Yahoo News Emmerdale star Jessie Elland responds to Chloe's father twist
Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale has revealed the identity of Chloe Harris' mysterious father – and he's somebody that viewers already know.
Thursday's episode (December 14) saw Chloe reach out to her estranged dad for help amid her ongoing troubles with her ex-fiancé Mackenzie Boyd.
As father and daughter met up for a chat, Chloe's dad was revealed to be bad boy Harry – the dangerous villain who previously attacked Caleb Miligan and kidnapped Chas Dingle.
Harry explained how he'd been keeping a close eye on Chloe from afar amid her recent dramas. Chloe expressed interest in securing a new identity to escape from Mack for good, but it was clear that ruthless Harry – also known as Damon Harris – was ready to pursue his own brutal agenda.
Will Chloe regret inviting her father back into her life? Jessie Elland, who plays her, recently caught up with Digital Spy to chat about the new twist.
When did you find out that Harry was going to be Chloe's dad?
"I can't remember exactly when I found out – everything since Super Soap Week seems like a mad blur! But I did find out before Super Soap Week aired, because I remember watching those episodes and getting really excited to work with Robert Beck, who plays Harry.
"I think he's brilliant and he did such a great job in Super Soap Week. It was really exciting to have someone that has done that little bit before and has all those relationships with other characters, even though Chloe didn't know.
"It was exciting for me as an actress to know that his backstory has already been established, and it was going to get really juicy."
You've often been asked over the years about Chloe's dad arriving. Is it a relief that he's finally here?
"Yeah, I'm so glad because my real-life dad has a running joke that he's going to be coming into Emmerdale, which he's not – he's not an actor. I'm glad he can finally stop making that joke!"
How would you describe Chloe's relationship with her dad?
"This is the first time Chloe has been in contact with him for two years. The way it ended was with him getting one of his henchmen to throw all of her belongings out onto Main Street.
"Chloe does love her dad and they were a very close family unit before he went to prison. But as she got older, she started to realise the person that he really was. Even then, I don't think she understood the extent of how bad he was, but she started to realise he was a bad person.
"It was that dichotomy between loving her dad – that unconditional love – but knowing morally that he was wrong and wondering where that left her. Then layered on top of that is how controlling he was when he was in prison. She really resented that and wanted to be free of it, so it's very complicated."
Can you tell us where the story goes from here?
"Chloe feels so pushed by Mack's behaviour that she has reached out to her father. That encapsulates what the relationship is like. She hasn't got in touch with him for two years, but she feels so desperate. She has nowhere else to turn, so that last resort is to turn to her dad. It's shown how dire circumstances have got for Chloe.
"Moving forward, there is hope from Chloe that maybe her dad has changed. She's clinging onto that naive hope that maybe there could be a little family unit – that now she's got Reuben that might bring out a different side of him and he might change his ways.
"I think Chloe does cling on to that to some extent. But you'll have to wait and see whether that happens, or whether he can't change who he is."
As Chloe has been through so much, would you like to see her change and become more like her dad?
"That's a good question! I think it would definitely be really fun to play. We did get to see a side of Chloe that I don't think we've seen before in Super Soap Week, when she planned to abandon Mack and Charity in the middle of nowhere.
"I'm sure it wasn't anything as drastic as what Chloe's dad would have done, but it was still something quite drastic for the character. She has never done anything like that before. So who knows? Maybe there is potential!
"There were scenes a long time ago, when Chloe first joined, where she said something like, 'I am actually more like my dad than people think'. She said that to Kerry ages ago so you never know! Maybe there is something latent in there that might come out at some point."
Chloe didn't realise how much Harry had been keeping tabs on her, did she?
"Yes, as far as Chloe was aware, he dumped off her stuff and then washed his hands of her. She really thought that it was a full stop on the relationship. But unbeknownst to her, it wasn't as final as she thought it was.
"Chloe is so naive to what actually is going on. I think that comes from really wanting to have a relationship with her dad and go back to before she found out what he was like.
"I think the full extent of her dad's behaviour would come as a big shock, because I think she has this narrative in her head where it's not as bad as she thought. She's trying to convince herself that it's actually okay and he's a good person, so it can all be fine. Because of that, it will be even more shocking to her."
Is it nice to have a family building up around Chloe now?
"Yeah, it's amazing and a real treat, especially considering how different the dynamics are with each character – the relationship with Kerry, and then the relationship with Amy. It's really fun to work on with Nat [Ann Jamieson, who plays Amy]. Now the relationship with Harry is so different and there's baby Reuben too. There's such diversity with the relationships and it's really fun."
Will Harry be a caring grandfather?
"That's a good question. I think maybe he could seem like that. But who knows what it's like on the inside?"
How worried should the Dingles be about Harry being around?
"I think everyone should be reasonably worried, actually. I think people underestimate just how bad Harry is and what extremes he's willing to go to get what he wants – and get what he thinks is right for his family."
What are your real-life Christmas plans?
"Lots of chocolate in real life! Chloe's plans might be a bit different to what she expected and what anyone was expecting. But for me, lots of chocolate, lots of Christmas films and Christmas books."
Buy two tickets to the Emmerdale Village Tour
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
You Might Also Like
