Yahoo News Emmerdale star Rebecca Sarker on Manpreet's disappearance in Meena plot
Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale star Rebecca Sarker has revealed more details on her character Manpreet Sharma going missing next week.
Upcoming episodes see Manpreet do a disappearing act after another difficult week involving her sister Meena Jutla (Paige Sandhu).
Manpreet is one of the villagers in attendance for Meena's plea hearing, where the serial killer is facing several charges.
In the aftermath, Manpreet worries about having to give testimony in court at a later date and she suffers a panic attack when it all becomes too much.
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Speaking about the scenes, Rebecca explained: "The day in court for Meena's plea hearing has been a long time coming for Manpreet. She's overwhelmed and she psyches herself up for it. It's been like a Sword of Damocles over her head, waiting for the day to come.
"At court, Meena has been tormenting Manpreet and Liam and playing to her audience. It's that pressure for Manpreet, so I think the panic attack is a release from all that angst. There's probably a bit of PTSD as well, so it's a combination of things."
Rebecca continued: "Manpreet is pretty vulnerable. She's trying to claw her way back, but this pressure keeps pushing her down and weighing on her. The panic attack scene was very interesting to film because I was the only actor on set, so I was very isolated.
"That was useful because Manpreet feels very isolated too. She feels the responsibility not just over Meena's actions, but if she has to take the stand at a trial. That's weighing very heavily on her shoulders."
Related: Emmerdale star Rebecca Sarker addresses imminent exit for Meena Jutla
Manpreet later heads off in her car, before abandoning the vehicle and leaving her phone behind.
Concern soon mounts in the village over her continued absence.
Rebecca said: "Manpreet disappears into the night. When we filmed this, it was dark and windy. It was King Lear-ish, because the storm was blowing, it was dark, cold, camp and windy. It was quiet and remote.
"Manpreet wants to lose herself, figuratively and literally. She doesn't want that weight on her shoulders. She even says that she doesn't want to be herself anymore. That's a dark place to be and it's unfamiliar territory mentally for her.
"She feels trapped by the situation, really. It's probably the lowest she's ever been. She's at breaking point, she really is."
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV and streams on the ITV Hub.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov.
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