'Emmerdale' Charlotte Bellamy: 'Laurel wants a divorce'
Published Apr 12 2012, 11:16 BST | By Daniel Kilkelly
Emmerdale star Charlotte Bellamy has admitted that her character Laurel Thomas cannot see a future for her marriage when she discovers husband Ashley's dark secret.Laurel receives a terrible shock next week when she witnesses Ashley (John Middleton) hitting his father Sandy (Freddie Jones), bringing the show's elder abuse storyline to a dramatic climax.
© ITV
© ITV
Viewers will see that Laurel decides to stick around in the family home for the time being for Sandy's sake. However, Bellamy told All About Soap that there may be no hope for her relationship with Ashley.
Bellamy explained: "Ashley claims he just wanted life to be perfect for Laurel. He blames her for falling in love with Marlon, even though they didn't have a full-blown affair. Ashley can't forgive Laurel for what she's done, and now Laurel realises she isn't able to forgive him either.
"Laurel doesn't know how to get past this, or if she'll ever be able to forgive Ashley for what he's done. Ashley tells her that he's done all this to protect her. However, as far as Laurel is concerned, their marriage is now over. There is no going back this time."
She continued: "Laurel is going to ask Ashley for a divorce. There's no way she can stay married to him now she knows what he's been doing to his father."
Emmerdale fans see Laurel discover the truth next Thursday (April 26) on ITV1.
> Emmerdale Gemma Oaten: 'Ashley, Sandy abuse plot is heartbreaking'
> Emmerdale John Middleton: 'Ashley sees Sandy as a threat'
> Emmerdale Ashley actor John Middleton: 'I want to stay on soap'
> Emmerdale Ashley, Sandy abuse to be revealed
> Read more Emmerdale spoilers and news
The whole pint about this storyline is that abuse crosses all classes, all cultures, all people in all walks of life. Regardless of the social standing or previous personality traits of the abuser it can and does happen.
Why do people think abuse only occurs in the lower classes or with drunks, drug abusers etc? Its this belief that makes the abused so frightened to tell an yone. they think nobody would believe them so they stay quiet.
To the person who said the storyline is unbelievable, that's the whole point. It is unbelievable and that's why the abuse goes on and the abuser feels powerless to stop it. Even a vicar can be an abuser, that's not so hard to believe when we consider the abuse of children by the Catholic priesthood.
April 16th 2012 at 4:22am
ASHLEY WILL BE MINISTER AT LAUREL AND MARLONS WEDDING.
April 13th 2012 at 10:51am
of course Laurel can't stay married to Ashley...........................NOBODY EVER STAYS MARRIED IN EMMERDALE!
April 13th 2012 at 8:07am
must have dementia...................too much out of character!!
April 13th 2012 at 8:01am
I'm amazed viewers cant see how the producers have manipulated them into hating on ashley so they could split laurel and ashley up like they originally wanted to do.they knew public sympathy was mostly with ashley, so they bring in a story where ash abuses sandy to lose ash sympathy.i don't think this woulda happened if the public hadn't sided with ash over the nearly affair.this is so out of character, as was the laurel and marlon thing.storys are getting to far fetched and not in keeping with the characters chosen.
April 12th 2012 at 11:13pm