Jai Sharma ( Chris Bisson )

[sarah c]

I wonder why Rachel tells Sam now? Does something happen to encourage her to do it?

.

I think the fall out from Jacob learning Alicia isnt his biological Mum does it?

[sarah c]

I wonder why Rachel tells Sam now? Does something happen to encourage her to do it?

.

I think the fall out from Jacob learning Alicia isnt his biological Mum does it?

[Perdita]

Yes, I think so too

[lizann]

jai is a gutless swine

[Perdita]

Emmerdale businessman Jai Sharma has a busy fortnight ahead as he is delighted to finally get a lead over the whereabouts of Rachel Breckle and their baby son Archie.

Jai is intrigued when a man named Mark approaches him with possible information over where Rachel is hiding out, but he isn't willing to share the details for free…

Here, Chris Bisson - who plays Jai - previews the twists and turns in store following Mark's arrival.

How does Jai react when Mark gets in touch?
"Obviously Jai has been desperately searching for Rachel and Archie. The private investigator hasn't turned up much and Jai is coming up with a new plan because he's getting really frustrated and really bogged down with it. His media campaign in the newspaper and on the internet has got a result - somebody's bitten, so immediately his hopes are up."

Does Jai's first meeting with Mark go well?
"When Mark comes to see Jai, it's seemingly going okay until Rishi mentions that Rachel is in trouble with the police, which leads to Mark walking out. At this point, Jai is pretty desperate and pretty upset. He tries to say to Mark, 'Look, we can keep the police out of it, I just want my son back', but Mark's not really having any of it.

"So that's a bit of a problem, but Jai has got his hopes up now. He knows that somebody knows where Rachel is - or he thinks somebody does, anyway. It goes quiet on the Mark front and then suddenly out of the blue, Jai gets this photo message of Rachel. So this Mark is proving that he knows Rachel and then Jai really gets his hopes up."

Rishi and Jai meet with Mark
© ITV
Rishi and Jai meet with Mark

Rishi tries to warn Jai off, doesn't he?
"Yeah, Rishi is more cautious from the outset. Mark is a bit of a dodgy character and I suppose in some ways it all plays out against Jai's better judgment, really. But Jai so desperately needs some hope and he's all-consumed with finding Archie. He'll take any little lead that he gets."

Charity and Declan are shocked when they hear about the lead and decide to find out more from Jai. How do they go about that?
"Charity tries to seduce Jai in a way, but not seductively! She tries to seduce Jai by being amicable over the divorce. She's trying to be nice, but I think it's true to say that Charity's only nice when she wants something and Jai sees through that. He is wrapped up in his own problems and she is trying to find information.

"Charity and Declan absolutely don't want Rachel turning up. If the truth comes out, Declan will go down for fraud and for arson, Charity will be complicit and Declan will probably take Charity with him. The stakes are pretty high."

Charity and Declan are unnerved by Jai
© ITV
Charity and Declan are unnerved by Jai

What happens when Mark meets up with Jai again?
"On the second meeting, Jai really is hopeful that he's going to get somewhere after he's seen the photographic proof. Charity's in the factory sniffing around, but she's trying to be nice and dresses it up as if she has come to talk divorces in a nice and adult way. Mark turns up so Charity sees him, but she doesn't know who he is. Then we get into the nitty gritty of the negotiations with Mark and what it's going to take."

What does Mark want in exchange for the information?
"It's money. He claims that he's from the same estate as Rachel, which he is, as he's got a photo on his phone. But Mark also says that if he were to take Jai to Rachel, then he would be known as a grass, so he needs to relocate his family. He wants a lot of money - he wants £20,000 for it. There's a final twist and he comes back for more. Mark is greedy. He's trying to extract every bit of money that he can out of Jai, and Jai wants to believe everything that he says."

Jai accepts what Mark is saying and heads to the estate. What is his plan?
"Jai is planning to snatch Archie, and he's brought toys to try to make that easier for Archie. Jai knows that Rachel is up for arson, so if he snatches Archie she can't really go to the police. Jai has arrived with Mark, and Mark goes to check if the coast is clear, but the viewers will see that Declan and Charity have arrived too…"

Jai is desperate to track down Rachel
© ITV
Jai is desperate to track down Rachel

Charity and Declan try to find Rachel before Jai
© ITV
Charity and Declan try to find Rachel before Jai

We can't give away what happens next, but Jai is also involved in Priya's storyline next week…
"Yes, we see in the next week or so that Priya is not really eating and Jai has started to notice. She's had anorexia before and they've got through it - now she's pregorexic and she's reacting to her body changing and getting bigger. She doesn't want to get bigger - she doesn't want to get 'fatter'.

"Eventually Jai does manage to get it out of Priya. Leyla tips him off that she thinks something's wrong, but of course, somebody with a really severe problem like that is a very polished and professional liar. They are used to thinking about what they're going to say to people, and how they're going to cover their tracks and where they're going to lose their food.

"It's very difficult to detect, and especially for someone with the problems that Jai's got, he's really not focused on anything else but trying to find Archie. It's hard to spot, but when he does find out he tackles Priya directly about it."

What happens when Jai confronts Priya?
"Jai is quite forceful with it. I suppose these were difficult scenes to play because on the one hand Jai needs to be sympathetic, but on the other hand he needs to get a confession first and foremost. Priya needs to admit what she is doing and only at that point can they help her.

"Jai uses shock tactics on Priya and she does admit it. She admits it really because she doesn't want Jai to tell Rishi or her mum. So she's admitted it to Jai and Leyla, but whether or not she's going to actually be true to her word is another thing. This is a long storyline and it's going run all the way up until Priya has the baby, and then possibly beyond."

Jai orders Priya to eat
© ITV
Jai orders Priya to eat

What do you make of that storyline?
"It's an important story and Fiona [Wade, who plays Priya] takes it very seriously. The whole Emmerdale team has invested a lot of time in trying to get it right and trying to understand it, as it's a very real and serious problem for a lot of people. We treat it all as sensitively as we possibly can - without losing the drama of course. We have to see the gritty reality."

Are you missing working with little Adam who played Archie?
"Yeah, I do miss him. Jai is desperate to have him back. I still do work with him, because I've got a photo of him on my desk. Jai has a photo of Archie on his desk in his office, so every time I'm playing a scene, he's always there sat on the desk. He's still here in spirit. We're just waiting for the time that we get him back."

Additional reporting by David Hutchison.

Read more Emmerdale spoilers and news

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV.

[tammyy2j]

I want Jai to find Rachel and Archie maybe Megan will help him now they get close

[tammyy2j]

Jai Sharma finds himself caught up in a war between Megan Macey and Leyla Harding next week when they both make rival offers to invest in his business.

Jai is in desperate need of some cash following some reckless spending, but do his loyalties lie with current partner Megan or feisty Leyla?

Here, Chris Bisson - who plays Jai - previews his character's decision and ponders whether his interest in Leyla will become a romantic one…

How is Jai feeling about his relationship with Megan at the moment?
"I think it's just 'alright' between Jai and Megan at the moment. The relationship really suited Jai while the situation with Charity and Declan was going on, but I suppose now that Charity and Declan are married, it's not quite as interesting as it used to be!

"It did really suit both of them, because it was always Jai, Megan and Robbie versus Charity and Declan. I suppose now it's just become a little bit flatter."

Why do Jai and Megan start clashing over the factory?
"Megan puts pressure on Jai as she wants to invest in the factory. Jai is having some financial difficulties because he spent a little bit too much money trying to find Archie. He needs a short-term loan now, but Megan doesn't want to give that to him - she wants to buy into the factory herself.

"Jai resists this for two reasons. One is that Megan is interfering and will want to take over, while Jai sees this very much as his business.

"The other reason is that Jai maybe isn't 100% sure about their relationship anymore. You maybe shouldn't mix business and pleasure anyway, but if you're unsure about the relationship, it doesn't quite work. But Jai obviously can't say that, otherwise he'd be walking with a limp! He has to skirt around this issue and tow a sensitive line!"

But then Leyla comes forward with a rival offer…
"Yes, Leyla gets wind of the situation. Priya is involved in that a little bit too. Priya knows that Jai isn't keen on Megan's ideas, so she preps Leyla to come to the factory and make him a financial offer.

"This offer appeals to Jai because he thinks that Leyla is thick. He thinks that he can have Leyla working on the factory floor, take her money and nothing will really change. Because Leyla isn't an established businesswoman, Jai thinks that he'll be able to control the factory more if they do things this way. He's confident that Leyla won't be interfering and questioning his decisions."

How do Megan and Leyla react when they become rivals?
"Well, it all comes to a head in The Woolpack, when Leyla throws down a challenge to Megan, almost Apprentice-style! Leyla suggests that they should both take £40 of Jai's money and aim to build on it within a couple of hours.

"Jai quite likes the idea, as he's sitting in the middle of these two beautiful battling women! He thinks it's quite fun and Leyla has got quite a spark to her, which Jai is starting to like."

How does the challenge go?
"Leyla gets her former lapdancing outfits out and gets some of the other girls dressed up in them. They sell burgers to the cyclists who are taking part in the Tour de France, so Leyla makes cash quite quickly.

"Megan also reluctantly accepts the challenge, but she goes off and sorts out some sort of deal involving chocolate Santas for the factory. This is obviously the duller but more profitable way of making money! Megan doesn't actually have the cash on her, as what she's organised is all 'in theory', while Leyla actually has the cash.

"In the end, Jai decides that he likes the 'get up and go' style that Leyla has. It's compounded by Megan being a bit snooty towards Leyla, and that puts the final nail in the coffin. Jai has grown to like Leyla's sparkiness, but Megan puts her down and is quite aloof. That's when Jai makes the decision that he's going to accept Leyla's money!"

Is Jai making the right decision?
"It's very short-lived, because Leyla comes into the factory lording it up and it's really not what Jai was expecting. Leyla doesn't come to work to do her normal job - she goes straight into the office and tells everyone about how she has invested. She even asks which desk is hers, which is not what Jai was wanting!

"Jai then asks Leyla to apologise for her behaviour and she doesn't like the way he's treating her. He is quite condescending and I particularly enjoyed playing him like that, to be honest with you!"

As Jai is starting to like Leyla, could there be more to come there?
"It depends on how the director cuts the episodes! (Laughs.) I definitely filmed a couple of glances, as Jai has noticed Leyla now and she's on his radar. Jai thinks Leyla is a bit thick and a bit gobby, but also sparky and fun."

Do you think Jai deserves some happiness?
"Well, let's be fair, Jai has had a pretty rubbish time and he's been at his lowest ebb. Nothing has gone right for him. I should have listened to all those old ladies in the supermarket! When Jai first got involved with Charity, everyone used to come up to me and say, 'Oh you want to steer clear of that Charity, she's bad news!' They were right!"

[Perdita]

Emmerdale launches a new affair storyline in tonight's episode (Wednesday, July 30) as Jai Sharma gives into temptation with Leyla Harding.

The businessman turns to Leyla (Roxy Shahidi) for comfort when she is there for him by chance following a humiliating experience at The Woolpack.

Jai is still currently in a relationship with Megan Macey (Gaynor Faye), while Leyla has recently gone into business with her - so it's clear that both characters are playing with fire as they betray one of the village's feistiest residents!

Digital Spy recently caught up with Chris Bisson, who plays Jai, to hear more about the steamy storyline and the drama to come.

Why has Leyla caught Jai's eye?
"It's been a slow-burner between Jai and Leyla. Jai never really took her seriously until she had that competition with Megan over who should invest in the factory. That was when Jai realised that he liked Leyla's spark. She seemed very fun and she proved herself not to be as ditzy as Jai first thought. He saw something a little bit intriguing about her at that point.

"Through Priya's arranged marriage storyline, we've also seen a slightly more serious side as Leyla is really sticking up for Priya. That's meant that Jai and Leyla have been forced to interact with each other, and they've realised that they get on very well."

How is Jai feeling about Megan at the moment?
"Their relationship is in a bit of a funny place. Jai is not so focused on Megan at the moment, because he's spending so much time worrying about Priya and her plans for an arranged marriage with Rakesh.

"I think in some ways, things have gone a little bit flat with Megan as far as Jai is concerned. He sees a bit more spark with Leyla now that he's had his head turned by her. They both like each other, but that is a big problem because Jai is clearly with Megan!"

How does the affair between Jai and Leyla start?
"The first moment of infidelity between Jai and Leyla actually comes after Megan has pushed Jai into a position that he really doesn't want to be in. Megan encourages Jai to attend a family do at The Woolpack, even though he really doesn't want to as he cannot stand Rakesh.

"Jai ends up losing his temper with Rakesh at the pub, but he accidentally punches David instead. He then feels upset about the position he's been put into and how he's now viewed by the rest of his family, who can't understand why he's acting this way."

What happens next?
"Jai goes round to see Megan at her new business, but she's not there and he ends up chatting to Leyla about what happened instead. They drink a bottle of champagne that Jai dropped off earlier as a good luck present for the wedding business, so one thing leads to another after that!"

Does Jai feel guilty about betraying Megan?
"Yeah, definitely! We've played quite a few scenes where Jai and Leyla are both feeling guilty. You'll see more of that going forward. At first it's just a case of, 'What have we done?!' They do feel guilty, but despite that, there's still a spark and they do like each other.

"It's a tricky position for both of them and it would be best for everyone if they just came clean, but we're a soap and we never do that, so it will rumble on!"

We'll also find out more about Jai and Rakesh's history next week, won't we?
"Yes, next week they have a showdown outside The Woolpack and the truth will come out. That's when the audience will finally know exactly why Jai hates Rakesh. Leyla is also involved in that situation, as she comes out to defuse what could be a fight outside the pub. Leyla then tells Jai that he really needs to come clean with Priya about everything.

"The reason that Jai hasn't told everyone why he hates Rakesh is that Jai is heavily implicated in the problem himself! He can't tell everyone why he hates Rakesh because he hates himself just as much for what he's done in his own past.

"In the end, with a bit of help from Leyla, Jai comes to the conclusion that Priya will forgive his own misdemeanours but she really needs to know why he feels so strongly against Rakesh. Jai tells Rakesh that he'll take the flak, because his sister's happiness is more important than his pride."

Viewers probably think Jai is overreacting to Rakesh so far! Will they be more understanding when the full story comes out?
"With the way it's played out so far, nobody can understand why Jai is acting the way he is. Even I didn't know when I first got the scripts! The first time Jai saw Rakesh, he threw him out of the house immediately. Then on the third time, he attacked him!

"I had to go up to see the story team to ask, 'What's Rakesh done? He must have done something pretty bad for me to attack him straight off!' They explained it all to me so that I could play those scenes properly, knowing full well that the audience and the characters would think that Jai was completely overreacting.

"Jai probably still is overreacting a little bit, but he is protective because Rakesh wants to marry Priya. He thinks that their past behaviour was alright when they were young, but now Rakesh wants to marry his sister, now it's not okay!"

Will Rakesh catch Jai and Leyla red-handed?
© ITV
Rakesh's presence has unsettled Jai

Would you like Jai and Leyla to become a proper couple?
"I think they make quite a good couple. They're definitely quite fun together, but it isn't going to be easy because there's a lot going on - certainly in Jai's life and a lot in Megan's life as well. That will all play out in the future. They certainly like each other but they also understand that it's not the right thing to do."

Will there be fireworks when Megan does find out?
"I have no idea what happens yet! I think all of the characters have been through a lot and Megan has probably taken her eye off the ball a little bit. With the whole Priya and Rakesh situation going on, Jai and Leyla have really slipped under everyone's radar. There's such a big hoo-ha about Priya's arranged marriage that I don't think anyone really notices what's going on.

"Jai and Leyla are having an affair and they cover it up pretty well - for a time! But at the end of next week, there is a situation where Jai and Leyla are repeat offending at the factory and Rakesh arrives. They're not 100% sure what he's seen after that…"

Would you like Jai to be involved in Charity and Declan's comeuppance when it finally happens?
"Definitely! Jai should be involved because he's been really hurt by Charity. We know he's hurt her too, but when the truth eventually comes out about what Charity did to get rid of Rachel and Archie, I'm sure there will be fireworks.

"Jai is still very cut up about losing Archie. There's still a picture of Archie on his desk at work and his pain over that situation is something that is never going to go away. It still hurts deep down inside, whether we're filming scenes to do with that issue or not."

It's been a busy year for the Sharmas so far, so will that continue into the autumn?
"Yes, I think they're going to stay pretty busy to be honest with you. We've just introduced new characters, so Rakesh is on the scene, his son Kirin is joining too and there's quite a lot going on there.

"The Megan/Jai/Leyla triangle will play out for a while too, so there's certainly plenty more to see from the Sharmas…"

[Perdita]

Emmerdale aired a big reveal moment at the end of Tuesday night's episode (October 14) as Jai Sharma was confirmed as Charity Macey's kidnapper.

A number of names had been in the frame after Charity was attacked and locked up in a shipping container, but viewers now know that Jai has taken the drastic action - wanting answers over the whereabouts of his young son Archie.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Chris Bisson, who plays Jai, to hear his thoughts on this surprising storyline twist for his character.

When did you first hear that this storyline was coming up?
"It came out of a conversation that I had with the show's producer Kate Oates at an awards ceremony. I asked, 'How are we going to resolve the Archie story once Declan leaves?' Kate told me they were thinking about it, and I said that from my experience of being a father, there would be no lengths that Jai wouldn't go to in order to get information on Archie's whereabouts from Charity. It would be a gloves-off situation, as he would definitely hate her and be thinking of doing something nasty to her!

"Further on down the line, Kate told me that she'd been thinking of what I'd said at the awards, and so they'd decided to go bigger with this storyline. Obviously they were planning on it anyway, but it was the severity of it that changed."

Is it unusual for the bosses to take on board ideas from the cast?
"It's not unusual, but I think sometimes you just have conversations that resonate with them. Obviously I only think about Jai - that's what they pay me to do! So that's why I said that I thought Jai could be taken to extremes with this story. That obviously struck a chord with the writing team and it all just fitted together nicely.

"I'm definitely playing a much darker character than I came in with, but like everybody in Emmerdale, bad things happen and that changes your character's personality!"

How did you feel when you saw the scripts for these episodes?
"I was still quite shocked by what Jai had done and the way that he'd gone about it. What he's done is very much pre-meditated, and that's the disturbing thing! Once I'd read the scripts twice, I realised that Jai must have got all of this organised in advance. He's gone away, found this shipping container and then decided what he was going to do to Charity. He's been driven to it.

"On Friday, you saw that Declan told everyone that Charity had Rachel's mobile number. Even when Jai went round to Home Farm afterwards, Charity denied that she had anything. Another thing is that Declan said to Jai that getting rid of Archie might have given Charity the greatest pleasure.

"Because of that, Jai has realised that if Charity has gone to those lengths to hurt him, she is absolutely never going to give up the information of where Archie is unless he forces it out of her. That's why what he does is so severe!"

Charity comes round after having been abducted.
© ITV
Charity is being held captive

Is Jai planning to kill Charity, or is he just trying to scare her?
"Jai just wants the information of where Archie is from Charity. If he gets his son back, Charity will be released and there's no two ways about that. You'll have to wait and see how far Jai goes because I don't want to spoil this week's episodes, but he's already gone to the lengths of premeditated kidnap and torture. Those are very, very extreme emotional responses to a very difficult situation."

Is Charity shocked when she finds out the kidnapper is Jai? After all, she accused him of making empty threats on Friday…
"Yes, I think she is surprised! As Declan is still on the loose, Charity thinks that he must be the kidnapper.

"I think the audience will be surprised by this too. It's nice to hold things back and for there to be some genuine surprises in the show. It's an appointment-to-watch storyline, rather than just reading everything in advance online or in a soap magazine. In some ways spoilers can be counterproductive and certainly for my generation growing up, the watercooler moments came when people were talking about stuff that they hadn't been forewarned about. Those are the things that make the biggest ripples."

Jai confronts Charity
© ITV
Jai confronts Charity

Jai wants answers from Charity
© ITV
Jai wants answers from Charity

Do you think the audience will have any sympathy for Jai?
"I know that they didn't have much sympathy for him when he sacked Lisa the other week! (Laughs.) That was funny because my Twitter went absolutely barmy after that storyline! I wasn't expecting it, but if they write your character horrible, you play horrible and that's the way it goes.

"I think that the audience may understand Jai's actions, partly because Charity has been so devious. She has manipulated and hurt so many people on this whole journey that she's been on with Declan. Charity has chewed people up, spat them out and had no regard for anyone.

"When you play Jai against that and the audience's desire for Charity to get her comeuppance, which is long overdue, I think people will understand why he's been driven to these lengths. Although I think he's probably taken it a bit too far for some people's liking! We're playing out a case of 'Who's worse?', but you probably always get a little bit of sympathy and understanding if you're playing against Charity!"

Jai also has a shock accident of his own later in the week…
"Yes, I don't want to give too much away about that, but it's in the 7,000th episode of Emmerdale on Thursday that Jai ends up coming a little bit unstuck. That's pretty much as a direct consequence of what he's done to Charity.

"It's all related to that, as Jai is not a professional kidnapper, torturer or hitman! He's very much out of his comfort zone. He may be trying to play it hard and his emotions are driving him, but he's definitely out of his comfort zone and that pressure will start to get to him."

Do you think it's likely we'll see Gemma Oaten on screen again as Rachel to tie up all of the loose ends?
"I think so - I think it's inevitable that it comes full circle at some point, but whenever that is, I don't know. I honestly don't know what's going to come of that. I suppose the audience like to have things wrapped up, but at the same time it's nice for us to have ongoing stories that aren't resolved and are driving characters forward.

"Something like a missing son can certainly make people bitter and twisted. Jai is suffering from the emotional consequences of having that happen to him. I don't expect you to see him get nice again any time soon. It's the new emotionally damaged Jai that we're dealing with!"

[Perdita]

Emmerdale star Chris Bisson has said that fans have been backing his character Jai Sharma for kidnapping Charity Macey.

The ITV soap aired a big reveal moment at the end of yesterday's episode (October 14), as Jai was confirmed as Charity mystery kidnapper.

Viewers now know that Jai attacked Charity and locked her up in a shipping container in order to get answers about the whereabouts of his young son, Archie.

Speaking about the storyline on Good Morning Britain today, Bisson said: "It was a shocker for lots of people - it's nice to hold back a storyline.

"It got a really good response and the most common message I got was that Charity had it coming. She's very unpopular."

Bisson previously told Digital Spy that he thinks viewers will be able to understand Jai's drastic actions.

He said: "I think that the audience may understand Jai's actions, partly because Charity has been so devious. She has manipulated and hurt so many people on this whole journey that she's been on with Declan. Charity has chewed people up, spat them out and had no regard for anyone.

"When you play Jai against that and the audience's desire for Charity to get her comeuppance, which is long overdue, I think people will understand why he's been driven to these lengths.

"Although I think he's probably taken it a bit too far for some people's liking! We're playing out a case of 'Who's worse?', but you probably always get a little bit of sympathy and understanding if you're playing against Charity!"