Emma Atkins, the actress portraying Charity Dingle on Emmerdale, has suggested that her character may ultimately retaliate against Dr Todd as the blackmail plot intensifies. Currently, Charity is ensnared in a web of deception after Dr Todd discovered that the baby she carried for her granddaughter Sarah Sugden and Sarah's husband Jacob is not biologically theirs. A brief affair with Ross Barton led to Charity's pregnancy, a secret they have both guarded closely.
Dr Todd, leveraging his feud with Jacob, is blackmailing Charity for money, threatening to reveal to Jacob that he is not baby Leyla's real father unless she complies. While Charity appears to capitulate next week, Atkins hinted that this may be a temporary setback.
Charity's Potential Fightback
Speaking to The Mirror and other press outlets, Atkins teased: "They enter the game of cat and mouse, and will she go along with it? Not without a fight, but at the moment she has to play along with Todd's demands. I love it." The actress emphasised that Charity lives in constant fear of exposure, stating: "It's constantly that horror for Charity of being in that moment where any moment Todd could let it out."
However, Atkins expressed hope that Charity will have support from Cain Dingle, following a recent scene where Cain vowed to stand by her. She noted: "It's going to be very symbolic because it's already coming up in more scripts where she actually hands it to Moses, and I don't know where they're going with that at the moment. I definitely know that they're planting that for reasons where she's going to maybe... it's a big cry for help in the future."
Vanessa's Involvement
The situation is further complicated by Charity's ex-partner Vanessa Woodfield, who is now romantically involved with Dr Todd. Atkins revealed Charity's genuine concern for Vanessa's well-being: "I don't necessarily know whether she's still in love or not, but she cares so much for her. She doesn't want her to get hurt. When she walks into the house and Todd says 'get out of my house', she's genuinely worried because she feels Todd's got an agenda."
Atkins added that while there may be a hint of jealousy, the primary emotion is concern: "It's human nature to feel that sometimes when you've been with someone you really love and then see someone else with them, but the majority of it is just genuine concern."
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
