MEENA’S TRIAL SENSATION!

Can the Emmerdale villain con the jury and get away with murder? We ask Paige Sandhu

Meena finally faces justice in Emmerdale this week when she goes on trial for her murder spree. But she doesn’t show any remorse; instead she revels in her notoriety and feels confident she’ll get off!

Meena — who took the lives of Leanna, Andrea and Ben, and killed her best friend before moving to the village — is sure she can con the jury into believing she’s innocent. But when she takes the witness stand and delivers the performance of her life, will they believe her?

Paige Sandhu, who’s played Meena since 2020, says, ‘I knew the storyline would have to end as you can’t let a villain as evil as her carry on, but the audience will be on the edge of their seats through the trial, not knowing which way it will go.

‘When I thought about how it might end, I felt Meena had to die as it would be suitably epic. But when I found out what had been written, I thought it was even better.

‘If Meena goes to prison, it would be a fitting end. But she has a history of getting away with things, so viewers will be nervous that might happen again.’

Nerves are certainly frayed in the village. Tension peaks when Meena enters the courtroom, basking in the spotlight. ‘She’s excited, this is her chance to shine,’ says Paige. ‘It’s all about her and she loves that. She feels no remorse, and never will.

‘Meena has delusions of grandeur, and is very good at using other people’s weaknesses to her advantage. She believes she can wrap the jury around her little finger. In her mind she’s going to blow them away.

‘Meena’s performance for the jury aims to give the impression she’s been abused by those giving evidence against her,’ says Paige. ‘And when Liam and Manpreet get angry and flustered on the stand, it looks like her plan is working.’

In the witness box Meena’s utterly convincing as a meek victim and the jury is enthralled. So will it work? ‘You’ll have to tune in,’ teases Paige, who filmed her last scenes a few weeks ago and is job hunting.

‘I’ve had a few auditions,’ she says. ‘Emmerdale has been a lovely place to work. I’ll miss everyone, especially Rebecca Sarker, who plays Manpreet. But it felt the right time to go.’