Actress Pauline Quirke to join Emmerdale

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Pauline Quirke has admitted that she cried when she arrived on the Emmerdale set to film her first scenes.

The actress recently signed up to play Jackson Walsh's mother Hazel on the ITV1 soap and began filming at the show's home in Leeds last week.

Speaking to Radio Aire about her debut, Quirke revealed: "Last Wednesday was my first scene. [It was] in the village - that village is unbelievable. I cried when I saw The Woolpack.

"My mum absolutely loved Emmerdale and so to get on set and actually see that Woolpack, it was actually really emotional so I had a little cry. But then I pulled myself together!"

The 50-year-old also said that she is thrilled with her new co-stars after getting a friendly reception on her first day.

She said: "I've never worked on anything where I've been made to feel so welcome and the cast have been so lovely and helping me with the schedule. It's just been, honestly, unbelievable how nice everyone is."

Quirke's first Emmerdale scenes will air in August. Her character is expected to soon become embroiled in a dramatic plotline involving son Jackson (Marc Silcock) and his lover Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller).

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Here are the first pictures of Emmerdale newcomer Pauline Quirke on her first day at the soap's custom-built village in the Yorkshire Dales.

In May, producers signed the former Birds Of A Feather star to play Hazel Walsh, the mother to Aaron Livesy's love interest Jackson.

Speaking of her arrival, Quirke said: "My first scene was in the village - that village is unbelievable. My mum absolutely loved Emmerdale and so to get on set and actually see that Woolpack, it was actually really emotional so I had a little cry. But then I pulled myself together!"

Series producer Gavin Blyth told DS: "I'm a huge fan of Pauline. She's someone who I could picture in the show. We met up for a coffee and chatted about character and story that would see her involved in the Aaron and Jackson story now and going forward. She has loved how that story has played out and we got on tremendously well. By the end of it, she'd decided that Emmerdale was right for her - and I was delighted to hear her say it!"

Quirke makes her screen debut as Hazel on August 12.

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I'm finding it hard to imagine her in this.

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Pauline is on screen August 12th... it looks like she maybe Bob's new lady love...

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Pauline Quirke has revealed that Suzanne Shaw helped her settle into Emmerdale.

Speaking to TV Times, the Birds Of A Feather actress admitted that she found it difficult to organise her time as she began working on the show.

She said: "We sat down with her (Suzanne's) schedule and my schedule and she showed me how she worked it out. It's a bit of a skill. There's four directors doing 16 episodes and you have to work out who you're with."

Shaw added: "I was only returning the favour. When I started she took me through my scripts and gave me a few acting lessons. Now it's just great to have her on board!"

Quirke's character Hazel, who is the mother of Aaron's boyfriend Jackson, will be seen arriving in the village this Thursday.

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Aaron meets Hazel

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Pauline Quirke has revealed that she is keen to be surprised by her forthcoming Emmerdale storylines.

When the star's casting as Jackson Walsh's mother Hazel was announced in May, the soap's series producer Gavin Blyth confirmed that she would be at the centre of an "enormous and gripping" plotline later this year.

However, in an interview with Inside Soap, Quirke insisted that she only knows a few details of what is in store.

Asked whether she could give any hints, the actress replied: "Not really! I've been told briefly what's to come, though I don't particularly want to know too far in advance.

"I love the element of surprise, and I'm not being coy about it, but I'm enjoying concentrating on Hazel's first few days in the village. It's really nice to see her settle in there and make some good friends."

Next week, fans will see Hazel moving into Smithy Cottage after Paddy offers her a place to stay - to the horror of Jackson's love interest Aaron.

Quirke commented: "She's got such a big personality, so it'll take some getting used to for Paddy and Aaron. Hazel's outgoing, bubbly and really friendly, too. She clearly adores Jackson as well - and they have some really nice moments together. Hazel's got a wicked sense of humour and has some very clever put-downs - especially for Aaron!"

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Pauline Quirke has teased an upcoming "traumatic" Emmerdale storyline.

The actress, who makes her on-screen debut as Jackson's mother Hazel Walsh in tonight's episode, told Sharon Marshall on ITV's This Morning about the plot.

"Further on down the storyline, I mean there's a whole story that involves Aaron (Danny Miller), Jackson (Marc Silcock) and Hazel and suffice to say there's certainly not a lot of laughs when the event happens," she revealed.

"So we've got that coming up in a couple of weeks now."

She continued: "It's not me being coy about the storylines, I really don't want to spoil it for viewers but I'm so busy trying to learn what I'm doing at the moment that I can't remember what's happening in a couple of weeks time to be honest.

"But as I say, that is going to be fairly traumatic."

Emmerdale producer Gavin Blyth previously told Digital Spy that Hazel will become involved in Aaron and Jackson's story "at the start of winter".

"One that none of them see coming," he teased.

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Pauline Quirke has revealed that she is trying to remember to use her fellow Emmerdale cast members' real names.

The actress, who makes her screen debut as Hazel Walsh tonight, told ITV's This Morning that she thought it would look bad if she used their alter ego's name.

"I'm desperately trying not to say their character names," she said. "You know, because it's just a bit rude."

The former Birds Of A Feather star added that she is "loving" her role as Jackson's (Marc Silcock) mother.

"[Hazel is] a larger-than-life character," she said. "She's very loud - you certainly know when she is in a room.

"She adores Jackson, so we will see where the storyline goes, but at the moment I'm just loving it."

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Pauline Quirke has revealed that there are some "serious" and "sad" moments ahead for her larger-than-life Emmerdale character Hazel Rhodes.

In recent weeks, fans have seen Hazel concentrating on settling into the village following her introduction as the mother of Aaron Livesy's boyfriend Jackson (Marc Silcock).

However, speaking to Digital Spy at the TV Choice Awards last night, Quirke said of Hazel's upcoming storylines: "She's very outgoing, very bubbly and very loud! Obviously the story will change over the next couple of months. It won't always be lots of laughs. I get a chance to do some serious, sad stuff as well."

Meanwhile, asked whether she would like her former Birds of a Feather co-star Lesley Joseph to join the soap, she replied: "We could have a little Birds reunion in The Woolpack! It'd be totally bizarre, but I'd love it… She'd have to be a sexy siren, wouldn't she, really? Maybe for Eric Pollard! Maybe Eric Pollard could have a little bit of frisky!"