Emmerdale star Emma Atkins responds to big new Charity twist

Emmerdale spoilers follow from Wednesday night's episode (July 27).

Emmerdale star Emma Atkins has spoken about her character Charity Dingle's big new storyline.

Wednesday's episode confirmed that Charity is pregnant and keeping the news from her partner Mackenzie Boyd.

The first clues to Charity's news aired when she crossed paths with pregnant teenager Amelia Spencer outside a clinic. Amelia has decided to have a termination, while Charity claimed that she was at the clinic herself for treatment to deal with fibroids.

Charity missed her appointment in order to provide support to Amelia. In the closing moments of the episode, the truth was revealed as Charity was seen back on the phone to the clinic, rearranging her own termination.

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Speaking about the storyline, Emma explained: "Charity keeps it absolutely top secret because she doesn't want anyone to know yet – certainly not Mackenzie, as she's not even sure she wants to keep the baby.

"Once Charity opens that dilemma of what she should do, it's a whole different ball game, so she's keeping it to herself. Charity knows that she has got this secret, so there's a lot of worry, anxiety and guilt because she hasn't told Mackenzie."

She continued: "Charity knows that she's not the greatest mum in the village, so I don't think she can really handle the idea of letting everyone know that she's pregnant.

"There'd be a lot of scepticism and judgement and she knows that, because she hasn't been the most successful of mothers and she's not very maternal.

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"Mackenzie is a lot younger. Charity thinks it'll trap him and he won't be interested in that. But then what's so interesting is when the audience see his reaction, it's different to what she imagined.

"Charity is assuming, without discussing with it with Mackenzie and she's making the decision for him. When she's at the abortion clinic, she's got it in her head that it's what Mackenzie would want. That backfires horribly when Mackenzie eventually finds out.

"I think having Amelia in a similar situation really helps Charity, because it makes her confess to Mackenzie and she blurts it out. There is an influence there and it brings all sorts of emotions out from Charity that she probably wasn't aware were there. Amelia is a good influence, in a way."

Emma also discussed the other big imminent drama ahead for Charity, as her son Noah Dingle will be released from prison this week. Noah hasn't forgiven Charity for reporting him to the police for stalking.

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"Noah absolutely doesn't want to see Charity and he makes that very clear," Emma confirmed.

"Charity finds out that Mackenzie has had a message from Noah. He requested for Mackenzie to pick him up, rather than Charity.

"Charity devastated because Noah and Mackenzie don't even have that close of a relationship. She feels extremely rejected and cut out of Noah's life. She thinks it must be pretty bad for him to not want to be collected by his own mother.

"The weight of the world is on Charity's shoulders at the moment. She's got that rejection from Noah, she's got this pregnancy secret, and she also knows Amelia is pregnant and she thinks it could be Noah's."

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV and streams on the ITV Hub.