“Emma always pulls something out of the bag!”

Gillian Kearney on her character’s climactic week…

Did you and Natalie enjoy having a final showdown?

It was really good fun! We were nervous at the start because this is such an important block of episodes, but it was very exciting – and Natalie and I weren’t limited at all. We were allowed to trust our instincts together!

How do you switch off from playing such a complex character?

Oh, I switch off all the time – even between takes! As a character gets darker, you have to find the light and have a giggle. I’m always joking around with the cast and crew, and Emma has completely left me after the drive home at the

end of the day.

Do you think fans would like to see Emma get her comeuppance this week?

Yes, but I think they love it as well. She’s always able to pull something out the bag. When I was on holiday recently, a fan came up to me and said, “I can’t believe you got away with it again!”. You have to question how Emma could ever come back from this – would anyone be able to put up with this much without totally cracking?

Could Emma be ready to finally confess everything?

That would completely end her relationship with her boys – she doesn’t want them to stop loving her. They’re the whole reason she’s been trying to survive this. She can’t contemplate giving up, and has to try to keep the truth at bay no matter what…

What should the audience expect from this week?

The net is closing in on Emma, so they should brace themselves. I don’t think there’s any let-up! People won’t just be going, “Oh my goodness” watching it, they’ll be on the edge of their seats. Plenty happens and there are plenty of surprises in store that nobody will expect.