Unlucky in love Priya Sharma is set for Christmas heartbreak in Emmerdale as her fiance’s mystery woman is finally revealed.
And while it looks unlikely her character will walk down the aisle, actress Fiona Wade has just celebrated her own first wedding anniversary.
So Fiona, 41, is secretly glad that she might not have to don another white gown so soon.
“I don’t want to wear another wedding dress,” she laughs. “My own day was so special so right now I’m not in a hurry to get in another one.
“I haven’t quite brought myself to put my dress back on. I’m worried I won’t fit into it!”
On Christmas Day Emmerdale fans will discover who Priya’s fiance Al Chapman, played by Michael Wildman, has been having an affair with – but Priya is oblivious.
“Priya thinks this is it for her,” explains Fiona. “This is her fairytale ending.
“There’s lots of drama coming up. She’ll get a bit further with the wedding planning, then it’s going to be shattered.
“The identity of Al’s secret lover comes out on Christmas Day but not for Priya. She hasn’t got a clue.
“Everyone is in for an exciting Christmas. Fans will be surprised at who it is.”
Spending the past seven years playing luckless Priya, Fiona has had her fair share of on-screen love interests.
Priya has had romances with Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) and David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden), who she had daughter Amba with.
She married and divorced Rakesh Kotecha (Pasha Bocarie) and had a relationship with Pete Barton (Anthony Quinlan) – who was at the time engaged to her friend Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi).
Thankfully Fiona’s life is more fairytale than soap storyline – and she was surprised by actor husband Simon Cotton’s romantic gesture on their first anniversary.
She says: “I arrived home from work after a long day and he had put candles all around our new home and had made me a four-course meal. He even had his wedding suit on.
“I turned up drenched so I had a quick turnaround!
(Image: ITV)
“We had a beautiful meal and I was falling asleep by my dessert.
“It was our paper anniversary and he wrote me an incredible letter. It was the best present I’ve ever had.”
The pair met on the Emmerdale set in 2017 when Simon, 42, played Home Farm client Hugh Bryant for a short stint.
They started dating the following year and announced their engagement in 2019.
The couple wed in a glitzy Cotswolds do at Euridge Manor in October last year, attended by her Emmerdale besties.
Chris Bisson, who plays her TV brother Jai, and real-life married couple Charley Webb (Debbie Dingle) and Matthew Wolfenden were there to see her tie the knot.
Moving into their first home together just outside London a few months ago, Fiona says she’s got everything she’s ever wanted.
“In a year that has been difficult for everyone, I’m very lucky and thankful that I’m in the position that I am.
“We hadn’t seen each other much before the wedding because of work, so lockdown was the first time we’d really got to spend a prolonged period of time together.
“I absolutely knew I’d married the right person as it’s been amazing.”
(Image: TONY WARD / OK! Magazine)
Looking ahead to next year, Fiona says that baby plans aren’t on her mind just yet as she’s looking forward to travelling the world with Simon.
“I hope that the world is in a better place in 2021,” she says.
“I want to go to all the places we’ve spoken about but didn’t get the chance to this year.
“I want to take Simon to the Philippines to see my family.”
Fiona reckons there’s no better time to be involved in a soap – and she can’t wait to get stuck into more juicy storylines on Emmerdale.
“To be an actress right now working in such an amazing show, I feel so lucky,” she says.
“I feel like there’s been a new-found respect for soaps because we were the first ones back up and running after lockdown.
“It’s been a privilege to be part of. It’s been really tough for actors out there and we can see what happened with theatres.
“I’m just hoping we can get the industry back on its feet soon.
“People need telly and entertainment. What did we all do during lockdown? Turn on our TVs.”
She says one positive of the Covid restrictions has been no kissing scenes.
“I’ve not missed the romantic scenes so that’s one plus of Covid!” laughs Fiona.
“At the beginning we were thrown in and had all the kissing scenes, which aren’t my favourite. Then we had to create a new relationship at two metres.
“That is hard. But Michael makes it easy because he’s a great actor.”
Originally from https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/emmerdales-fiona-wade-priyas-christmas-23193690