Emmerdale star Roxy Shahidi has revealed how she once refused show bosses' filming requests as her character's fate on the soap was confirmed. The actress has been back in the thick of the action in the ITV soap after Leyla Cavanagh was kidnapped by her former drug dealer Callum after she tried to cross him.
After going sober and returning from rehab, the breakdown of her marriage to local GP Liam led to her almost relapsing. But she was caught by her son, Jacob, who took matters into his own hands and tried to warn Callum to stay away from his mum - while brandishing a knife which ended in Jacob being stabbed and fighting for his life.
Last week, some of the village residents headed out into Leeds for a night out with Leyla staying sober with the support of friend and colleague Suzy Merton. But after spotting her former dealer up to his usual tricks in the club, Leyla thought she'd take matters into her own hands and called the police in a bid to get Callum caught in the act.
As he was dragged out of the club, Leyla made herself known and told him that she was responsible for his arrest after filming him. However, she made a big mistake as there wasn't enough evidence to charge Callum and Leyla was terrified for her own life and that of her son after she was threatened by Callum for trying to stop him.
And after finding out Suzy's plan to bring him down, Callum attacked her and as she was laid up in hospital, Leyla took advice from village newcomer Caleb Milligan and texted Callum, arranging a meeting and attempted to pay him off with a wad of cash. Callum, however, was having none of it and he took her hostage, tying her up in a remote cabin in the woods.
After leaving her overnight, Callum returned, informing recovering drug addict Leyla that the plan is to have her do a drop-off. She refused and he assaulted her and in scenes aired on Thursday night (March 16), Emmerdale fans saw the panicked drug dealer trying to take Leyla away - before she woke up and tried to do a runner.
It didn't quite work and she ended up back in Callum's clutches, in the caving in the woods but this time, he had a gun. But Suzy and Jacob had also arrived to try and save Leyla only to find themselves at a desperate Callum's mercy. In the end, armed police managed to coax Callum out of the cabin before he surrendered his weapon and was arrested, meaning Leyla, Jacob and Leyla survived.
But speaking on Steph's Packed Lunch on Thursday before the scenes aired, Leyla actress Roxy revealed to the Channel 4 show's host Steph McGovern that she once refused to film scenes underwater like what the writers and producers wanted. "Everyone’s got their own body issues, haven’t they?" she said.
"They’re [the producers] fantastic like that. Equally, if there’s stuff in the script that you’re not comfortable with, whether that’s emotional, or whether that’s on a physical level, whatever it is, you can always raise that. For example, I was written in an underwear scene where I shimmied into a doctor’s surgery and dropped my coat in bra and knickers and I said 'no, I’m not doing that.'"
She continued: "And so, I ended up in a nice knee length dress from Reiss, but I did a really good shimmy, a little dance, and I think it was funnier because for me personally, I felt comfortable delivering that scene, and also people don’t want to see my bra and knickers when they’re having their tea."
The soap star also discussed the perfect way she’d like Leyla to depart the village, if it were to happen, and said with a laugh: "100% taxi!" She added: "If you get in a taxi, you can always come back in a taxi. You go in taxi, you come back in a taxi. So, you want the taxi really because it leaves that door fluid. You don’t want to die; it’d be too sad to die. You’ve known that character for years and years and years and you’ve invested so much. I couldn’t do it, I’d weep!"
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