Emmerdale’s Kerry Wyatt faces past demons as Eric Pollard’s d.e.a.d.l.y plan unfolds
Emmerdale's Kerry Wyatt is set to revisit a devastating fire from 2019 as she attempts to stop Eric Pollard from burning down the shop
Emmerdale has launched into the new year with a host of riveting plotlines, including the vanishing of April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) and the unveiling of Ruby Fox-Miligan’s (Beth Cordingly) distressing abuse.
However, in forthcoming scenes, Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell) descends into despair, prompting Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton) to dissuade him from a perilous scheme. A despondent Pollard feels he has let Brenda (Lesley Dunlop) down by not repaying her after squandering her life savings.
Kerry insists that Brenda would prefer to wait for her money rather than see him push himself to the edge as he battles Parkinson’s. However, she is unaware of the depth of Pollard’s distress and his grand scheme.
Later in the week, Kerry is shocked to find matches and accelerants at the shop, and cornered, Pollard confesses his plan to torch the shop for the insurance payout to reimburse Brenda.
As Kerry challenges Pollard’s claim that arson is a victimless crime, she hesitates to disclose why he should heed her advice – can she persuade Pollard to abandon his plan?, reports Leeds Live.
Emmerdale’s Kerry tries to support Eric as her despairs over Brenda (Image: ITV)
Pollard’s plot is set to force Kerry to relive the horrific fire in 2019 where one person perished. In August 2019, Frank Clayton (Michael Praed) tragically lost his life when a fire consumed the sweet factory.
Frank had rushed in to save his daughter Tracy Metcalfe (Amy Walsh) who was trapped inside. The fire was the result of a plot by Kerry and her daughter Amy (Natalie Ann Jamieson) to rob the factory, a secret they kept hidden afterwards.
Eventually, they confessed to Frank’s daughters Tracy and Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick). Despite initial fallout and tension, the sisters agreed to keep quiet.
As Kerry prepares to confront her darkest hour, actress Laura Norton revealed her character is “riddled with guilt and regret” but “it’s nice for fans to talk about it as a sense of closure” for viewers.
Emmerdale’s Kerry will grapple with the past in next week’s episodes (Image: ITV)
She elaborated: “The fans don’t forget. They’re very loyal, they watch the show and pay attention to the stories.
“And I think it’s nice because the fans remember this, and to sort of revisit it and allow Kerry to be able to tap into that and perhaps explain it. or even think about it and talk about it, is nice for them to get a sense of closure on it, perhaps.”
Glossing over the past, Laura added: “She’s never spoken to anybody. It’s Kerry and Amy and Vanessa and Tracy that know. Obviously, they all knew around the same time because Kerry ended up telling Tracy, and they made the decision to keep it contained within them because there were things that happened between the four of them.”
Frank Clayton, played by Micheal Praed, died in the blaze in 2019 (Image: ITV)
The soap star commented: “I think it’s hard holding onto a secret like that. It doesn’t do you any good.
“But also, yeah, just the impact that it had on so many people that she cared about and and the fact that it was just, you know, a really terrible, horrible accident at the hands of some terrible decisions.”
“It’s just completely haunted her and holding on to that secret and not being able to talk about it. It’s been really hard for her, it never leaves her.”
Will Kerry reveal her past to Pollard?
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV and ITVX