Emmerdale star Roxy Shahidi on Leyla and Meena twist

Emmerdale spoilers follow from Tuesday's episode (February 15), which some readers may prefer to avoid.

Emmerdale has left Leyla Cavanagh's life hanging in the balance after she drove into a dangerous situation with Meena Jutla.

Leyla has carefully planned Billy Fletcher and Dawn Taylor's wedding day, so when she realised that the happy couple might have got lost on their lavish limo trip, she hit the road to find them.

In a horrific turn of events, Leyla found Meena holding the couple at gunpoint at a remote viaduct. Before she could turn around and rush back to safety, Leyla was shot by Meena.

Roxy Shahidi, who plays Leyla, recently caught up with Digital Spy and other media to discuss the storyline twist.

Leyla has faced a tough few months in her relationship with Liam. How has she been feeling about everything?

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"It's been bleak for months, but I think it's moving to a new stage. Initially, it was so hard and Liam pushed Leyla away so much. The marriage had changed so dramatically that she didn't really know whether there was a future for them.

"But now Leyla has found a way to comfort Liam and they've found a new way of being together. It will ultimately strengthen them as a couple and they're in as good a place as they could be, given the circumstances."

Leyla has now been shot by Meena…

"Yes, Leyla made the decision to go and look for Billy and Dawn. She thought that the limo had taken a wrong turn. She's used to these last-minute hitches. She spotted the car and she was like: 'Great, here they are, I'll guide them to the disco, let's go.'

"Then it all happened so quickly. Leyla only realised something was wrong when she was looking at the gun pointed at her and she was driving towards it. She recognised Meena and she was staring down the barrel of the gun, literally. She was still in the car, there was a panic, a desperate reverse and then that's it, she's out, she's been hit."

What happens next?

"Billy thinks Leyla is dead or she's dying. Leyla also thinks she's dying. She calls out for them to tell Jacob and Liam that she loves them, but very luckily, the bullet has gone in and then taken a turn, so it actually hit Leyla's shoulder.

"She does go into surgery but given where the bullet enters, she's very lucky that it's as minor as it could be. She's just lucky to be alive, basically. They don't know what it is until they get her into surgery."

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So if Leyla does survive and doesn't take a turn for the worst, would she want to get revenge on Meena?

"Leyla loves revenge! I would love for Leyla to take revenge on Meena. I think it would be a brilliant showdown. She would like to, for sure."

Leyla once pleaded with Liam not to kill Meena. Is she regretting that advice now?

"I think when Leyla is in her most rational state of mind, she wouldn't want Liam to ever jeopardise his freedom. I think that she also knows that isn't something that Leanna would have wanted Liam to do.

"Leyla would still stand by that for Liam's sake, but I think if Leyla in this moment had her chance to kill her, she would."

If Leyla does survive, would she be able to cope in the aftermath?

"Yes, I think Leyla is one of those people that can just crack on no matter what, and then the cracks will fracture in the background. I think Leyla would always move forward but then deal with it later.

"She packs it up in a box and cracks on, but I think after everything she has been through, those issues are going to come up later, somehow."

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How might Liam react when he finds out that Meena has shot Leyla?

"Oh my gosh, how much more can a man take? I don't know what to say other than it's more devastation for him. I don't think things could get any worse for him. It could push him over the edge, because I think he's been on the edge for a long time."

Leyla has always been the strong one, but if she survives, will she be the one who needs support now?

"Maybe, potentially. I do think Leyla's default is to always crack on no matter what, even if it's at the risk of her own mental and physical health. But I'm not sure, it'll be interesting to see how that story plays out."

How did you feel when you found out about the shooting storyline?

"I was quite excited, to be honest. I thought it'd be a fun day's filming. When we filmed the scenes, it was blinking cold! It's freezing in Yorkshire.

"It's cold getting shot, but it has been nice to be filming somewhere different. It's always like a little school trip for us when we get out and go somewhere different."

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Did you do your own stunts?

"I'd like to say yes but that wouldn't be true! I couldn't do anything adventurous. I was quite scared of the actual stunt and being shot, so I was very grateful that I had a stunt double who was very good at her job and dealt with that stuff."

Is this one of the most dramatic storylines you've been involved in?

"In a way, no, because I feel like some of the emotional storylines that I've had, we've gone in-depth into them and they've spanned big periods of time. That emotional tragedy can feel sometimes bigger than a shooting or a crash.

"It's definitely been big and it's been fun, but I think the emotional dramas are always more challenging and engaging."

What are your hopes for Leyla's future if she does pull through?

"I'd like her to have a bit of fun, I really, really would. I doubt very much that is going to happen given where she is in her life at the moment and everything that's going on, but I think it would be really nice to just have Leyla in some fun clothes with some new friends, accidentally walking into walls and wearing heels that she can't walk in.

"Things like that, just some light-hearted comedy, but I don't know whether that'll be coming any time soon."

Can you tease how the rest of the week pans out?

"I think it's another opportunity for Liam and Leyla to become closer, I think the tragedy of Leanna's death really tore them apart and going through this, as awful and horrendous as it is, really unites them, so I think there's that deeper emotional element to their relationship going on alongside all the action-packed stuff. I'd also say it doesn't end here, it just keeps going."

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays.