Emmerdale: Val Pollard reminds Eric to do it 'his way'
Emmerdale fans were left emotional as an iconic figure made an unexpected 'return from the dead.'
The much-loved soap character, played by Charlie Hardwick, was a fixture on the programme since her introduction in 2004. As Eric Pollard's (Chris Chittell) outspoken partner, Val faced a myriad of intense plotlines during her time on the show.
She confronted everything from an HIV diagnosis to numerous torrid love affairs, ensuring her stint in the Dales was replete with commotion. Her tenure, however, was gruesomely cut short in 2015 when she was taken from the show in a brutal helicopter accident. That fateful day saw Val perish in a dazzling house of mirrors sequence; a dislodged shard of glass struck, fatally wounding her as she heroically shielded her sister Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen).
The portrayal of her demise left viewers devastated and even led to actor Charlie lamenting how "really hurt" she felt over Emmerdale executives' choice to conclude her arc so brutally.
Yet, almost ten years onwards, Val metaphorically 'reappeared' in the village after nearly a decade away. In the episode aired on Wednesday (August 14), figures Eric and Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) made their way to the cemetery, reports the Manchester Evening News.
While Victoria paused to remember her late father, Jack, Eric stopped beside Val's resting place. Then, suddenly, Val’s voice could be heard singing Frank Sinatra’s My Way, playing from a speaker hidden in her extravagant gravestone.
With his trademark wit, Eric remarked: "Sorry, Valerie always gets a bit gobby when I clean her up!"
Emmerdale viewers were visibly moved by a recent nod to the late Val Pollard on the show. Fans flocked to social media sharing poignant messages; one fan emotionally posted: "Aww both Eric and Victoria remembering Val and Jack respectively. Both legendary #Emmerdale characters."
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Another aficionado exclaimed: "I heard Val's voice for the first time in 9 years in tonight's ep and I'm in bits." Moreover, a heartfelt comment from another viewer stated: "Wish Val hadn't been killed off!"
Charlie, who played Val, divulged details about her departure from Emmerdale to The Mirror in 2015. Reflecting on her exit, she confessed: "I loved Emmerdale. It was my choice to leave."
She expressed her disbelief at the writers choice for her character, saying: "I have to say I was absolutely shocked when I found out they were going to kill Val.
"I think when you spend most of your life addressed and behaving like somebody else, then you find out that they're going to savagely annihilate her I was really hurt."
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm
