Leanna lashes out
The Emmerdale troublemaker is distraught over her dad’s new lover. But has she taken her fury too far?
Emmerdale mean girl Leanna Cavanagh is prime suspect this week when Leyla’s wedding office is smashed up. Leanna has made it clear she hates her dad Liam’s latest girlfriend and wants them to split up. So when Leyla discovers the scene of devastation at her business, she’s pretty sure she knows who’s to blame.
‘Leanna is known for being a troublemaker and attention-seeker,’ says Mimi Singer, who plays Leanna and like her character is 17. ‘When Leyla finds out her office has been ransacked, all eyes are on Leanna.’
Whether she did it is another matter, but the break-in happens after Leanna is furious to find Leyla’s been invited to what she thought was a father-and-daughter dinner.
‘Leanna is desperate to be close to her dad, but never seems to be Liam’s main priority and she feels frustrated. Leanna sees Leyla as another woman taking attention away from her and she again feels second best.
‘She is pushing Liam away to test how much he’d fight for his daughter or if he’d fight harder for his girlfriend. So things are tough between them.’
It all stems from the death of her mother, says Mimi. ‘As a young child, Leanna saw her mum die of a nut allergy and she hasn’t had a mother figure in her life since. Her dad keeps having these serious but short-term relationships, all resulting in little stability for Leanna.
‘Liam was previously married to Maya Stepney, who never got on with Leanna, and then got engaged to Bernice, who he cheated on with Leyla after she’d left the country to look after her own daughter. Had Bernice married Liam, Leanna would’ve had the ready-made family she longs for.’
Mimi says she’s completely different to her character. ‘Leanna’s a stereotypical popular mean girl, who creates drama to keep her position.
‘She’s got a hard exterior because of everything she’s been through, which causes her to bully others and disregard their feelings. She was the sort of person I stayed away from at school!’
Mimi grew up in Singapore before moving to the UK with her family. She made her stage debut in 2014 in The Sound Of Music in the West End, and three years later was cast in the movie Heidi: Queen Of The Mountain with Bill Nighy and Helen Baxendale.
Yet Mimi says getting the Emmerdale job in spring 2018 topped all that.
‘My proudest moment was the day my mum called to tell me that I’d landed the role of Leanna.’
Unfortunately, lockdown has halted filming but Mimi is making the most of it. ‘I’ve enjoyed spending time with my family, and I’m singing, writing music and making sure I stay fit.’ ■