THE SOAP YEARS

The new vicar gets the shock of his life when he bumps into an old pal in Emmerdale – but what’s their secret?

The storylines time will never forget

Emmerdale’s new vicar Charles thinks he’s seen a ghost this week when he spots old acquaintance Manpreet, who he thought was dead! It’s revealed that years ago the pair were close until Manpreet, who previously went by the name Saira, vanished suddenly.

When they see each other, a panicked Manpreet – who’s married to Rishi – begs Charles not to reveal her past life. But what is Charles and Manpreet’s secret, and will he agree to stay silent? ‘Let’s just say they have a real history, and she isn’t who Charles thought,’ teases Kevin Mathurin, who plays the vicar.

‘When they see each other it’s like they’ve both seen a ghost. For Charles, she’s this person he’s not set eyes on for more than 15 years and thought was dead. He knows her as Saira, so when she says she’s called Manpreet, Charles wonders what other lies she’s told. There’s a lot of past to be dug up.

‘Charles is committed to his job and loves making friends. He won’t want to ruffle feathers or have the village know his private life – he just wants explanations about where she’s been and why she disappeared.

‘If Charles gets those answers then, as a man of the cloth, he will try to forgive her. He will see she has a new life and won’t want to interfere with that. She’s married and has moved on, and so will he…’

That may, however, be easier said than done where Charles’s son, Ethan, is concerned. ‘Ethan was young and traumatised by the ordeal of this person who was important in their lives suddenly going missing,’ explains Kevin. ‘Manpreet has a cheek asking Charles to keep it from Ethan after all these years. He deserves an explanation, and Charles has to hold

back his devastation to protect his child. But he will feel he needs to let Ethan know he’s found her.’

Charles arrived in Emmerdale to help vicar Harriet, who’s struggling to cope with her involvement in the murder of bent detective Malone. She threatens to quit for good this week, leaving Charles with his hands full. ‘Charles is worried about Harriet,’ says Kevin, who’s 47 and from London. ‘He doesn’t like seeing her so low and doesn’t want her to leave. Though he can see Harriet is troubled

he isn’t sure why and wants to gain her trust. He just wants to help her.’

Kevin, whose first appearance was in the Christmas Day episode, is thrilled to have joined Emmerdale, especially as his mum’s a fan of the show. ‘It’s been great – everyone’s been so friendly. Mum and I used to watch Emmerdale together when I was a kid; this is like coming full circle and saying thank you for her sacrifices and support. She was over the moon watching my screen debut.’ ■