Roxy Shahidi opens up on the challenges of her new job away from Emmerdale

Emmerdale fave Roxy Shahidi has opened up about her experiences in her new job away from the soap.

Some fans will likely know, Roxy Shahidi, 41, is currently appearing in ITVBe’s fly-on-the-wall documentary series Drama Queens. She’s one of a number of stars from shows, including Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Emmerdale, being followed by cameras for the series.

As reported by our colleagues from The Mirror, Roxy, who plays Leyla Harding in Emmerdale, revealed she felt incredibly vulnerable taking part. Of course, most notably speaking about the sudden death of her father when he was 41 and she was only 17.

Read more: Emmerdale's Beth Cordingly opens up on her relationship with a soap legend

“When the camera is rolling, it’s just you, the other ladies and this crew you’ve got to know and trust,” says Roxy, who teamed up with fellow actresses including Coronation Street ’s Lucy Fallon and Ellie Leach, and former EastEnders and now Hollyoaks star Rita Simons, for the eight-part TV series.

She adds: "But a few weeks later, you realise it’s actually going out on television and you can’t quite remember what it was you said. All you do remember is feeling vulnerable.

“I kept thinking, ‘What did I say? And how upset did I get?’ On Emmerdale, you perform a script and you’ve got that character to hide behind – but this is you, in the moment, being as authentic as you can be. And that leaves you feeling a little bit exposed.”

You can find out which Emmerdale legend you'd marry by taking on our personality quiz below. You can also click here to have a go at the challenge

The fact that Roxy, who appeared in this year’s series of Dancing On Ice, is naturally quite a private person meant it was an even bigger decision for her to commit to the show. “

Doing a lot of press or reality stuff, or anything that really exposed me on a personal level, is something I’ve previously shied away from, because it made me feel vulnerable,” Roxy admits. “Rather than brave it and put my toe in the water, I just kind of hid away from it.”

You can visit our Emmerdale homepage to find the latest gossip about the soap and its stars. Don't forget, we also have a regular Emmerdale newsletter. You can find out more and sign up for it here.

LeedsLive has launched a WhatsApp community and anyone who joins will get the latest breaking news and top stories sent direct to their phone. To join click here.