Emmerdale Rhona star shuts down claims of ‘special treatment’ after co-star quip
EXCLUSIVE: Emmerdale actress Zoe Henry has disagreed with the claim that her character Rhona Goskirk is receiving special treatment from fans during her ongoing complex storyline
Emmerdale star Zoe Henry has shut down claims that her character receives special treatment.
The actress, 50, has played Rhona Goskirk since 2001 and has recently became the central part of one of the soap’s most complex storyline. In April 2023, Gus (Alan McKenna) turned up in the village with his wife Lucy (Charlotte Asprey), asking his ex Rhona if he could use their frozen embryos to have a baby with his partner as they struggled to conceive naturally.
Despite considering it, Rhona refused to give them her consent. Months later, Marlon (Mark Charnock) bumped into Gus and a heavily pregnant Lucy and realised they had used the embryos without Rhona’s permission.
Lucy died in childbirth shortly after, leaving a struggling Gus to parent baby Ivy on his own. Since forming an attachment to Ivy, Rhona has been locked in a custody battle with Gus.
The controversial storyline, which has never been portrayed on a UK soap before, has left fans questioning which character to side with. Sharing the reaction he’s had from viewers, Alan exclusively told Daily Star and other press that fans are struggling to make up their minds.
The actor recalled: “I remember one guy is a massive fan of the show and he’s never seen a storyline like this before. He said, ‘Some days I’m watching you and I’m not liking you.
“Then an episode later I’m thinking maybe I’m on your side’. There’s going to be viewers who love the characters I’m coming up against on the show so I think it’s harder to empathise in a way with Gus.”
Zoe disagreed however, explaining that she believes viewers are constantly switching sides. She said: “I think people are in [Gus’s] camp. I think people swing from episode to episode and that’s a testament to the writers and how they’ve created this journey that we’ve all been on and are still on.
The soap star added: “I don’t think Rhona gets any special treatment in this situation for having been in it as long as I have. I just think it’s a moral dilemma and people are intrigued, engaged and confused with it.”
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 10am
