Emmerdale star Chris Bisson has spoken about the aftermath of tonight's devastating fire, revealing how it sparks a big new storyline for the Sharma family.
The actor's character Jai Sharma will have his world turned upside-down as a blaze tears through the sweet factory, causing a tragic death and leaving the business in ruins.
The action-packed scenes play out in this evening's double bill (August 1), but the aftermath of the incident will be rumbling on for a long time to come.
Speaking about what's ahead, Chris explained: "Jai is very upset about the factory going up in flames. It was the family business, their livelihoods are on the line and this is compounded by other elements too.
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"Rishi had turned off the fire alarm before the accident and he's also taken a loan from Kim. The factory staff are all out of work and asking if they're going to get paid. The insurance is potentially an issue. And of course, the disaster led to somebody's death.
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"Jai is in the centre of this swirling whirlpool and he's been sucked down the vortex in the middle! Whichever way he turns to make things better, it makes things worse in another way.
"It goes on for a while and it is a good story. You'll see how it puts pressure on Jai's relationship with Laurel, which is interesting."
One of the most concerning prospects for the Sharmas is the fear that the insurance company won't provide a pay-out, due to the fire alarm being turned off.
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Chris continued: "Those implications are serious for the Sharmas. The factory itself is just a shell. There's been a huge explosion and a fire has ripped through the building.
"There's nothing left and the whole place has been completely gutted. The Sharmas would have to start again and replace all the equipment.
"Rishi is in cloud cuckoo land afterwards. He keeps saying he'll sort it out, but it's just words. Jai is the grown-up in the room. He's the only one behaving pragmatically and he realises something needs to be done. If the insurance doesn't pay out, he might have to sell Holdgate to get back on their feet.
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"The problem is that they need money very quickly. It's about having £100,000 to sort things out tomorrow, rather than in one or two months' time.
"The factory fire is the end of an era, and it also marks me having been on Emmerdale for 10 years. That's when we first introduced the factory. I'm surprised it hasn't blown up sooner, it's lasted a long time in the soap world!"
Emmerdale airs tonight at 7pm and 8pm on ITV.
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