Casey Al-Shaqsy, the actress portraying newcomer Serena Sugden on Emmerdale, has opened up about her weight loss journey and impressive West End theatre background as her character stirs suspicion in the village.
Weight Loss Revelation
Recently, Casey took to Instagram to share and discuss her weight loss journey. Posting a series of snaps on her Instagram Story, where she also sported a longer hairstyle, the actress wrote: "I think in 2 months since watching my first eps... I think I've lost a bit of weight" accompanied by shocked emojis. In the photos, Casey wore a pair of nude shorts, a lilac bralette and a cropped striped jumper as she posed for a series of photos which she shared on her social media.
West End Past
Emmerdale marks one of Casey's initial television and soap appearances. Before the ITV soap, Casey is most recognised for her remarkable West End career, having featured in Once on This Island (Concert - Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Hamilton (UK Tour), Wicked (UK Tour), Six: The Musical (UK Tour), Bonnie and Clyde (Concert - Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre) and Rumi: The Musical (London Coliseum).
Serena Sugden's Arrival and Suspicious Behaviour
Serena Sugden made her debut on the ITV soap just last month and has already raised eyebrows with her suspicious behaviour. Serena, portrayed by Casey Al-Shaqsy, arrived in the village last month as a member of the Sugden family, being the granddaughter of Robert Sugden's father Jack's cousin. Serena confessed that she was without a home and job, so decided to seek help from her family in the village. Since then, Serena has been welcomed into Sarah Sugden's home and Charity Dingle has offered her a job as a barmaid at The Woolpack after confiding in the newcomer about her recent struggles. However, Serena has been causing suspicion in recent episodes. Lately, Serena has begun probing for information about her late serial killer cousin John Sugden, whom she had known, and his victim Nate Robinson, reports the Mirror.
Casey's Excitement About the Role
Speaking about joining Emmerdale last month, Casey stated: "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."
Emmerdale continues on weeknights at 8pm on ITV and ITV X.
