Emmerdale confirms character recasting

Emmerdale spoilers follow.

Former EastEnders star Lin Blakley will be joining Emmerdale in a major character recasting.

Blakley, who played Pam Coker in the BBC One soap, will be taking over the role of Jai Sharma's mother Georgia in Emmerdale — after Trudie Goodwin originally played the character between 2011 and 2015.

Georgia has been referenced in recent episodes after her son Jai discovered that he was adopted by Rishi as a newborn. It has been revealed that Georgia was pregnant when she started dating Rishi, and he stood by her once they discovered she was expecting.

lin blakley as georgia sharma in emmerdale
ITV

"How lucky am I to play such a strong character as Georgia?" Blakley said in a statement.

"So different from roles I've played of late. I have enjoyed every single minute. Gorgeous cast and crew!! And the gorgeous Dales. Thank you Emmerdale."

Georgia will return to the village to find Jai and Rishi still at odds over the adoption. Known for her blunt opinions, Georgia is concealing yet another secret from her past.

Producer Kate Brooks hinted: "We're thrilled to have an actor of Lin's calibre step into the role of the formidable Georgia. A force to be reckoned with, she'll have a secret for the Sharmas that could potentially blow their world apart."

lin blakley, on the red carpet, wearing white jacket and black shirt
David Fisher/Shutterstock

This big announcement comes hours after Emmerdale announced that Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana is joining the show as Jai's cousin Suni.

Rishi will pin his hopes on Suni being able to mend things with Jai before the wedding, but will Georgia's arrival throw a wrench in their plans?

As mentioned, Lin Blakley appeared in EastEnders in multiple stints between 2014 and 2022. Since leaving Walford, she has had guest roles in Casualty and Vera.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.

Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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