Corrinne Wicks (Emmerdale's Ella) interview

Next week on Emmerdale, Declan’s vivacious ex-wife Ella arrives, played by Corrinne Wicks.

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How did you feel about getting the part and how have your first couple of weeks gone?

“I am absolutely over the moon. I watched as a child and then started watching again about nine months ago, never dreaming I would be lucky enough to land a part in it. Three weeks in it still hasn’t sunk in that I have got such a fantastic job. I am so chuffed and happy to be here. Emmerdale has a great mixture of light and shade. It sits beautifully in the middle of the darkness of EastEnders and the comedy of Corrie. I’m terribly shy and was horribly, horribly nervous on my first day.

“Although I’ve done soap before (Doctors), it was less scary then because I was an original cast member so we were all new together, but this time it’s like joining a new school half way through the term! Emmerdale is on a huge scale in comparison. Everyone is so warm and welcoming. Jason took me into the canteen the other day because I was too scared to go in on my own! He’s looking after me.”

How would you describe Ella?

“She’s passionate, feisty, hard-working, warm, hopefully funny, likeable and no-nonsense. She is a lovely character and quite different from what I am usually cast as. I usually get ice maiden type professionals - doctors, lawyers and so on. Ella is quite wealthy but has worked hard in Singapore to make the business work. She likes high-end fashion and wears lots of skinny jeans, designer boots, that kind of thing - dripping in diamonds.

“She is a nail technician with a very successful string of nail bars in Singapore. So the pressure is on for me to have nice nails on-screen. I am a nail biter so the show has given me amazing acrylic nails. I keep breaking them though. My husband’s not too happy that I can’t help digging the garden! It’s a great excuse – they are property of ITV I have to look after them!”

Talk us through how she arrives in the village...

“She comes in incognito at first so no-one realises she is related to Declan, although they are actually divorced. There is definite unfinished business with Declan. He invites her back briefly to help him get something he wants, then sends her packing back to Singapore but she’s got other ideas. It is a love/hate relationship. They have stayed in constant contact, particularly because of their daughter.

“Declan has been over to Singapore because Mia has a motorbike accident and I think seeing each other has sparked something between them again. Ella wants to pursue it. She’s going to fight for her man. There is a lot of feeling between them. There is an irresistible pull but they drive each other mad.”

What kind of relationship do Ella and Declan have?

“They are more than a match for each other. I think he is attracted to her because she is a challenge and a strong woman. He sees a lot of himself in Ella and she likewise sees herself in him, but no-one likes to look at themselves too closely do they? It’s part if what pushes them apart too. It’s a passionate relationship but with a sense of ‘can’t live with him, can’t live without him’.”

Is she close to her daughter Mia?

“Thick as thieves, mother and daughter but also best friends, they dress similarly, I don’t know if there is ever an element of competition there. I can imagine they had lots of nights out in Singapore together. Mia is a ‘mini me’ and hopefully she’s quite proud of her mum. As a team they can manipulate Declan, even though their relationships with him individually are different.

“I think Ella is probably the more infuriating of the two, because Declan feels he’s got some authority over Mia which he doesn’t have over Ella. I think they will gang up on him and when Dermot joins us too there will be a lot of fun.”

What can we expect from Ella? What kind of impact will she have on the village?

“She’s already coming to blows a little bit with Alicia because of her and Declan flirting. But as long as people keep away from her man she’ll be alight. I think she is a man’s lady and a lady’s lady too. She doesn’t judge people on face value. It would be nice if she formed allegiances with people like Charity and Chas - other strong women, but then that could result in a power struggle.

“She’s got a fun, jokey relationship with Nicola. She also gets bored easily and so if Declan won’t play ball she’s not going to hang around. I’m hoping there’s going to be a lot of flirting! There are some good looking guys on this show!”


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