Tracy faces life without her dad
TRAGEDY HAS RIPPED HER ALTER EGO’S LIFE APART, AND EMMERDALE’S AMY WALSH RECKONS THAT THE ROAD TO RECOVERY IS GOING TO BE LONG…
Poor Tracy Metcalfe is a broken woman in need of a big hug. Her pain and despair following dad Frank’s tragic death has been almost unbearable, and left us wanting to reach into the screen to comfort her. For Emmerdale star Amy Walsh (who plays Tracy) it’s an exciting challenge to have such a huge storyline, but it’s come at a cost – waving goodbye to co-star and screen dad Michael Praed (Frank Clayton). So what does the future hold for Amy – and will her alter ego get over what’s happened to her dad?
“I don’t think anyone ever gets over losing a parent, whatever age they are at,” muses Amy, who joins us for a chat about the traumatic plot. “The circumstances have been so turbulent, too. If Amy can find out the truth, she might be able to settle and find some calmness to move forward, but it won’t be easy.”
The fire itself was a classic Emmerdale stunt, and it took everyone’s breath away. Trapped in the storeroom with Frank battling to get her out, Tracy was at the heart of the action – and that meant very exciting scenes for Amy…
“It was such a great time!” she enthuses. “It took a week to film the fire episodes. One of my favourite bits was just Michael and I being on set, inside the factory. We’d not really worked together for a little while, as he’d done a lot of stuff with Gaynor Faye [Megan], and I’d been in the Maya and Jacob storyline. So, having this moment with me and him sat either side of the door made me feel quite emotional.”
The fire episodes ended with Frank
being blown to his death as he raced out of the sweet factory with Megan’s engagement ring in his pocket. While it was traumatic on screen, Amy says it was a thrill to witness the big moment.
“It was amazing to watch the stunt being filmed and how elated everyone was with how it went!” she tells us.
“It really was a goosebump moment. The effects and the stunt people were amazing. It felt as if we were all part of something really big and impressive.”
Now, the fallout of Frank’s death continues, and Amy reckons Tracy is feeling more isolated than ever. “Somebody said to me the other day, ‘Who are Tracy’s friends?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s a tricky one!’” muses the star. “Leyla was, but then she did the dirty on Tracy. Tracy and Priya have a little bit of a friendship, although it’s nothing much. Finn was her best friend and he died. She doesn’t really have a relationship with her mum, which is hard for any woman, and now Frank’s gone. She’s lost everything, and I feel for her. After her divorce from David, Frank was the only thing she had. She has this weird relationship with Vanessa, yet they often don’t see eye to eye, even though she knows Vanessa loves her. I think Tracy will struggle without Frank.”
It’s not only Tracy who’ll be pining – Amy’s had to say goodbye to screen dad Michael. What does Amy miss the most about her old cast mate?
“Everything!” she confesses.
“We loved Michael and his positivity. He would come up to you in the make-up chair, and break in just for two kisses and to say, ‘Hello, my darling!’ and
I really miss that. Michael always had chewing gum, too, so I’m missing that as well – I don’t know who to get it off these days!”
If Amy can find out the truth, she might be able to settle… Kate White