1 week Ago By [email protected] (Sara Baalla)
Emmerdale fans were left speechless when they realised that Manpreet Sharma star Rebecca Sarker previously appeared on an ITV crime drama. Soap viewers will know that the village GP recently found herself caught up in a blackmail ordeal, after she posted personal images of herself on a subscription site. This led to threatening texts from an anonymous blackmailer, who warned her that she was being watched.
While speculation swirled about the identity of the scammer, it was later revealed that Joe Tate was behind the scheme, as he needed Manpreet's assistance in acquiring a blood sample from his uncle, Caleb Milligan. During a conversation with Lorraine Kelly on her ITV morning show last month, Rebecca delved into the "traumatic" storyline and the lasting impact it will have on her character. "It's really traumatic for her.
It started off as something that was so empowering and now somebody's got this hold over her and she's absolutely powerless," she said, reports Leeds Live . "I know that there have been cases like this with professional people - law and medical students, even doctors. It's that separation issue.
Can you separate the professional and the personal?" Rebecca concluded: "You could argue that you should be able to, but it's never that black and white. People have standards to uphold and professions they can't bring into disrepute. So, it's gone a little bit too far for her.
" As Manpreet reels from her recent blackmail trauma in the ITV soap, some fans were taken aback upon discovering that actor Rebecca had a role in the renowned crime show Rosemary and Thyme. The beloved whodunnit series starred Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris as sleuthing gardeners Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme, who unearthed hidden secrets and unravelled riddles to catch criminals. Rebecca notably appeared on the third season of the show in 2007, portraying a Spanish character named Blanca Parfitt.
Taking to social media, Emmerdale fans have shared their surprise at Rebecca's cameo role, with one person writing on Reddit: "Just seen a very young Manpreet in an old episode of Rosemary and Thyme. She's playing a Spanish woman." Another added: "Oh my! She does look 10 years younger.
This must have been after she left Corrie," while a third viewer said: "That was a great episode." A fourth fan chimed in with praise, commenting: "She honestly looks 10 years younger right now and she's 50. It's a crime that she's single [on the soap].
Wish they would hurry up and get her and Billy together." Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
