Patsy Kensit

EXCLUSIVE: Sadie King’s return to Emmerdale is almost here, and now actress Patsy Kensit has told the Mirror her ‘terror’ over her ITV soap comeback after 20 years

There’s not long to wait until Sadie King returns to Emmerdale, after 20 years away.

But while fans are excited, actress Patsy Kensit, 58, confessed she was utterly terrified reprising her iconic role. “I was shaking like a leaf,” she told the Mirror. “It’s been a long time. I’ve done so much work in between, but this… I phoned up Mark Charnock actually, who plays Marlon Dingle.

“I told him, ‘I’m really scared,’ and he said it would be weird if I wasn’t, and that it’s only because I care. But I’m in the swing of things now, and I’m definitely settling in.”

Emmerdale are keeping quiet, for now, on what triggers Sadie’s shocking return, and when the scenes will air. What we can reveal is that she brings trouble to the village in classic Sadie fashion, and there’s some big secrets waiting to be discovered too.

She shared: “We will find out what’s happened to her and it’s interesting. It’s not just a one-note portrayal. Things have happened to her over the last 20 years, and we get older, but I can’t say too much.”

Patsy revealed her role isn’t a full-time return to the Dales. She’s only there for six months, with her set to wrap up filming in December. There’s plenty of drama on the way though before she leaves again, with village residents left reeling over her out-of-the-blue return.

It’s hardly surprising, after her devious antics during her two-year stint on the show between 2004 and 2006. From teaming up with Cain Dingle to con her own family, to her involvement in the deadly show home collapse that left three characters dead, she’s earned her status as one of the soap’s most ruthless characters ever.

But the big question is, has Sadie King changed? “Well, obviously it’s been 20 years,” Patsy told us. “We would hope she’s evolved slightly.

“It was quite easy to slip back into Sadie’s shoes, and it’s really interesting the way that it’s been written. She sort of comes in and causes trouble. People will be unsure if she’s a different person now.”

Patsy was thrilled to be asked back by bosses, first confiding the news in her two sons, James, 32, whose father is Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr, and Lennon, 26, who she shares with ex-husband, Oasis star, Liam Gallagher.

Patsy beamed: “They were really happy. They thought it would be a really great thing for me to do, and they have been really supportive.”

While Sadie isn’t expected to get a warm welcome when she steps back into the village, the same cannot be said for Patsy who was welcomed back with open arms.

“It’s been exceptionally nice,” she told us. “It’s a wonderful place to work. The pastoral care here is incredible, the cast, crew, everyone, every department. They really, really put their arms around me and looked after me.”

Patsy loves playing Sadie, so she jumped at the chance to be her again. But she admitted Sadie isn’t someone she’d be keen to know in the real world.

“Oh gosh, no, she’s awful,” laughed Patsy. “But, no, I do love her. You can’t play a character, really, that you hate.

“I think you’ve got to find something in there. Her sheer capability… I’m pathologically polite, and she will say and do things that I would never do in a million years, and get away with, so I can kind of live vicariously through her at times.”

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Emmerdale is preparing for a huge summer surrounding some of the soap’s biggest female characters including Charity, Sadie, Dawn, Sarah, Gabby and Serena

Emmerdale’s strong female characters will take centre stage this summer in a string of big storylines.

The ITV soap has promised a huge summer for some of the biggest characters, with explosive secrets being revealed, new alliances forming and devastating consequences.

For fan favourite Charity (Emma Atkins), there is much drama ahead as her lies catch up with her. With Charity desperate to protect her family, she falls deeper in the lies that the baby she carried belongs to her and Ross Barton.

With everything she holds dear at risk, a confession comes – and the secret she reveals threatens to shake the entire village to the core, with devastating scenes set to air for the wider Dingle family.

Sarah, played by Katie Hill, will struggle to cope when she gets pushed to the edge by devastating news. Her world could come crumbling down if she learns the truth about where her and Jacob’s daughter Leyla’s true parentage lies.

It is bad news for Dawn – played by Olivia Bromley – who finds herself caught in the crossfire of a terrifying feud. She seems happy with Joe Tate and her new family, but things take a turn for the worse.

As her wedding day approaches, she’s trapped and needs to make a huge choice. A present life as it is now, or the hope of finally having the future she wants for her and her family.

New arrival Serena (Casey Al-Shaqsy) has caused quite the star since she showed up as the newest member of the Sugden family. She faces more drama this summer, and needs to decide how much she will face to lose to protect her biggest secret.

Gabby – played by Rosie Bentham – has always been the centre of some big storylines in the Dales, but this summer, she is struggling to keep things under control. Her health will be devastatingly impacted by her struggles and her life is at risk.

She is faced with the biggest moral decision of her life when a terrible incident takes place. Will she destroy the lives of the people she cares about with her terrifying decision?

There’s also a huge return for Patsy Kensit’s character Sadie, who has quite the agenda when she waltzes back into the Dales. Armed with a big surprise, she has a secret to tell, and the village will be left reeling.

Emmerdale Producer, Laura Shaw, teased: “From explosive secrets that shatter lives to dangerous new allegiances that threaten to tear the village apart, this season promises to be one of our most intense yet. The village is set for a dramatic transformation, and we can’t wait for our audience to see the peril these characters face.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.