It's been five years since Manpreet Sharma first made an appearance in the Emmerdale village.
Played by actress, Rebecca Sarker, 48, Manpreet, made her first appearance on July 9, 2018. She is introduced as a locum doctor, who covers for Liam Cavanagh. Rishi Sharma visits the surgery for a health check, and is immediately attracted to her - the pair later marry.
Born 1975 Sarker made her first debut in her forgotten role as Nita Desai in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 1999 to 2000, she also appeared in two episodes of the BBC soap EastEnders .
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Manpreet Sharma has had a rocky road in the Emmerdale village, it was never going to be an easy ride being big sister to murderous Meena, this week she appeared to have a frighteningly close call in an ongoing Emmerdale storyline.
In Wednesday's (March 22) episode saw village bad boy Alex attempting to break into Manpreet's surgery in a bid to pay off drugs debts - he nicked Manpreet's keys from her bag - she quickly rushed out the surgery 'convinced someone was in there'.
Her career
Halifax-born Rebecca Sarker made her acting debut in Coronation Street in 1999. Following her exit from the soap in 2000, she appeared in various television series, including two guest appearances on the BBC soap Doctors.
She made appearances in the BBC medical dramas Holby City and Casualty, as well as playing Dr Newton in two episodes of the BBC soap EastEnders. Rebecca then starred in the ITV series The Golden Hour as Nina Osbourne in 2005.
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In 2012, she made her film debut in the film John Carter. Before it was announced, in 2018, that she had been cast as series regular, Manpreet Jutla, in Emmerdale.
Finally, in 2022, she competed in the ITV series The Games, hosted by Holly Willoughby and Freddie Flintoff. Rebecca was joined by contests Colson Smith, Ryan Thomas, Olivia Attwood, Phoenix Brown and Kevin Clifton.
Forgotten Corrie Role
It's a role not many remember but before the Millennium, Rebecca made her acting debut in Coronation Street as Nita Desai in 1999. Nita arrived in Corrie in January as a new assistant at the Corner Shop, which her family later took over.
Nita managed the shop for Ravi when he bought it from Fred Elliott, living in the flat above. Nita, craving independence, later left the family business after a couple of months to climb the managerial ladder at Freshco supermarket.
She spent a year as assistant manager in Fresco before, in 2000, leaving the street for Inverness to run her own store. She never returned to the cobbles.
Family life
Rebecca has kept tight-lipped about her romantic life and the identity of her partner who she is reportedly married to.
The 48-year-old has two sons and recently shared details of her family life. In an interview with OK! in 2022 she said: “My youngest is 10 and loves the fact that his older brother, now 15, is never mentioned and my eldest always wants me to remind everyone that I’ve got two boys.”
The mum-of-two then went on to reveal: “I say, 'Yes, darling. I will big you up at every opportunity.' He’s a black belt in karate, plays the guitar, and is very handsome.”
She often shares lovely snaps of “her boys” on social media. She also shares lots of photos of her fitness, posing in underwear and swimsuits, showing off her ripped body. Rebecca is also a lover of travel and going out with friends, per her Instagram.
As ever, we'll continue to bring you the big Emmerdale news about what is happening in the village. You can get the latest Emmerdale news direct to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter here.
Read next:
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- Evil Meena leaves Emmerdale fans quaking as Manpreet once again looks in danger
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