One of the most powerful plots of the year has been recognised in the RadioTimes.com Soap Awards 2024, sponsored by Inspired Villages, in the Best Storyline and Best Twist categories, and has rightly earned Karen Blick a Best Actor nomination for her emotional performance.
In an exclusive interview, the star reflects on Lydia’s past and teases her dramatic future.
Are you pleased Lydia’s rape storyline has been recognised with these nominations?
It feels wonderful to get that acknowledgement for such an important story. There were so many people involved: writers, storyliners, producers, script editors, researchers – even if it’s my name on the nominations it’s for the whole show.
Did it help to be more involved behind the scenes than you normally would be?
Definitely. Because we wanted to get this right, having that external view from organisations like Rape Crisis was really helpful in terms of answering questions on how Lydia was feeling at certain points. You have to go through the lens of the character when approaching sensitive material.
Was it frustrating to play her keeping it a secret for so long?
Initially yes, but the majority of women like Lydia don’t tell anybody, sometimes for as long as 30 or 40 years. Viewers screamed at the telly for her to tell the police, but Lydia wasn’t even sure if she’d be believed. All that thought process was handled really well by Emmerdale, and Rape Crisis went through every script.
Can you understand why Lydia didn’t speak up earlier?
She lived with her secret past as Jenny, and the stillbirth she had in her teens, for years, so we know she compartmentalises things. I’ve studied psychology informally for years, and if someone has a traumatic experience when they’re young you can almost erase it. Our brains are very clever and try to protect us by pretending it didn’t happen, but storing it up means there’ll be an explosion down the line, these things always make their way out.
Which moments from the last year stand out for you?
When Lydia confronted Craig in his office and said I know you’re a rapist – that was really powerful. We saw Lydia take her power back and draw a line under it. Then at Belle and Tom’s wedding, Lydia and Sam came back together and had a dance after exploring the difficulty of being intimate again. There was no rush, and I’m glad we saw Sam’s side of it and how he didn’t want to make his wife feel uncomfortable.
It’s been a dramatic year, do you miss Lydia’s quirky, comedic side?
I like the mixture of comedy and drama. It’s good to play authentic, truthful stories, but I also love it when Sam and Lydia get a bit of daftness, or when she’s doing something ridiculous with Mandy!
How did she feel when Craig died before there could be any legal justice?
It was mixed. Lydia didn’t get justice in the traditional sense, all she wanted was for Craig to admit the truth which he never did. She’s not glad he’s dead, Lydia is not that kind of person, but has come to terms with it being an accident and relieved it wasn’t Sam or Kim that killed him. Lydia grew up with Craig in tough circumstances in the care system, they shared a bond once so it’s very complicated.
How has this experience changed her?
Lydia has good days and bad days, but counselling and speaking out helped her heal and move on. She is definitely a lot stronger, and knows she can deal with awful situations. I see her alongside those fantastic, strong Dingle women like Chas, Charity and Mandy, and feel she’s well placed to be among that group.
Do you enjoy her unusual friendship with Kim Tate?
Claire King (who plays Kim) and I share a dressing room and often dissect their relationship. We ran some lines the other day and I was shocked at how Lydia speaks to Kim – Claire said she’s the only person in the village who can get away with it! Lydia and Kim are poles apart on the socio-economic scale but fundamentally similar: they’re both strong, loyal and protective of their families. There’s huge respect on both sides, but like a true friend they call each other out when they need to.
What can you tease about the family feud Lydia is currently in the middle of?
She is really stuck. Cain and Sam are pitted against each other over Samson claiming Matty stabbed him, so it will be hard to build any bridges in the family, but Lydia starts to suspect maybe Samson is not being entirely truthful. Lydia and Sam will disagree on how best to handle the situation, which could drive a bigger wedge between them.
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