Jessie tells Marlon her secret
AS HER ALTER EGO REVEALS A HUGE FAMILY SECRET, THE DALES’ SANDRA MARVIN LETS SLIP A FEW OF HER OWN…
Emmerdale fans have seen a different side to Hotten Academy’s headteacher Jessie Grant in recent weeks. Although she’s been in the village since November, Jessie’s family has been largely kept a mystery up to now. We know that she has two former husbands – one dead and one divorced – but it’s only since the arrival of her son Ellis that we’ve discovered more…
“I think it’s going to be exciting for the audience to learn more about Jessie and her history,” beams Sandra Marvin, who plays her. “All the good and bad bits – and the secrets she has in her closet!”
We’re intrigued to hear more about her relationship with Ellis. It seems as if Jessie is pleased to be reunited with her son, even though his arrival has caused problems in her romance with Marlon.
“She is really happy to see Ellis,” insists Sandra. “As we’ve explored, there has been some friction and distance between them, as Ellis has been living with his dad. So she has missed him, but there are tensions between them for various reasons.
Can they be resolved? I don’t know!”
Ellis has been staying in Marlon’s spare room since turning up, which has caused some heartache for Jessie’s other half – as she’s been keen to cool things between them while she builds up her bond with her boy. Nevertheless, Jessie seems to be pleased with the budding friendship between her fella and her son.
“Well, after the initial hiccup where Ellis managed to injure Marlon, I think their rapport amuses her,” says Sandra. “Ellis brings out the youthfulness in Marlon and they get on like a house on fire. So, if anything, she’s a little surprised at how quickly they’ve clicked!”
It seems as though there’s the potential for the perfect family set-up. Then again, there’s that small matter of a very big secret about to drop.
Jessie admits to Ellis that she has been visiting her other son, Billy, but she hasn’t yet told Marlon about his existence – or why she’s been keeping him quiet for so long…
“She doesn’t know how Marlon is going to react,” teases Sandra. “It’s something that’s so important to her. She’s scared of being that vulnerable with him. It’s still early days being with Marlon, and it’s been easy to keep this secret so far. It’s just been her and Marlon, and no one else really knows her. However, once Ellis is there too, it becomes much more difficult. In the end, her hand is kind of forced. Marlon walks into a situation, and the decision is taken out of her hands!
“He’s floored initially,” adds the actress. “She’s expecting him to be shocked, and it’s definitely going to be challenging for them. It’s going to present some obstacles in the future, and there will be a lot of mountains for them both to get over.”
Here at Inside Soap, we’re keeping everything crossed that Jessie and Marlon go the distance, especially after it took them so long to get together! And Sandra is just as keen as we are that their story will have a happy ending. “I think that it’s a very playful relationship,” enthuses the star. “I mean he’s been persistent, hasn’t he? She’s found that endearing. He’s really funny – whether he means to be or not! They have a similar sense of humour, even if a lot of the time she’s taking the mickey out of him. But I think she genuinely does care for him. They have a relationship that’s based on a lot of laughter, and, by God, you need to laugh through life’s challenges! So that bodes well for them. Will that save them, though? We’ll see…”
There’s been some friction between Jessie and son Ellis…