Actress Pauline Quirke to join Emmerdale

[Perdita]

Pauline Quirke has revealed that she is staying on Emmerdale until at least April next year.

The actress, who plays art teacher Hazel Rhodes in the ITV1 soap, admitted that she is looking forward to the rest of her time on the show.

She told Holy Soap: "I'm contracted until next April unless they get sick of me before then, in which case I'll probably be out by Christmas. But fingers crossed. I'm meant to be there 'til next April.

"I've been there two months and I'm loving it. I'm having a really good time."

Hazel will soon become involved in a major storyline involving her son Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock) and his boyfriend Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller).

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Pauline Quirke has joked that the Emmerdale cast have scared her with discussions about Yorkshire winters.

The actress was cast in the role of Hazel Rhodes on the ITV1 soap back in May, meaning that she is only just beginning to experience what her workplace is like in months of bad weather.

Speaking to The Mirror, Quirke explained: "Everyone has made me feel very welcome but they've frightened the life out of me about winter. They're saying you haven't seen anything 'til you've seen a Yorkshire winter.

"But I'm enjoying it - I haven't had to mess about with any animals yet. Though I've run through a few fields."

The star also discussed her affection for Hazel, who is currently supporting son Jackson (Marc Silcock) after he was seriously injured in a train crash.

Quirke said of the character: "She started off very bubbly and with these great one-liners but now we're seeing something else. I like her, I really do. She's a strong woman and it's all about protective instinct. She's trying to do the best she can for her son, like any mum would."

The 51-year-old has previously revealed that she will be staying with Emmerdale until at least April next year.

[Perdita]

Pauline Quirke has praised her Emmerdale co-stars Marc Silcock and Danny Miller for their work on the soap.

The former Birds Of A Feather Star - who now plays Silcock's on-screen mother Hazel - told Inside Soap that the pair had created a "genuine" gay relationship for Aaron and Jackson.

"I love that the boys have made it such a real and genuine relationship," she said. "Free of stereotypes."

However, she insisted that she does not need to give them "acting advice".

"You only need to watch them to see that I don't need to," she said. "They're brilliant and so young too. I think the world of Marc Silcock and Danny Miller - they're a pleasure to be around."

[Perdita]

FANS' favourite Pauline Quirke has been handed a new deal to stay in Emmerdale for at least another year.

The former Birds of a Feather star was only supposed to be in the soap for a few months after she joined in August.

But viewers have taken the 51-year-old actress to heart for her convincing portrayal of larger than life chatterbox Hazel Rhodes. Pauline has been given a 12-month extension deal worth a reported £100,000.

Emmerdale boss Steve November said: "Pauline has been a real asset to the show and we're delighted she has agreed to stay. Next year is going to be dramatic for Hazel in many unexpected ways." Pauline said: "I've had a great time and was really thrilled to be asked to stay on longer."

The Sun

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This is excellent news

[tammyy2j]

I really like Hazel and Jackson

[Lizzz]

Excellent news!

[Chloe O'brien]

Best Newcomer for next years Soap Awards. What do we all think?

[Perdita]

Emmerdale star Pauline Quirke has revealed that she is on a diet to lose over 8 stone in weight.

The actress - Hazel Walsh in the ITV soap - told The Sun that she has so far lost 2 stone in the first five weeks on the LighterLife weight-loss programme.

Quirke admitted that she had previously lost weight two years ago but put it back on after quitting her diet.

"I lost 3st and remember looking at myself in the mirror after slipping into a jacket that I hadn't fit into for a decade," she said. "I could look at my reflection for the first time in years and think, 'This is the real me'.

"But then I made the foolish mistake of going off the diet and slowly the weight crept back."

However, the determined 51-year-old continued: "This time it is for good, I'm never going back. Although I haven't told anyone apart from my family about my diet until now, a few people have commented I look slimmer. A compliment like that tastes better than any meal. I want to be able to wear nice clothes and feel completely happy about the way I look."

Admitting that she has reached the "heaviest I've been", she told the paper that the biggest wake-up call came when she was told that she needed a hip replacement operation in 2009.

"I was filming the BBC drama series Missing and had to do several takes where I got out of a car and walked up stairs. My joints were in agony and at first I thought it was my knee," she said. "But X-rays showed my left hip had almost completely worn away. Having a hip replacement in my late forties was a shock and, of course, I tried to make excuses about the reason why it had happened. But it came down to my weight."

Nevertheless, Quirke insisted that she has never let her weight put her off taking any acting roles.

"I've always chosen a part for the character and their story - never once has the character been the token 'fat one'," she added. "The women I've played have ranged from the head of a missing persons unit in Missing to a mother wrongly convicted of murdering a child in The Bill.

"The characters were real women and I hope I portrayed them that way. I've never felt my appearance or dress size has got in the way of my performance."

DS

[Perdita]

Pauline Quirke has confirmed that she will be leaving Emmerdale at the end of her current contract.

The actress will bow out from her role as Hazel Rhodes on the ITV1 soap at the end of the year, before starting work on a stage version of classic sitcom Birds of a Feather in 2012.

Speaking to What's On TV about her Emmerdale future, Quirke explained: "They very kindly asked me to stay on until Christmas. And then next year I'm going to be doing a tour of Birds of a Feather - we're going to bring Birds of a Feather back to the stage!

"We thought it was about time we resurrected us three old girls, so we'll be doing a tour next spring. But I'm certainly going to be on the Woolpack steps until this Christmas."

An Emmerdale spokesperson told DS today: "Pauline was originally due to appear for a year but extended her contract to the end of 2011, so there are many months of drama to come involving Hazel."

Hazel is currently involved in an assisted suicide storyline on screen as she recently told her son Jackson that she would help him to die. Jackson has repeatedly stated that he no longer wants to live due to his paralysis.

Quirke starred in Birds of a Feather alongside Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph between 1989 and 1998.

I will miss her as I like her character