When she first stepped on to the Emmerdale set aged just seven, Daisy Campbell never dreamed she’d be central to a 50th anniversary special over a decade later.
Playing Amelia Spencer since 2011, the young actress grew up on the long-running ITV soap opera, soaking up advice from her more experienced co-stars.
Now it’s 19-year-old Daisy’s turn to make telly history with dramatic scenes where her character gives birth in the middle of a storm rocking the Yorkshire village.
Daisy said: “It’s crazy to think I came into the show at seven as a child and now ten years later I’m having my own baby. It’s gone really quick and I’m an adult in the show now, which is weird. I feel really lucky to be part of it.”
The explosive hour-long episode to mark 50 years of Emmerdale will include a wedding, three returning characters, a birth and a death.
Amelia is forced to give birth on her own in a barn and Daisy tried to make her labour scenes as realistic as possible.
“Filming was very intense,” she told. “I was jogging, I was doing star-jumps in between takes. I needed to be out of breath! I spent weeks researching and practising the scenes. I took advice from Rosie Bentham, whose character Gabby had a baby last year. She told me to watch One Born Every Minute.
“With mine being a teen pregnancy, I wanted to see how differently teens gave birth. I thought they’d be more vulnerable, but we had an advisor on set who said that wasn’t the case. I played on that. If you look back at my internet searches, every one was about teen birth. I’m a pro now! I know to take lots of deep breaths and not to push too hard.”
Leeds-born Daisy says the scenes are the pinnacle of her career so far. “It was the best filming days I’ve ever done,” she said. “It did not feel like we were on Emmerdale. There were three massive wind machines outside and it felt really intense. I love filming this stuff as it gives you more adrenaline. I felt like I was in a real storm. It was crazy.
“I was so exhausted I couldn’t speak after the scenes. My voice went.”
When Daisy landed her first acting role in 2011, it was a dream come true. “We watched Emmerdale in our house growing up,” she said. “My grandparents love the show and my mum grew up with it always on. They never missed an episode. They were all so excited when I got a part.”
She remembers watching show legends like Kim Tate and the Dingles as a child, then she got to work with the stars who bring them to life.
“Charity Dingle is such an iconic character,” she said. “Emma Atkins, who plays her, is brilliant. I was on set with her the other day and she’s so funny.
“Kim Tate as well. Claire King is amazing. I can’t believe I get to learn from them. People like Lisa Riley and Mark Charnock too. We look up to them all. They’re so approachable. If you have an issue or want advice you can go to them. We’re like a family.”
Daisy has now set her sights on making sure Amelia goes down in soap history.
“I’ve grown up in a soap so I’ve learned to take each year as it comes. I want to be in Emmerdale as long as I can. I want to make Amelia an iconic character like Kim Tate. I want her to be happy for a little bit but I also want there to be drama and intensity! You want to be in the crossfire.”
Now established as an Emmerdale stalwart, Daisy has taken it all in her stride despite the early entrance on to the soap stage.
“It’s been 11 years,” recalled Daisy. “It’s gone so quick. I’ve learned so much on set from the people I’ve worked with. It’s made me the actress I am today.
“I found it easy when I was young. When I got to high school it was tough doing a full- time job as well. Then I left college and it got easier. The fame never bothered me. It’s nice when people stop and ask for pictures.”
So what can fans expect from the 50th anniversary? Will Kim and Will (Dean Andrews) still get married despite his cheating?
Kim is set to lock horns with her love rival Harriet (Katherine Dow Blyton) while two-timing Al Chapman ( Michael Wildman ) is forced to choose which woman to rescue: fiancée Kerry Wyatt ( Laura Norton ) or lover Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter).
But while millions tune in to watch the drama unfold from 7pm on ITV tonight. Amelia will be many hundreds of miles away.
“I’ll be on holiday in Spain,” she says. “I’m recording it and will watch it when I’m back.”
