Emmerdale star Natalie J Robb opens up over "terribly shy" past

Emmerdale spoilers follow.

Emmerdale actress Natalie J Robb has been playing Moira Barton/Dingle since 2009, but has been appearing on TV for decades before that, joining the cast of Scottish soap Take the High Road in her teens.

In an interview with Inside Soap, she reflected on her acting career and how she got into it due to being very shy in her early years.

"I was a terribly, terribly shy child," she said. "One of those people if you talk to them then they just go red — which is hard to believe now as I've definitely made up for it!

cain dingle, moira dingle, emmerdale
ITV

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"It drove my mum crazy, so I went to Saturday morning music and drama classes, which was to bring me out of my shell. But I also loved the old movies like High Society. Then, when I was 13, I won 'Going Live Young Entertainer of the Year', which was a real shock.

"My mum said if I wanted to be an actress, then I had to push myself to perform in front of people, so that was why I went in for it — then I ended up winning, which was bizarre. I was really proud, and Kylie Minogue presented my award!"

The actress credits her time on Take the High Road as being an education in acting for TV, stating: "I really learned a lot. The crew took me under their wing and gave me little tips. If I look back now, I'd probably really cringe at my acting skills, though."

moira dingle, emmerdale
ITV

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Those acting credits are being put to the test right now as Moira finds herself on the brink of financial ruin due to the actions of her other half's brother, Caleb, potentially opening up a new family rift.

Emmerdale's executive producer Jane Hudson previously teased: "When Cain finds out that his brother is responsible, how on earth is that going to play out when these brothers are working so hard to try and have some sort of relationship? Is it all about to be doomed?"

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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