Nikhil and Gennie

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's Rik Makarem has admitted that he is enjoying showing Nikhil Sharma's villainous side in his latest plot.

The businessman was dumped by girlfriend Chas Dingle, only to have her half-sister Gennie (Sian Reese Williams) declare her love for him. However, she was cruelly rejected.

Makarem suggested that his alter ego may have to reconsider his decision, telling the Daily Record: "I've always said I'd love to play a villain because it's so far removed from the way I am normally and I'm certainly getting a little taste of it just now.

"What is he doing? He's graced with this very loyal girl, the only person who really understands him, and he's putting her through the mix. She's had to watch her sister and the man she thinks is the love of her life getting it on.

"It's great stuff to play. To make sure the fall for Gennie is dramatic, we have had to really make a colourful impression of how passionate the romance is between Chastity and Nikhil. What Gennie can see is Chastity is not fully investing in this relationship while this sensitive guy is willing to offer all this love."
Makarem noted the Shakespearian element of the plot, while also acknowledging similarities to Bridget Jones.

"It's a bit like Orsino in Twelfth Night, this character who is in love with the idea of being in love and he is projecting all this on to Chas when she is not the right girl and he can't see what is right under his nose," he said. "Bridget Jones? I don't know if I would compare myself to Hugh Grant or Colin Firth. A hybrid, is probably the safe answer."

Teasing upcoming developments in the storyline, Makarem added: "What we have to go through just now is Nikhil's conflict of what is right for him, until he understands that chasing the wrong thing won't get him anywhere.

"He's been in previous relationships where he's the one investing and getting nothing back. I know people like that and I admit maybe there was a time when I did that. I really invested in something which wasn't true. It wasn't in harmony and it doesn't offer the best parts of your personality, it doesn't give you ownership of yourself."

Makarem added: "Nikhil has to make that decision of what is right for him and maybe accept somebody like Gennie is more suited to him. I think he deserves someone to love him and to see what that would do to him."

[Perdita]

Emmerdale star Rik Makarem has admitted that Gennie Walker would be "perfect" for his character Nikhil Sharma if he gave her a chance.

Gennie (Sian Reese-Williams) has had a crush on Nikhil for months, but the businessman is only just beginning to realise his own feelings for her - and may have left it too late.

Makarem told This Morning today: "I think what it is, for a long time he's been chasing the wrong thing. In his mind's eye, what he thinks is right for him totally isn't. And it's a bit like Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, where Orsino is in love with the idea of being in love - the ideal of it.

"Right underneath his nose, the perfect thing is there, but I think he's got a lot of emotional conflicts from his history and his childhood that he's not established within himself - he's not fought those off yet."

Discussing Nikhil's habit of insulting Gennie, he continued: "He has a lack of ability in saying the right thing at the right time. It's not that he's not trying - he's a very sensitive individual and he's wanting to say the right thing, and he's wanting to do the right thing."

Emmerdale bosses are currently building up a love triangle storyline as local vet Nicky (Matt Milburn) has recently been taking an interest in Gennie, leaving Nikhil jealous.

Makarem added: "I think it's taken someone of [Nicky's] calibre, of all his charm and charisma - that's surprised Nikhil and shook him up. It needed to be someone like that to wake him up."

Emmerdale continues tonight at 7pm on ITV1.

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's Rik Makarem is chuffed his soap alter-ego Nikhil Sharma finally succumbs to his feelings for Gennie Walker.

The factory boss and his PA - played by Sian Reese-Williams - have had their ups and downs since she confessed to being in love with him, only to be told that she was "too boring" and "mousy" for him.

"Nikhil has not made it easy for Gennie. She has had this unconditional love for him and he's not treated her very well," the actor told the ITV1 soap's official website.

"He has said some horrible things about Gennie, about what he supposedly thinks Gennie is, which is not the truth at all. Gennie has been willing to defend and protect him in front of all these people - let's face it, Nikhil is not the easiest person to get along with, especially when he's in charge."

The duo finally got to share a passionate kiss, and Rik predicts a happy ending for their romance.

"I think it's going to be a great Christmas for Nikhil because he has Gennie," he revealed.

The 29-year-old added: "These two have been generating feelings for each other over the past seven or eight months. He does genuinely love her, but he didn't realise that."


I wonder how long this relationship will last before one them cheats

[Glen1]

You can bet your boots Mummy will stick her oar in to scupper that relationship.

[xcarlyx]

I loved seeing them together finally last night.

[sarah c]

I dont see cheating - but I do see Gennie wearing the trousers and as Nikhil blunders about getting it wrong, her putting him right...

but still a strong suport from her for him and vice versa

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's Sian Reese-Williams has predicted a bright future for Gennie and Nikhil.

Reese-Williams, whose alter ego Gennie discovers she is pregnant next Wednesday, believes that the pair will put their turbulent past behind them.


© ITV

© ITV


"I think he's going to surprise her with his reaction to the news. It's not what she expected him to do at all," she told PA.

"I think it will bring them closer together in their differences. I think we've got a lot of fun to come with this, even during the pregnancy and beyond with these two trying to bring up a child."

However, the star confessed: "My favourite Gennie and Nikhil is when she's being really horrible to him and he doesn't really know why and she's really feisty to him.

"I love it when they're like that, and I'm hoping that hormones will keep that going, and he's trying to do all the right things and she just rolls her eyes and tells him to go away.

"I'm just really looking forward to see how his anal neuroses deals with babies and mess and crying."

[tammyy2j]

He cant handle kids poor Gennie

[TheBillFan]

He cant handle kids poor Gennie

I think he'll surprise us and be a great dad actually do all the nappy changing and handle the crying.
I feel sorry for Jay.. He really wants a kid of his own but his wife doesn't, and his brother who doesn't want a baby is having one

[tammyy2j]

Sian Reese Williams reveals to Soaplife that Gennie leaves a pregnant pause before she tells Nikhil she having his baby - and then gets a shock when she does

Gennie finds out she's 18 weeks but hasn't told Nikhil. Why?
"He's always going on about how he doesn't want children. I think she's got a lot of questions that need answering about the relationship - where they're at and whether there's any future in it - before she can tell him anything."

But Nikhil knows something's up...
"He thinks it's stress - and comments she has put on weight, which she deals with really badly. He's noticed that there's something going on but he definitely doesn't put two and two together."

Chas tells her she has to tell him. Does she?
"She tries to, but every time he does or says something that reinforces her feeling that he's just not going to take it very well."

Is there any way Nikhil could be happy about the baby?
"Well, after he does find out his reaction is a surprise to her - it's not what she expects from him at all. There's a bit of a rocky road ahead before they get to that point, like when after he finds out, which is really fun and we did some really nice scenes with that which hopefully people will enjoy."