Charlie Hardwick is enjoying the "slower pace" of ‘Ackley Bridge’, admitting it was "tiring" shooting 12 episodes a week on ‘Emmerdale’.
The 58-year-old star, who portrayed Val Pollard on the ITV soap from 2004 to 2015, is pleased she has more time to act "to the best of [her] ability" on the Channel 4 school drama, and says there is more time to rehearse than there was on the soap.
She said: "I am happy for the slower pace. It’s measured. There’s a single camera so there’s time to rehearse, time to discuss how you should do the shots.
"It’s proper film making. It gives you the time to do the work to the best of your ability.
"At ‘Emmerdale’ sometimes you’d be filming 12 episodes a week. It was tiring."
Charlie’s character Val was killed off when a shard of glass fell on her as she lay injured in a Hall of Mirrors following a helicopter crash in the village.
And the ‘Billy Elliot’ star insists her alter-ego’s death was "as brutal as you can get", and admits she was "really hurt" when she was told show bosses were going to kill Val off.
She added to the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "I loved ‘Emmerdale’. It was my choice to leave.
"I have to say I was absolutely shocked when I found out they were going to kill Val.
"I think when you spend most of your life addressed and behaving like somebody else then you find out that they’re going to savagely annihilate her – I was really hurt.
"I was upset on her behalf. It was as brutal as you can get.
"That’ll teach us for saying time for me to go."
Charlie recently admitted she misses her former ‘Emmerdale’ co-stars, and was keen to "explore new creative avenues" when she departed the soap.
She said: "I miss my old comrades but we keep in touch. It was great working in West Yorkshire again because I got to hang out with some of them.
"I loved playing Val but I was spending more time as her than me! So after 12 years, I felt it was time to explore new creative avenues. And look what came my way."
Charlie Hardwick: Emmerdale schedule was ‘tiring’
