reaction to the attack” and may soon be a character fans love to hate.
Jaye said: “I was delighted to get this role – without giving the game away, she is very different to anyone I have played before, and I can’t wait to really get into the heart of her storyline.”
The soap is now keen to get Celia involved in some of the show’s action. Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said: “We are absolutely delighted to have Jaye Griffiths joining us to play the role of Celia.
“Having recently taken over a nearby farm, not much is known about mysterious Celia’s past before arriving on the outskirts of the village.
“While Celia has a tough edge with an air of respectability, the audience and our villagers, will soon start to see what this woman is truly capable of.”
The farmer will be renting from Kim Tate, with Celia set to start a quick rivalry with the soap's other farming families of the Bartons and Sugdens.
People may recognise the actress behind Celia having previously starred in crime shows Death in Paradise and Silent Witness.
She also played some big roles in some BBC soap staples; fans of The Bill may recognise her as the tough cop Sally Johnson or as Elle Gardner, a consultant on Casualty.
The show’s dog attack story line is something that is trying to address a problem for many people across rural Britain.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 19 deaths in 2023 due to being bitten or struck by a dog, and seven with the same noted cause in 2024.
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, dogs can also be seized and euthanised for being “dangerously out of control”.
The act was amended, so at the end of December 2023, it became illegal to breed, exchange or advertise an XL bully dog.
A month later, it became a criminal offence to own the breed without an exemption certificate. Emmerdale continues Friday at 7.30pm on ITV1 and STV and from 7am on ITVX and STV Player.