Yahoo News Emmerdale star Amy Walsh on Tracy's return in wedding story
Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale welcomes back a fan favourite next week as Tracy Metcalfe returns for an unexpected wedding storyline.
Amy Walsh has now returned to filming after her maternity leave and is back playing Tracy on a full-time basis, after a guest stint for the 50th anniversary episodes last year.
In upcoming scenes, Cain and Moira Dingle realise that Nate Robinson is hiding something and they follow him to the registry office.
When the couple spot Tracy there wearing a wedding dress, with a handsome man by her side, they suspect that Nate is planning to sabotage his ex's big day. Wasting no time, they kidnap Nate so that he can't ruin things.
Amy recently caught up with Digital Spy and other media to discuss the chaotic return storyline.
How does it feel to be back on set?
"It feels so lovely to be back. I popped back in August to film the show's 50th anniversary episodes and that was short but sweet. Now I feel like I've come back and I've never been away – genuinely, it just feels so normal for me to be here.
"I said it to my mum a couple of days in: 'I've never felt more at home than I have there'. It sounds cringe, I know!
"But I also felt that in my first week here, nine years ago. I thought: 'Oh, I feel really comfortable here!' Coming back has felt exactly the same. How wonderful is that, to come back to work and feel like that?"
What brings Tracy back?
"Tracy is in a wedding dress and she wanted to get married in Yorkshire, didn't she? I don't know why she would do that when she lives in Nottingham! (Laughs.)
"Tracy is spotted at a local registry office in her wedding dress with Frankie and a handsome young man by her side!"
Has Tracy kept in touch with Nate?
"When Tracy came back last year, it was quite obvious that they'd had to see each other because they've got a child together. There were some references in scripts that Nate was going to Nottingham to drop off Frankie or pick her up. They'd obviously had some contact but we don't know how much yet."
Is there unfinished business between Tracy and Nate?
"When Tracy came back last year, there were moments that gave hints there's still some love there. Tracy and Nate had a bit of a fling then and stepped away from each other.
"There was a scene where Tracy went back to the hospital to tell Nate that she wanted to be with him, but she saw him with Naomi. So there was a hint there that there was unfinished business.
"I think that's true to life. If you have a child with someone, there's always going to be that pull towards each other and they still had that sexual chemistry. It was teased then and it's not too crazy to think that it might happen again, from how they left it."
Tracy is getting married. Did you have any input into the wedding dress?
"I did, actually. They're so good here and they want you to be comfortable. I know my character now, having played her for nine years, more than anyone. They said that too, so they were quite happy for me to have a strong input.
"We went shopping. It's quite funny because I'm getting married this year as well [to former EastEnders actor Toby-Alexander Smith] and I'd just picked my own personal wedding dress two weeks before. Then I was going back to the wedding shop to choose another one!
"I was looking through the dresses going: 'I don't want to see one that I like more than mine! And I don't want to pick one for Tracy that's too similar to mine!'
"I tried to go against what I would have. It's fitting for Tracy but we decided a bit more 'Mature Tracy'. She's grown up a bit, she's been working as a businesswoman and she takes herself a bit more seriously. She's also been married before, so that eliminated certain styles as well.
"I had input into hair and make-up as well. Tracy just gets it a little bit wrong. We've tried to make it fit Tracy's character, with a bit of bling and extreme hair and make-up."
Was it a fun day being back on set to film the wedding episode?
"The wedding scenes were nice, although it was chaos! Cain and Moira are there, Nate's there, Frankie's there and it doesn't quite go to plan, let's say.
"It was another chaotic wedding day for Tracy. I only realised afterwards how bad her wedding to David was as well. She's really got form for those crazy weddings, but obviously they're way more fun to play than your average wedding day. It was nice weather as well, which helped."
Did you keep up with the show during your time away?
"I tried but it's hard! I definitely missed a lot. There's still stuff I want to go back and watch that I will at some point, like little Liv's death – I'm so annoyed that I missed it. I'm friends with Izzy [Steele, who played Liv] and I was like: 'I'm going to go back and watch it!' Having a child has meant that I haven't yet, but I will.
"I tried to keep in the loop and obviously when it was the 50th anniversary, I checked back in, but it's really hard. It's a cliché and everyone says it, but it's 'bath and bed time', so you do miss bits and bobs.
"The other day I was doing a scene and one of the characters was doing their new profession. I was like: 'What? When did that happen?' So it does keep you on your toes, keeping up with character developments.
"Nate's also had about five girlfriends since I've left, so I don't even ask!"
How has it been reuniting with everybody?
"Lovely – really nice. The hair and make-up team are like sisters to you. I've cried a few times in their chair already, just with pure exhaustion, or dropping my child off at nursery and coming into work in tears. They were like: 'Right, we won't do your face first, we'll do your hair – you're a little bit red!'
"It is like family. You do lose touch a bit with really good friends when you're away. I was in London and busy with my baby, and everyone else is getting on with their jobs. But it reminds you of how close you are as soon as you're back together.
"Roxy [Shahidi, who plays Leyla] and I had barely seen each other, but we'd kept in touch and we're really close. As soon as we were back together, we were doing yoga in the dressing room, going on a little run in our lunch break, chatting away literally like no time had passed.
"It was quite a nice moment. I was like: 'Oh my God, I feel like me again!' The old me, being silly and stuff. It's quite nice having that time when you're at work, remembering your friendships and the way you were before."
How has it been getting back into the long days of filming?
"I thought I used to be tired! (Laughs.) It's hard, I'm not going to lie. Only because my child's not sleeping at the moment, so that's tricky.
"Also the hours that you're here – you'll leave at 7pm and be back in the building at 7am the next morning. In that time, you've got to bath your child and put them to bed, make dinner and then do your lines for the next day. At some point talk to your other half, get your clothes ready for the next morning and then get up and go again!
"When it's your life, it's a lot – but I secretly get a kick out of being pushed to my limits, I think! So part of me has got a new lease of life from the pressure and I think it's quite nice."
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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