Emmerdale’s Lucy Pargeter says stillbirth storyline has been ‘harrowing and horrendous’ after becoming mum in real life
EMMERDALE star Lucy Pargeter has revealed the tears she's cried during Chas Dingle's harrowing pregnancy storyline are all real.
The actress admitted it's not only viewers who have been left sobbing as she too has struggled to keep it together when filming the "hard-going and horrendous" scenes that have seen the expectant pub landlady told her unborn daughter will not survive.
While she'll be the first to admit she's had some help turning on the waterworks previously, Lucy hasn't needed any help generating tears for her current storyline - especially as she gave birth to twins just over a year ago.
She said: "In the past Tear Stick used to help bring on the tears, then emotion would follow if I couldn’t find it naturally.
"But I’ve recently had children and we are talking about a baby with this storyline, so it’s not hard to find the emotion there. I certainly don’t need Tear Stick with this.
While filming can be difficult at times, Lucy refuses to complain as she's fortunate enough to go home to her three healthy daughters at the end of the day.
She said: “It’s harrowing and its hard-going and it’s horrendous and you do feel tired afterwards, but I’m not living it.
"I’m only pretending and for all those people who have something tragic like this in their lives, then who am I to complain about feeling tired or drained."
Asked how she unwinds from having to film the distressing scenes, she confessed: "I open the door and I’ve got three beautiful girls smiling at me; that makes me switch off straightaway.
"I leave everything at work and once I see them, reality immediately strikes and brings me back home."
Lucy became mum to 13 month-old twins Missy and Betsy, following several gruelling bouts of IVF treatment. She also has a 13 year-old daughter Lola.
And while motherhood can be "absolutely manic", Lucy admitted her dark storyline has made her appreciate being a mum even more.
On screen, devastated Chas and her fiancé vet Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) have been left devastated after being told their baby will not survive more than a few minutes after being born.
The unborn child has been diagnosed with bilateral renal agenesis, a condition which means the kidneys and lungs don’t properly develop.
Chas tries to cover her hurt but breaks down and reveals to her half-brother Cain (Jeff Hordley) that the baby isn’t going to live.
When Chas explains that Paddy has gone behind her back about organ donation, Cain tries to see things from Paddy’s point of view and is left worried when he realises that Chas is still hoping for a miracle.
Lucy says: “Chas is pretty hurt because she and Paddy haven’t discussed organ donation. She feels he’s gone behind her back and she tells Cain that she can’t marry Paddy.
“She thought they were both holding out every last bit of hope and decides she’s not going to walk down the aisle with him when they’re not on the same wavelength.”
But Chas is still trying to stay positive and when she discovers that Paddy has spoken to the hospital consultant about donating the little girl’s organs after she is born, she takes the dramatic decision to call off their wedding, devastated that he didn’t speak to her first.
"She’s in denial and doesn’t want any negativity," divulged Lucy, who has played the feisty Woolpack landlady for 15 years.
“But Paddy is more realistic about the prognosis and has thought about organ donation.”
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