‘Emmerdale’s Matthew Wolfenden has hinted that his on-screen step-mother Val Pollard may not actually be dead.
The 36-year-old actor – who plays shop owner David Metcalfe in the soap – believes Charlie Hardwick, who played the boisterous hotel manager for 11 years, could reprise her well-loved role, despite her alter-ego being killed off last year, because her lifeless body was never shown on screen.
Speaking to Inside Soap magazine, Matthew said: "Charlie was brilliant. I think the whole show misses her, as ‘Emmerdale’ needs a character like Val. But have they really killed her off? Chris Chittell (Eric Pollard) says we never saw Val’s body – just a body being carried away. And Val was planning on faking her own death! We’ll see. But I learned so much from Charlie, she’s incredible. We share a love of art."
Meanwhile, Matthew is currently focusing on his emotional cancer storyline and has admitted he’s riddled with nerves every day he has to shoot because he wants to do it justice.
He said: "I was over the moon when I heard it [the cancer storyline] was happening. But I’ve been nervous every day because I just want to get it right, as most people watching will have been affected by cancer in some way. It’s been amazing to get my teeth into, and the feedback I’ve had has been immense and really humbling. It’s been an honour."
Emmerdale’s Val Pollard to return?
