“Jessie needs to find closure from her tragic past!”
JESSIE HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE WITH MARLON IF SHE WANTS IT, EXPLAINS HER REAL-LIFE ALTER EGO SANDRA MARVIN…
There was a time when we thought unlucky-in-love Marlon would never smile again, but thanks to lovely Jessie Grant he’s positively beaming these days. She’s changed his life for the better, and both he and daughter April have fallen in love with her and her son Ellis. They’ve reached that point in their romance where Marlon wants to say the ‘L’ word, and this week he takes the plunge. However, Sandra Marvin – who plays Jessie – tells us her alter ego’s reaction is going to make him wonder if he’s been reading their situation all wrong…
“Jessie is really happy with Marlon, but she’s floored by what he does – she isn’t expecting it at all,” insists the star. “I reckon she’s a bit shocked, because I don’t think she’s been in that position for a while, nor did she expect to be. Since Ellis moved in, she’s been a bit distracted by the situation between them fighting over her other son, Billy.” Of course, Marlon declaring his love is the brainchild of April – the truly adorable member of the family. She encourages her dad to make a grand gesture to show Jessie what she means to him – but the moment doesn’t end how they expect it to. “Marlon gets the idea from April about being romantic and setting up fairy lights that spell out ‘I love you, Jessie’ on the wall of Tall Trees,” explains Sandra. “As soon as she walks through the door, Marlon pounces on her, covers her eyes, and then does the big reveal. Her first instinct is that she’s on the spot and doesn’t know how to react. She retreats to settle herself a bit and speaks to Ellis about it. He tells her it’s time to move on with her life.”
Jessie’s hesitance comes from her unresolved grief at the death of her first husband. The tragic loss changed her life, and while she went on to have a relationship and another child with Ellis’ dad, Jessie didn’t deal with her demons.
“When Billy’s dad died, it was a shock because he was the love of her life, and Jessie thought that she’d be with him forever and ever,” shares Sandra. “At the time, she was pregnant, so she just got on with life, but there were tell-tale signs that she never properly moved on. She needs to find closure, and she didn’t do that when she was with Ellis’ father, and it caused problems.”
A widower himself, Marlon is the perfect person to help Jessie face things. Will his understanding help cement their relationship?
“Yes, it’s Marlon who gives Jessie the courage to open up and they connect on a different level,” says Sandra. “She finds a way to finally say goodbye, and I’m excited to see how their relationship changes from there.”
There’s lots of potential for Jessie, so what’s the story that Sandra would most like Emmerdale to tell?
“It’d be exciting to have Billy arrive, and Ellis’ dad is out there too!” she muses. “Jessie would be delighted to have all her babies back around her. Even though Billy hasn’t turned up yet, we’re hearing lots about him. Jessie really believes in that strong family unit, and it breaks her heart a little bit that she doesn’t have that.”
She could have if she settles down with Marlon – but initially, there’s the first Christmas for the couple to enjoy together. What does it hold for them?
“Jessie has an interesting Christmas coming up,” teases Sandra. “I don’t think she expects her Christmas to go where it does – there are a lot of twists and turns. It’s going to change her life!”