Former Coronation Street star Paula Lane made her Emmerdale debut as she arrived in the Yorkshire dales on Tuesday evening.
The actress, 37, was back with a bang as her new character Ella Forster exploded onto screens and seems to already be striking up a friendship with Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley).
Ella is introduced as a PA to a loud-mouthed and bossy managing director called Jules (Wayne Cater), yet by the end of her debut episode the character had already dramatically quit her job after dousing Jules in a pint of beer and calling him a ‘whinging scrotum’.
Hosting an event, Jules spent the evening making snide remarks, and continued to insult Mandy as he mocked her outfit choice.
Mandy had decided to dress to impress and donned a black dress held together with decorative safety pins in a throwback to the iconic gown worn by Liz Hurley in the 1990s.
Yet Jules couldn’t help but poke fun at the outfit choice and continued to call Mandy ‘Liz’, despite her telling him not to.
As Ella reached boiling point, the young professional had enough of her boss’s bullying as she turned to him and explained that her only problem is ‘the whinging scrotum I get to call my boss’.
As Jules questions whether that’s her handing in her notice, she hits back, ‘No but this is’ and pours a beer over his head, much to his dismay.
Speaking about her new role she told Metro: ‘It’s the final straw when she just sees him humiliate Mandy, and she really wants to stand up for her.
‘And I think through that, obviously, Mandy just sees that. She’s a good friend to have and they just immediately have this spark. And it develops from there.’
Paula teased that her and Mandy could be a great pairing together while she also confirmed that romance could be on the cards for her.
‘There might be some fireworks, there’s a little bit of competition, perhaps. Little love triangle going on. But behind closed doors, who knows what can happen. I’m going to be at the heart of the village, working out of the new surgery.’
Paula left our screens almost eight years ago after playing feisty Kylie Platt in Corrie from 2010 until her character’s tragic death in 2016, and the star is delighted to be back on ITV.
Taking to Twitter after her first Emmerdale episode, Paula wrote: ‘So many lovely messages about @emmerdale and Ella – feeling enormously grateful to be a part of this show.
‘Everyone has just been so welcoming and I couldn’t have wished for a better start ❤️ you can catch me on @thismorning in the morning.’
Over the moon the have the star back in the land of soaps, they replied to Paula’s message with their supportive words.
One wrote: ‘Got a very strong feeling that Ella is going to become one of my favourite British soap opera characters not just in Emmerdale but across all the soaps. You did an amazing job and you are a phenomenal actress. Can’t wait to see what’s next for Ella. I’m really excited.’
A second wrote: ‘You were outstanding’ while a third chimed: ‘Look forward to seeing Ella’s journey’.
Another added: ‘Just seen that you have joined emmerdale. Gonna have to start watching again’.
Another penned: ‘can’t wait to see what drama you bring in this soap question is will you survive this time’.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
