Emmerdale star Emma Atkins explains Charity Dingle’s grave-trashing scene
"I think she feels she needs a release."
Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale’s Emma Atkins has opened up about her character Charity Dingle’s upcoming dramatic scenes.
Viewers have seen Charity struggle in recent weeks after she accidentally killed gangster Damon ‘Harry’ Harris while rescuing her husband Mackenzie Boyd.
Charity has been suffering from guilt and trauma since, leading Mack to persuade her to seek professional help.
But after seeing a doctor, things take a turn when Charity pays a secret visit to Harry’s grave and trashes it in a fit of anger.
Speaking about Charity’s motivations for destroying the gravesite, Atkins said: “I think she feels she needs a release.
“She feels haunted by Harry so she decides to visit his grave to see if she can get any forgiveness of some kind.
“She tells him to stop haunting her and that’s her way of trying to get herself back as she’s slowly losing her own sense of self. She goes looking for some answers at the grave.
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“She has this outburst where she tells him it was an accident and tells him to stop tormenting her. It’s torture and every which way she turns she doesn’t find the solution.
“Killing someone is very different from anything else, it’s the unknown and she’s entered into very disturbing territory for her own mental health.”
Atkins also opened up about her character’s state of mind, revealing that Charity is struggling to get over the shock of taking the life of another mother’s son.
“Charity’s guilt is just overflowing and she can’t function as a mum, a partner,” Atkins explained. “She’s left reeling with this shock and I think that shock mentality is making her close off from everyone.
“She’s trying to compartmentalise it but unfortunately because of the PTSD she’s suffering from, she’s experiencing that panic where as soon as she hears a noise it immediately takes her back to that place where she was tussling with the gun.
“She’s in constant high alert mode and it’s making her ill. I think everyone around her is concerned but in order to create a safe space she’s decided she’s better off on her own so she starts to alienate herself.”
Unfortunately for Charity’s loved ones, the situation will also become more difficult for them, too.
While Charity agrees to seek help next week, she becomes distressed by nightmares stemming from her trauma and attacks Mack during a night terror, leaving him quite seriously hurt.
Reflecting further on the situation, Atkins added: “She thinks she can go to work but Chas sees that she’s not good so sends her home and she starts to realise that everyday life is never going to be the same so thinks it’s better to draw the curtains, sit on the sofa and stay put.
“I think people around her are realising she’s not very well.”
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.