Emmerdale newcomer Serena Sugden (Casey Al-Shaqsy) made an instant impression on fans when she debuted last month, but confusion arose over her exact connection to Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley). Now, actress Casey Al-Shaqsy has taken to social media to clarify her character's place in the Sugden family tree, definitively ruling out the fan theory that Serena isn't a true Sugden.
Serena’s Family Connection Explained
In a video posted to her Instagram stories, Casey explained that Serena is the great granddaughter of Edward Sugden. In the very first Emmerdale episode, which aired in 1972, characters attended the funeral of Jacob Sugden. Jacob and Edward were brothers. Since Jacob was the father of Robert’s dad, Jack Sugden, this makes Robert and Serena second cousins once removed. The actress acknowledged that this relationship is a mouthful, so the characters simply refer to each other as cousins.
Serena’s First Storyline
Serena’s first scenes saw her providing a listening ear for Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins), who had reached breaking point after suffering a sexual assault at the hands of Dr Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker). Charity had run away from the village and taken refuge by a lake in the woods, where Serena found her. It transpired that Serena worked for the Samaritans and managed to get Charity to open up about her struggles and what Dr Todd had done to her. Serena advised Charity to come clean about her baby secret, so that she could inform the police of Dr Todd’s blackmail, which would help the case against her. At the end of the episode, viewers saw that Serena’s Satnav was directing her to Emmerdale, and quickly realised that she must be the newest member of the Sugden family.
Producer’s Vision for the Sugdens
Emmerdale boss Laura Shaw has previously been enthusiastic about her plans to bring the iconic Sugden family back to the centre of village life. This began with Robert and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) buying what has now been renamed Emmerdale Farm. Speaking about the introduction of Serena, Shaw said: “The Sugdens are a core part of the Emmerdale fabric, and we are thrilled to welcome Casey to the family. Her character will be at the heart of some extremely gripping and unexpected storylines, forcing her to make difficult choices that will have dramatic consequences for some of the village’s biggest names.”
Actress’s Excitement
Casey was equally excited to join the show, stating: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining such an iconic show and playing a Sugden! Serena is a fantastic character with so much going on beneath the surface. I can’t wait for the audience to see the drama unfold.”
