Emmerdale’s Karen Blick ‘begged’ soap bosses to save Lydia from rape storyline ahead of harrowing new plot
EMMERDALE star Karen Blick begged soap bosses not to have her character Lydia Dingle be raped in a harrowing new storyline.
The actress, 48, has played fan-favourite Lydia in the ITV soap since 2016 and she’s been through her fair share of traumatic storylines.
But when bosses sat her down to explain how Lydia would become the victim of a sexual assault from ex Craig, Karen was left in tears.
Karen said: “Jane Hudson contacted me – our exec producer – for a story catch-up and at the time, we weren’t sure if the story was going to run. It was just a case of sounding out this potential sensitive story for Lydia.
“And my initial reaction was ‘Please don’t do this to Lydia. Please!’
“I felt very protective of the character, and conflicted as an actor, because it’s an important story. It needs telling. But then, it’s this terrible thing happening to somebody you are so close to, and the repercussions for that character, going forward.”
Weeks later Karen and on-screen husband James Hooton were told the storyline was going ahead.
Karen said: “When Jane said, ‘And then Craig rapes Lydia’, the two of us… it kind of hits you.
“It’s a shocking thing to hear, and I saw the look on James’ face. He was just shaking his head again, and said, ‘I didn’t expect that’.
“And both of us had tears in our eyes. It was a really moving, strong reaction. Certainly, it was the strongest reaction I’ve ever had to a potential story, emotionally.”
Karen and Emmerdale bosses worked alongside Rape Crisis for more than a year to get the storyline right before filming.
The storyline is due to play out on screens next month.
Fans have seen Lydia recently reconnect with her ex partner Craig – with the pair previously suffering from a stillbirth on the soap.
Things had been friendly between the former romantic pair, with Craig even helping Lydia to secure a job working for him amid her current financial woes at the Dingle household.
But things are due to take a sinister turn, when Craig’s behaviour becomes a concern – forcing himself on Lydia and raping her.
Upcoming scenes will see Lydia left in shock as she deals with the aftermath of the attack and debates how best to move forward.
She is faced with the decision of whether to report Craig’s appalling crime to the police.
The soap’s boss also admitted the story will run into Christmas and will see Sam and Lydia’s marriage tested and “lives irrevocably changed forever”.