Emmerdale fans will know all about the ups and downs of Priya Sharma's life, but how much do they know about the actress that plays her?
Fiona Wade took on the role in the ITV soap in 2011 - and has had her fair share of explosive storylines. Her character has had a whirlwind of romances and affairs, but away from the cameras, actress Fiona is loved-up with her co-star husband.
The 42-year-old met actor Simon Cotton, 44, on-set when he was cast in a guest part on Emmerdale. After two years of dating, the couple tied the knot at a star-studded fairytale wedding in the Cotswolds in 2019.
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However the pair didn't move in together at their Hertfordshire home until after saying 'I do'. Fiona, whose mother is Filipina, follows the strict Bahá’í religion, and so didn't want to live with her partner until they were married, reports OK!
Reflecting on her decision, the star said: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with living together before marriage and Simon and I had stayed [overnight] together.”
“But I felt that if he was the right person, I didn’t want to live together before I was married. I didn’t want to compromise.”
Their special day saw Fiona being walked down the aisle by her mum Tessie as her dad, Colin, died of oesophageal cancer when she was just 24.
Fiona, who describes herself as spiritual, has previously opened up about feeling her dad's presence.
Speaking to OK! she said: "I was so emotional. When I was getting ready, me, my mum, and best friend Kirsty had a bit of a cry.
"You always dream of that moment and you hope your dad is going to walk you down the aisle, and in the months approaching the wedding I was more emotional about my dad.
"I’ve had my moments thinking about that and crying, but I was with my mum and it was really special. I’m very spiritual and I believe my dad is around me and I really felt him there that day. I think he was giving me a lot of strength."
Fiona and husband Simon often share beautiful photos together on their Instagram accounts, declaring their love for one another. Alongside a wedding snap, Fiona wrote: "The most magical day. I can't wait to spend eternity with this beautiful soul".
Simon's latest post on Valentine's Day, with a series of photos of his wife, said: "My rock, my best friend, my pest. My Valentine. I am the luckiest man on this dance floor they call life…I love you."
Although Fiona was catapulted to wider fame when she took over from the original Priya actress Effie Woods, she had already appeared in a number of long-running soaps.
She was cast as Joanna Day in Grange Hill when she was 16, and also has credits in Holby City, Coronation Street, and Where The Heart Is. But acting and juggling her GCSEs at school was a lot to take on for the young actress, who battled with anxiety, reports OK!
"I’m a very positive person, so it’s weird to think I can be anxious and worried about things all the time," she said.
"But that’s the thing: you can be confident, love your life and be happy and still have the most crippling anxiety. You just never know what’s going on with someone."
Fiona added: “At my lowest point, when I was a little bit older, I literally couldn’t even get on the train. I couldn’t do anything.
"Looking back, it was because I’d taken on so much. I was at a young age when I didn’t understand myself. Now I do and so it doesn’t stop me from doing anything.”
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