Emmerdale star Katie Hill said she questioned whether her days on the soap were numbered after learning that her character Sarah Sugden was going to be a killer.<\/p>\n
Hill took over the role of Sarah Sugden in 2017, and in recent weeks viewers saw her character accidentally kill Dr Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker) during a heated confrontation.<\/p>\n
The incident took place after Hill’s character discovered that Dr Caitlin had been sexually assaulting her grandmother Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) \u2013 who has since taken the fall for Sarah.<\/p>\n
Hill said: “I was a bit speechless at first. And then I kind of thought ‘Do I go to prison?\u2019<\/p>\n
“(Producer Sophie Roper) immediately said, \u2018Don\u2019t worry, you don\u2019t go to prison\u2019. I was like, \u2018okay, and breathe \u2013 I\u2019ve still got a job\u2019.”<\/p>\n
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Once she was reassured she was not being written out, Hill was thrilled to be part of such a serious plot.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old actress said: “I was just honoured to be trusted with the storyline. This is the biggest storyline I\u2019ve had.”<\/p>\n
In the wake of the accident, Hill reflected on how living with what she has done will take a huge toll on Sarah.<\/p>\n
She said: “You know, it changes everything, it completely rocks her world. But obviously, it was by accident.<\/p>\n
“We all know Sarah as a character, she doesn\u2019t have that in her. So, it comes as a massive shock.<\/p>\n
“I think when it first happens, she just doesn\u2019t even know how to process it. She can\u2019t comprehend that this has happened\u2026<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s sort of transitioning Sarah from being this innocent, happy young mum\u2026 to then this massive moment in her life that will change her forever.”<\/p>\n
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Hill has been at the centre of the drama in Emmerdale village this year, and her character recently welcomed daughter Leyla, who Charity carried for her as a surrogate.<\/p>\n
However, Sarah is unaware that the baby is not biologically hers and is instead the result of a fling her grandmother had with Ross Barton (Michael Parr).<\/p>\n
Hill explained that she is struggling to understand how, biologically speaking, Sarah is actually Leyla\u2019s niece rather than her mother and said: “Honestly, I didn\u2019t even think about that for a long time.<\/p>\n
“Then someone said to me, \u2018Sarah\u2019s breastfeeding her auntie\u2019, and then I couldn\u2019t get it out of my head. I was like \u2018this is really, really weird\u2019.”<\/p>\n
Discussing the potential fallout if and when the secret is revealed, Hill said she thinks her character will still consider Leyla to be her baby.<\/p>\n
She said: “It\u2019s the type of thing we won\u2019t know until we know.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s a massive thing, because, obviously, she\u2019s raised this baby since she was born. That love can\u2019t just go away like that.<\/p>\n
“The biological side of things has changed, but you don\u2019t just stop loving a child that you\u2019ve raised.”<\/p>\n
Hill went on to say the revelation could alter her character\u2019s feelings towards her grandmother, adding: “Charity\u2019s given her the best gift she ever could have asked for.<\/p>\n
“So, for that to be taken away from her, it\u2019ll definitely cause issues with their relationship.”<\/p>\n
Emmerdale airs weeknights on Virgin Media One and ITV1.<\/p>\n
Source: Press Association<\/p>\n