Kerry’s fears for Amelia

Laura Norton on the mystery surrounding her Emmerdale character’s missing stepdaughter

Fears over little Amelia Spencer grow this week. It’s been two weeks since Amelia, who’s 11, disappeared and the worry is that she may be dead. The youngster vanished after overhearing Dan Spencer – the man she called Dad – admitting his brother Daz was her biological father.

Laura Norton, who plays Amelia’s stepmother Kerry, says the Spencers are despairing of seeing Amelia again. ‘The more time goes by, the more Dan and Kerry fear something bad has happened. They have no idea why she’s missing, but Dan’s spent his whole life thinking Daz is a bad penny and believes he has something to do with it, which causes a feud. It’s tearing the family apart.’

Daz – who fathered Amelia during a fling with Dan’s then wife Ali – has been questioned by police. When he’s given a further grilling over evidence apparently linking him to the case, Dan threatens his brother with a wrench. When Daz makes a shock confession about their past, Dan tells him to leave Emmerdale for good.

‘ The brothers have a heart- toheart to do with Daz’s past, which makes everyone suspicious,’ says Laura. ‘ His confession has the

potential to break their already fraught brotherly bond forever.’

Amelia’s disappearance is the latest in a long line of issues between Dan and Daz who, aside from his affair with Ali, made a pass at Kerry the day she married Dan in 2014.

Does Kerry believe that Daz – whom Laura describes as ‘like a kindred spirit to Kerry, because they’re both flawed’ – could have harmed Amelia?

‘In her heart she doesn’t, but there’s a niggle of doubt, and he is acting suspiciously,’ says Laura, 34. ‘Kerry feels responsibility because she brought Daz back to the village and forced Dan to make up with him. If she hadn’t, this wouldn’t be happening.’

The storyline has some way to run with plenty of twists and turns, adds

Laura. ‘Amelia going missing is not over, and there’s another major event still to happen that will turn the family upside down again.’

What if the worst should happen and Amelia is dead or never found? ‘I don’t know how the Spencer family would come back from it,’ she says.

Laura’s about to start her seventh year in Emmerdale, and feels lucky her character is kept in the thick of the action. ‘It’s been amazing. I’ll stay as long as they’ll have me,’ she adds.

Lucky, too, that through work Laura met her partner of two years Mark Jordon, who plays Daz. ‘He’s my best friend. We help each other when we’re doing a scene, but give space when we need it. Then we leave work and have a nice time. It’s lovely.’