Olivia Bromley is set to have her moment in the spotlight as wedding bells ring throughout the Dales for Dawn and Billy’s nuptials.
The couple are due to marry on Valentine’s Day, but with Emmerdale ’s vengeful psychopath Meena (Paige Sandhu) still on the loose and Dawn’s ex, Alex (Liam Boyle), desperate to get close to their son, Lucas, it’s unlikely the day will go without a hitch.
There’s been no news of Meena since she fled to Scotland, but soap sources have told us we may see the killer back on our screens shortly.
And with Billy and Dawn’s wedding date set, this could be the perfect opportunity for Meena to get her revenge.
We catch up with Olivia to hear about Dawn’s big day, and find out what makes the star tick in the romance department.
Off-screen, Olivia likes to keep her personal life under wraps, but she did reveal that it’s the little things in love that make all the difference to her.
The actress goes on to talk about the respect she has for her co-stars, and reveals that working with on-screen
lover Jay Kontzle is a barrel of laughs…
Hi, Olivia. Congratulations are in order! How does it feel to be involved in a big soap wedding?
[Laughs] Thanks so much. It’s been really fun. For Dawn to have her fairy-tale moment is so unexpected and I’m really enjoying it. It’s been a refreshing change.
This is your first TV wedding. Did you enjoy getting dolled up for it?
I loved it. On the day that we filmed the wedding we were all dressed up and nervous, so it felt like a real wedding.
Do you have any wedding-day dreams?
I feel quite unusual. I’ve never been one of those people who’s dreamt of their wedding. I’ve never made that fairy-tale plan. It’s more like, ‘Oh, it’ll be nice to be together and have a party.’
However, I’m a bridesmaid for quite a few weddings this year, which I’m really excited about. One is in Ibiza and another is in France. If they go ahead I’ll have some really hot, fun-abroad weddings to look forward to!
Valentine’s Day is round the corner. What’s your idea of romance?
I know this is really cheesy, but it’s all about the little things for me. I love it when my partner leaves me a little note. Not gifts, just those tiny day-to-day actions that are thoughtful.
Which qualities do you value most?
Humour and positivity are really important to me. Life throws a lot of obstacles at
you. When you’ve got a teammate who you can face those with and share a laugh with, and know that they’ve got your back in a positive way… that’s so important to me.
Prior to the wedding, Dawn gets the sense she’s being followed…
Dawn’s got a rough history behind her so she’s very aware of danger and her senses were always off with Meena, but her ex Alex has also come back into the picture. She senses something is awry but she can’t put her finger on what it is.
The real scare comes when she finds her dress vandalised.
Our sources tell us her wedding dress is put through the wringer…
I’m sure most brides’ dresses are in tatters by the end of their wedding day, but Dawn’s is a joke [laughs].
Did you have any wardrobe malfunctions while filming?
The day was punctuated by my wardrobe malfunctions. There have been instances where I’ve fallen over and had to get a whole new wedding dress because there’s a massive mud patch on my bum.
The Meena storyline has been a long-running feature in Emmerdale. Did you enjoy working with Paige?
It’s been absolutely brilliant. Meena turns the soap into a whole different genre, which is amazing. Her character is so unusual and manipulative, but Paige has fun with how dark it all is and it makes it really enjoyable.
Could you sense that something big was coming for Dawn?
Soap moves at such a fast pace it can sometimes feel like a runaway train. This storyline has all happened so fast, I’ve barely had time to think about it. To be honest, I’ve found it really challenging being so busy but I’ve absolutely loved getting into it. I feel really lucky.
Have you been stopped by fans?
The hatred towards Meena is intense! In the supermarket some people stop me and say, “Watch out for that Meena.” I’ve also had so many people say they’re rooting for Billy and Dawn, which I didn’t expect. They’ve had a rocky road!
On that note, how’s it been working with Jay?
We get on really well. He brings such energy to the set so if I’m in a bit of a grump, within a few seconds I’m laughing. He’s a big kid.
Do you have any funny stories from the set?
There was one scene where Jay was so enthusiastic, he knocked me flying. I was in the mud but he didn’t even notice. We were both so in the scene we just carried on.
And what’s it been like working alongside soap legend Claire King?
I love working with Claire. She’s such a calm, grounded presence. She plays a character that my character didn’t get on with initially and that’s been quite fun. There have been some really great arguments. I’ve been lucky to work with such experienced actors like Claire, Dean [Andrews] and Katherine [Dow Blyton].
Dean, who plays your on-screen dad Will, is a bit of a music man and you’re also in a band. Have you ever performed together?
I suppose we’re like the Von Trapps [laughs]. He’s a fantastic singer. We have an Emmerdale band that various cast members sing in, but because of Covid we haven’t been able to do any gigs.
What’s life been like outside of Emmerdale?
The soap has been life for the last few months to be honest. I’m usually based in London, but I’ve been spending a lot of time up north working, so I’ve been able to see my family a lot, which has been nice.
Can you tell us a bit about what’s in store?
Billy and Dawn are so close to what they hope will be the happiest day of their lives.
However, it’s a soap wedding so things aren’t going to go smoothly, are they? The question is, who is it that’s planning to sabotage them?
