Heath Hope’s shock death has left a huge hole in many of the villager’s lives, but the aftereffects are set to cause another painful loss in Emmerdale.
Nicola (Nicola Wheeler) and Jimmy (Nick Miles) are facing one of their worst fears coming to fruition – losing a child.
While their pain is very different to that of Bob’s (Tony Audenshaw), who will never see his son again, theirs is only temporary. And yet it’s set to be life changing.
Despite Nicola’s attempts to avoid a custodial sentence for Angel, it’s happening. She pleaded with Bob and Brenda to help support her case, with Bob vehemently refusing and Brenda dangling the carrot of support only to miss the deadline to submit her character statement.
So now the inevitable is happening and Angel (Rebecca Bakes) must face her reality. So far, she’s convinced herself that it’ll be like a summer camp with drama classes and the like. The truth is very different.
‘I think some of Nicola’s attitude is perhaps that Angel isn’t a child who will take this flippantly. She isn’t going to go “oh well, I killed Heath, off I go”. She’s very sorry for what she did and wonders why that punishment can’t be enough’, Nicola Wheeler told us.
‘Angel’s life will never be the same because of what she did. I think it’s the thing about hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, that’s what they think while they go into the sentencing.’
Angel says her goodbyes as she heads off to hear her sentence and is left shocked when Bob offers her some kind words.
Despite preparing themselves for the worst, Angel, Nicola and Jimmy are shattered when she’s handed her outcome – eight whole months in a secure children’s home.
‘Angel is given 8 months and then we don’t see Nicola and Jimmy, they say their goodbyes off screen and then when the audience see Bob, Brenda, Wendy and Cathy, they’re discussing the fact Angel is being sent to Bristol, she isn’t local. They then feel sorry for Nicola and Jimmy because they realise that this is going to be a lot harder than they thought’, Nicola added.
‘The next time we see Nicola and Jimmy, they come home and they’re in complete shock. It’s only 8 months but for them, it feels like a lifetime.’
You can feel the sting of that reality slap from here.
While that’s going on, Bob is left in an emotional state when he reads a letter from Angel. Perhaps he’s been too harsh after all and could have stopped all of this from happening.
After tearing herself away from Angel and leaving her to face her fate, Nicola is reduced to a crumpled heap when she later receives a call from her daughter in a state of distress.
Nicola is a mess, and her family is imploding. What’s next for the Kings?
Nicola Wheeler teased: ‘They do have Carl and Elliot to consider, they do have two other children and initially, Nicola lashes out because she doesn’t know how to cope. Jimmy gives her a stern talking to and says this is what it is, we have to deal with it.
‘There’s also a wonderful olive branch from Bob and that piece of relief sets them on a different path.’
