Emmerdale fans are in for a major surprise tonight (September 2) as Patsy Kensit makes her long-awaited return to the Yorkshire Dales, reprising her role as iconic villain Sadie King for the first time in almost 20 years.
Sadie, the former wife of Jimmy King, first arrived in the village in 2004 and quickly became one of the soap's most memorable troublemakers. Known for her ruthless ambition and devious schemes, the character was at the centre of several huge storylines during her time in the Dales.
A dramatic arrival by helicopter
The peace of the village is disturbed by the sound of an approaching helicopter before Sadie makes her dramatic arrival. She is then seen laying a single red rose at the site of Jimmy's crash.
Sadie claims she has returned to pay her respects, but Jimmy's wife Nicola is far from convinced. With Nicola immediately suspicious of her former love rival's motives, viewers will be left wondering whether Sadie has genuinely changed over the years or if she has another agenda.
Storylines from her original stint
During her original run on the soap, Sadie was involved in a string of dramatic storylines, including a house explosion and high-stakes affairs with a young Robert Sugden and Cain Dingle. Her time in the village eventually came to an end after Cain double-crossed her, stole ransom money and dramatically left her behind.
Now, nearly two decades later, one of Emmerdale's most legendary villains is back.
Patsy Kensit on her return
Patsy previously opened up about returning to the soap during an appearance on Davina McCall's Begin Again podcast. Speaking about being back on set, she admitted she was initially nervous but said she was having a "blast".
"I'm only back for six months but the storylines are fantastic, it's written really well," she said. "It's a hell of a ride, and I'm right in the middle of it at the moment."
The actress added that she had received a warm welcome from both the cast and crew. She continued: "Everyone has been so gorgeous to me, going back... To go back and have cast members that have stayed on the show, or had left and have gone back, just to see them again... There's a real truth about the Yorkshire welcome, and that is something I've had in spades going back on the show."
Patsy also revealed that the chance to return to Emmerdale "came out of nowhere". However, after meeting with show bosses to discuss the possibility, she said she "jumped at it".
With Sadie set to remain in the village for six months, her dramatic return could be just the beginning of another eventful chapter for the infamous character. Emmerdale airs at 8pm, weeknights on ITV1 and STV, or from 7am on ITVX and STV Player and YouTube.
