The vicar and the prostitute…
Harriet is horrified when she bumps into Dawn – what is she hiding?
It’s clear that there’s some real history between them…
If a resident of soapland has someone from their past who they really don’t want to reconnect with, it goes without saying that out of all the places in all the world, said person will end up living just around the corner. So it is with Harriet, who looks like she’s seen a ghost when she bumps into prostitute Dawn this week. We can’t imagine the village vicar was ever on the game, so how does Harriet know her? And why is she so desperate to avoid her? Drug-addled Dawn has been a sporadic presence in Emmerdale for some time, due to her connection to Ross Barton. When she last tipped up, Rhona and Pete found her at Dale View, and Rhona tried to help her – but Dawn was desperate to stand on her own two feet, and it turns out that she has since been sleeping in the community garden shed.
When Rhona and Pete stumble across her, Dawn scarpers, and Pete later finds her soliciting in a car park. But when he brings her back to the village and offers her a roof over her head, she gets the wrong idea and tries to kiss him. Pete’s fuming, and when he threatens to kick her out, Dawn gives him an ultimatum: if he doesn’t let her stay, she’ll tell Rhona he made a move on her.
‘Dawn is a survivor,’ says Olivia Bromley, who plays her. ‘The cold streets of December aren’t for her, so it’s a no-brainer for her to set Pete up.’
Sensible Pete tells Rhona what happened, and Rhona confronts Dawn in the café. Defensive Dawn can’t deal with the truth and shoves the vet as she makes off.
As Pete gives chase, Harriet spots the commotion and intervenes. But when she sets eyes on Dawn, the colour suddenly drains from her face.
‘Dawn is completely floored by seeing Harriet, and Harriet hasn’t expected to see Dawn either,’ Olivia tells us. ‘Harriet makes out that she doesn’t know who Dawn is, but it’s clear that there’s some real history between them… and there are some shocking revelations to come.’
What is the pair’s connection?