Yahoo News Emmerdale star responds to shock death in latest episode
Emmerdale spoilers follow from the January 1 episode.
Emmerdale's Bob Hope star Tony Audenshaw has responded to the soap's shocking death twist, which saw Bob's teenage son Heath tragically killed in a terrifying car accident.
Emmerdale's hour-long New Year's Day episode saw Heath and his twin sister Cathy, along with fellow teen Angelica King, make a dangerous decision as they tried to get to a New Year's party in Hotten by any means necessary.
They made a reckless move when they decided to steal Wendy Posner's car and take it for a joyride, with driver Cathy feeling the pressure from her passengers to speed up. Sadly, the night ended in tragedy as the teens were involved in a car crash – with Heath losing his life as a result.
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Actor Audenshaw has spoken to Digital Spy and other media about the unexpected twist in the storyline, revealing that the news of Heath's death came as "quite a shock" when he was told.
"I'd just had all the really heavy stuff with the heart attack and the affair and all that sort of thing and I thought, 'Thank God all that's done, I might get a bit of comedy now!' which is what I naturally like doing," he said.
"It was quite a shock that that's what they were doing. But obviously it's a really important storyline and I hope it's one that they do justice to."
The impact of Heath's death is likely to be felt across the village, particularly by Cathy - who must deal with the loss of her brother as well as the fact that she was in the driving seat during the crash.
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"It's quite extraordinary that they're brother and sister," Audenshaw said. "It does often happen with young people that it's their mates or girlfriend or boyfriend, it's somebody they know.
"Not only are they dealing with the fact that they've killed somebody, or somebody's died in an accident, but it's somebody that they actually love. Then the whole network of friends and family around are angry and they're grieving and I'm sure that's what's going to unfold."
The actor confirmed that the circumstances of Heath's loss are "going to really, really test an already fractured relationship" between Bob and Cathy, while Bob will also "certainly" blame himself.
"Certainly in the way he's parented he's going to question his relationship with his children," he explained. "Has he got on better with Heath than he has with Cathy over the last few years? Is it payback time now for that?
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"Because Heath, because he hasn't got PMDD I suppose, for one, has been an easier ride as a parent, because he's had less trouble. He's just been a bit of a dream, really, just got on with things. His eyes have been towards Cathy a lot because of the trouble she's had because of her condition."
Audenshaw confirmed that one person who Bob won't blame is his partner, Wendy, but added that his character is "grieving and he's irritable" and that the situation will "test their relationship as well".
Despite this strain, Wendy is set to be a big support to Bob, with both having already lost a child in the past.
"That is something that is actually referenced quite a few times as the storyline develops, the loss of Dawn (Bob's daughter, who died in 2006)," Audenshaw said. "Wendy has obviously lost a son as well.
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"They've both experienced things that other people wouldn't have experienced and Wendy's a great support in that, because she can say, 'Remember this might happen, remember what it's like, remember why you're feeling like this at the moment.' But (Dawn's loss) is reflected both in story and the way that he reacts."
The actor also spoke about his sadness over saying goodbye to actor Sebastian Dowling, who has played Heath since he was a baby alongside his real-life twin Gabrielle, who plays Cathy.
"He's always been here," Audenshaw said, adding: "We all get on dead well and it's going to be quite an emotional time over the next couple of weeks."
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
If you identify with the themes in this article, the NHS has resources available to help with grief counselling and other support in the UK. In the US, the CDC also has resources available for those grieving.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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