Emmerdale’s Rhona Goskirk star lifts lid on groundbreaking soap plot that’s ‘never been done in UK’
EMMERDALE'S Zoe Henry, who plays Rhona Goskirk in the ITV soap, has opened up about her upcoming 'challenging' storyline.
The actress revealed that she was "surprised" and "excited" after learning of her latest meaty and compelling scenes.
Zoe’s character Rhona has experienced a rough time on Emmerdale after discovering that her ex-husband Gus Malcolms, played by Alan McKenna, and his new wife Lucy, played by Charlotte Asprey, used her frozen embryos without her permission and welcomed a baby.
Lucy and Gus arrived in the Dales earlier this year and tried to get permission from Rhona to use the embryos she stored away because cancer treatment stopped Gus from being able to conceive naturally.
After careful consideration, Rhona decided not to help the couple by giving them her eggs, but little did she know that they would go behind her back and use them anyway.
The truth came to light when Rhona's husband, Marlon Dingle, played by Mark Charnock, saw Gus and Lucy at the hospital with Lucy heavily pregnant.
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After initially trying to keep the secret from his wife, Marlon eventually told Rhona the news.
Rhona tried to meet up with her elusive ex-husband Gus, but the meeting failed, so she had no choice but to face the couple together.
Lucy would later go into labour and sadly die while giving birth to a baby girl named Ivy.
Since then, Rhona has been stuck between a rock and a hard place as she was caught visiting baby Ivy by her mum, Mary Goskirk, played by Louise Jameson.
Speaking about the storyline, Zoe revealed: "I thought it was a miracle, considering she had her womb removed five years ago.
"I was shocked, surprised and excited because I always like a challenge, and I think it is a challenging storyline.
"One of the biggest parts of the story that shocked me the most was to learn that even though Rhona is the biological mother - so her DNA - because she didn't carry and birth the child, she has no legal right.
"Which is the British law which is interesting and creates quite a lot of challenges and I think it makes for a very interesting storyline."
She added: "My understanding, from what I know storyline-wise, this hasn't happened in the UK, so they're being advised by their legal team as they're writing it because it's such an unusual situation.
"And how do you draw on that when there is nobody really to speak to?
"I was talking to my husband Jeff [Hordley - who plays Cain Dingle], my husband, the other day about the only way I can try and liken it to something I've been through.
"It sounds so absurd, but my daughter is nearly 19 now, but when she was just born we went to a car showroom.
"How boring, it was Jeff, he wanted to get and a new car and Violet was tiny, she was only about six weeks old, and she was in this car seat being carried along by me.
"And this woman came along and was like, 'Oh my God, your baby is lovely. Can I show the girls in the office?'
"And she picked up the car seat and walked off, and I was like, 'Oh my God!' I don't know what I thought she was going to do.
"But it wasn't that and Jeff said I was walking up and down past the door like a caged tiger waiting for my baby to come back out.
"And I guess that's the only experience I can draw on where that feeling of knowing your baby, something you are connected to - and that's what Rhona wants, to hold her and look after her.
"Her instinct is so strong, even though she didn't carry this child, even though it buried in her past 15 years ago.
"So you can't really research it, I suppose. I'm utterly shocked by the fact this is the law in this country, but I guess there's reasons for it."
Zoe’s character, Rhona, now struggles with knowing that Ivy is her biological child on the ITV soap but has since let Mary try and help a morning Gus with baby duties.
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Emmerdale spoilers have revealed that Marlon will reach a breaking point as Gus and baby Ivy spend Christmas with him, Rhona and the family.
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7:30pm.
