It was Ella Forster’s (Paula Lane) birthday in tonight’s episode of Emmerdale, but she was in no mood to celebrate.
Ever since Ella killed her best friend Joanne when she was a child, she has struggled with the prospect of enjoying her birthday and relishing in the celebrations.
This time round though, things were a bit different due to Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) now being Ella’s best friend. Once she found out Ella’s birthday was approaching, Mandy set about organising a little get-together.
In tonight’s episode, Ella arrived at the salon to be glammed up by Mandy. She tried her best to enjoy herself, knowing life in the village and generally being accepted is the furthest she’s got in a very long time.
After Ella took a selfie with Mandy, she made her way over to the vets where Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) was waiting with a gift. Rhona then made a comment which allowed Ella to realise the pictures she took with Mandy were online.
Horrified, Ella confronted her friend. Mandy quickly realised it was Amelia Spencer (Daisy Campbell) who had posted them and tried to make Ella calm down. Sadly though, she focused too much on the fear someone would recognise her and smashed her birthday cake in anger.
Later, finding Ella on a bench, Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) approached and reminded her of the progress she’s made since being in the village. The chat was enough to make Ella feel better, so she arrived in the Woolpack for her party.
Sadly, Ella wasn’t allowed to enjoy herself for very long due to the arrival of Gary, the nephew of the woman whose daughter she killed.
Angry, Gary handed Ella a birthday card which had a picture of Joanne inside. With Ella’s birthday also being the same day she killed Joanne, her heart broke as she was delivered another reminder she will never, ever escape her past.
Ella ran from Gary and was eventually saved by Wendy Posner (Susan Cookson). Inside the surgery, Wendy tried to help Ella, but her rage towards Wendy making an assumption about who she is became too much, resulting in Ella punching the nurse in the face.
‘Ella attacked Wendy because she felt there was no way out’, actress Paula Lane explained.
‘Wendy’s kind words about people caring for her struck Ella hard. She finds it difficult to believe that could ever be the case. She’s frustrated that this new place she now calls home will always know her real identity. There is no hiding only in prison, that bizarrely is her safe place and she knows exactly what to do to get back there.
Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker) was on hand to try and make Ella see that things will get easier, but she had seemingly accepted her fate. Seconds later, Swirling was at the door and Ella confessed to being responsible for the disturbance and hitting Wendy.
Outside, Ella gave her new necklace back to Liam, kissed him, and told him to be happy.
Getting into a police car, Ella was devastated as she was led away from the village. But what does this mean for the character now?
Given her history, being arrested for the attack has certainly put her future at risk.
‘I hope for her she can move on but the trauma she has experienced will forever be a lasting scar. It will take the right people around her to help support her to enable her to have a happy future’, Paula said.
‘I think Ella has come to terms with the fact she can’t change the past. She’s had a lot of rehabilitation in prison with trained professionals helping her but when she gets into the outside world, all that is constantly put to the test especially when the focus is put on her like her birthday. She can find situations daunting and overbearing.’
Reflecting on the prospect of Ella being completely accepted in the village, star Susan Cookson, who plays Wendy, said: ‘Ella’s past is a difficult one for Wendy and others in the village, but I think Wendy really does want to try and give Ella another chance, and to try and get to know the woman she is now having paid her debt to society, but maybe in light of what Ella has done to Wendy, it might not be plain sailing for the two of them!’.
‘Maybe as time passes, and providing Ella gets help with her anxiety, I am sure Wendy would want to help her move forward with her life.’
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