Emmerdale star Jaye Griffiths has teased a very dark past for her villainous character Celia Daniels
Emmerdale star Jaye Griffiths confirmed why Celia Daniels almost never shows her neck.
During the summer, the village villain arrived on the ITV soap as the neighbouring farmer of Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb), and the pair instantly got off on the wrong foot.
However, it soon transpired that Celia doesn’t get her hands dirty at her farm but she is the boss of a criminal drug operation with her adoptive son, Ray Walters (Joe Absolom), running the show.
The pair have also tricked teenagers April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) and Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle) into drug running to pay off a never-ending debt, with April also being pressured into sexual exploitation.
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Celia and Ray’s evil antics don’t stop there, as they are holding vulnerable people as slaves to work on their farm, including Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards).
Speaking to the Daily Star and other press outlets about Celia’s exploitative reign, actress Jaye Griffiths revealed the character has a very dark past and is forced to wear a neck scarf to cover up a harrowing scar from an attempted decapitation.
She explained: “She wears a cravat because someone has tried to cut her head off. So it’s very subtle, and it’s only halfway across because obviously they didn’t succeed in cutting her throat. That’s why she wears a cravat.”
However, during a recent date with Bob Hope (played by Tony Audenshaw), Celia opted out of wearing a neck scarf and wore a flattering dress, leaving her neck more on show. Jaye confirmed that Bob had noticed the scar but failed to mention it to Celia.
She explained: “I asked our execs if they would not tell scripts because I don’t want it ever mentioned. So there’s a lovely bit where Bob looks at my neck and then his eyes flick away, and that’s the only time, and that’s it.
“It’s just a hint of a former life, a life elsewhere, that I think bad things have happened to her. And that’s why she wears a cravat.”
Jaye also teased tension between Celia and Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy), who has a romantic interest in her son, Ray.
The villain is not supportive of Ray having a partner and feels “heartbroken” at the thought of him leaving her for his own family life.
Viewers would have seen Laurel try to kiss Ray, but he didn’t respond quickly enough as his phone rang, while Celia watched from the bushes across the road.
Jaye added, “Laurel goes to kiss him and he won’t kiss her back, and that breaks Celia’s heart because that means she isn’t a floozie, she’s not a one off, that she’s so serious about her. He likes her that much, and that is too real for Celia.”
Celia is worried about the prospect of losing control of Ray and doesn’t want someone else to love him.
Jaye explained, “If there is one person in the world that she tries to love in a way that she can, it’s Ray.
“Perpetually telling him he’s an idiot and a moron, it’s just her way of showing love and devotion. So now, the possibility is that he might leave her. I think that would come close to breaking Celia.”
Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX
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