Vanessa Woodfield

[Perdita]

Emmerdale bosses have announced that four new characters will be joining the village this autumn.

Bernice Blackstock's lover, a new father-daughter duo and an old acquaintance of Rhona Goskirk have all been cast as fresh faces for the ITV1 soap.

First to arrive will be Rhona Goskirk's wild friend from college Vanessa Woodfield, who has been tipped to shake up life at the vets' surgery.

Played by The Royal actress Michelle Hardwick, Vanessa is billed as a "self-assured party girl" who will be "like a breath of fresh air" when she arrives at the vets' practice.


© ITV

Michelle Hardwick as Vanessa Woodfield.

While Vanessa is always up for a laugh, she is also plain-speaking and instantly clashes with Rhona's husband Paddy.

Hardwick commented: "As a local girl and a fan of the show, Emmerdale is my dream job. After only two days, I am starting to feel at home already and Vanessa is such a fun character. I can't wait to see what's in store for her."

[Perdita]

Emmerdale star Zoe Henry has tipped new character Vanessa Woodfield to cause "fireworks" in the village.

Last month, show bosses announced that actress Michelle Hardwick had been cast as Vanessa, who is an old friend of Henry's alter ego Rhona Kirk.


© ITV


Vanessa is a fun-loving character who will be taking up a position at the vets' practice next month, leading to clashes with Rhona's husband Paddy (Dominic Brunt).

Henry told Inside Soap: "Rhona was young, free and single the last time she and Vanessa were hanging out at university. We've just started filming the scenes where Vanessa returns to her life.

"They're great, because Rhona starts becoming more of a 'lad about town', as it were - while poor old Paddy is left at home literally holding the baby.

"I think there'll definitely be quite a few fireworks when Vanessa arrives!"

In the meantime, Rhona has another drama ahead next week when her new work colleague Brett Harrison, played by Gideon Turner, misreads her signals and makes a move on her.

Henry confessed that she was nervous about filming the upcoming scenes.

She laughed: "I get in such a state about things like that! I'm just terrified that I'm going to look like a complete idiot in some way. It's genuinely quite an unpleasant experience, as you've got a roomful of men standing about watching what's going on. There's nothing remotely romantic about it.

"Thankfully, Gideon was delightful. It was entirely my pleasure by the end - it could definitely have been a lot worse!"

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7pm on ITV1, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays.


Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s1...#ixzz2DWwe4SnJ
F

[Perdita]

Emmerdale airs new character Vanessa Woodfield's first scenes next week as she takes on a job at the vets' practice.

Billed as a "self-assured party girl" who is always up for a laugh, Vanessa gets a warm reception from her old friend Rhona Kirk (Zoe Henry) upon her arrival in the village. However, it's clear that Rhona's husband Paddy (Dominic Brunt) isn't so impressed, which could lead to tension...

Here, Michelle Hardwick - who plays Vanessa - reveals all the gossip on what fans can expect from her character.

We've heard a lot about Vanessa's fun-loving personality. Just how wild is she?
"On a scale of one to ten, Vanessa's wildness is probably eleven! I think it's been that way since her college days, as she's not really calmed down very much since then."

What is Vanessa's background with Rhona?
"Vanessa and Rhona were at college together. They trained together and they were inseparable. They used to get up to all sorts and were known for being quite a wild pair!"

How does Paddy react to Vanessa's arrival?
"Well, Paddy has never met Vanessa before, but he's heard a lot of stories about her from Rhona. Although those were probably the edited versions of the stories! When Vanessa does finally arrive, Paddy feels quite threatened by her friendship with Rhona. As they haven't seen each other for so long, Vanessa just wants to pick up their friendship where they left off.

"Vanessa thinks that Rhona isn't living life as she remembered her, because she's settled down so much. Now Vanessa wants to carry on the relationship they had when they were in their early 20s, so Rhona goes along with all these nights out and Paddy does feel a little bit left out."

What does Vanessa make of Paddy?
"She thinks he's boring! As soon as she sees him, she can't believe that Rhona has settled down with somebody so stable and serious. Vanessa does know in her heart of hearts that he's the right one for Rhona, though, because he's such a lovely guy. But she's adamant that Rhona needs bringing back to life."

Does she succeed in bringing out a different side to Rhona?
"She's certainly hoping she can! Vanessa wants to bring back the old Rhona, who nobody else has seen yet. Watch this space - she'll try to work her magic."

As Paddy is feeling left out, will this situation cause problems between him and Rhona?
"Initially yes, because Rhona is out with Vanessa nearly every night, and she's leaving Paddy at home with Leo. Vanessa isn't trying to split Rhona and Paddy up, but she thinks that it's her turn to spend some time with Rhona now - she wants her mate back. Vanessa is just quite selfish when it comes to friends. She's demanding and she's used to getting what she wants."

Does Vanessa make her presence felt on her first night out in the village?
"She does! She ruffles a few feathers with Marlon, and she eyes up Andy Sugden at the bar. Vanessa is definitely looking to see where the talent is."

What type of guy does Vanessa usually go for?
"I think Vanessa would definitely go for muscles and looks. It's certainly brawn over brain at the moment for Vanessa, without a doubt. She likes the bad guys!"

How popular do you think Vanessa will be in the village?
"I think it's going to be a real mix. A lot of people are going to think she's fun and want to hang around with her, but then some of the older residents feel differently. She does rub Edna up the wrong way straight away at the vets, which is never a good thing!

"I think there's going to be certain people who love Vanessa, but also people who think she's trouble."

Would you be friends with her?
"Absolutely, I love her! I think she's got so much bottle. She lives life to the full. Playing someone like that is great, as you can just let yourself go. I'm far more sensible in real life."

How well have you settled into the show?
"I'm loving it. It's been a few weeks now and everyone has just been so welcoming, both cast and crew. I actually knew a lot of the crew members already from my old job at The Royal. I'm loving it and the village is so beautiful. Plus, I'm a local girl so it's just around the corner for me."

Along with the crew, were you familiar with many of the cast?
"I knew Natalie Anderson, who plays Alicia, because of The Royal. We go way back from when we trained together, though, and we're really good friends. It's fantastic to be working with Natalie again.

"There's also Andy Wear, who plays Jude - I've known him since I was 19. We've toured together and we did The Royal together. I've also previously worked with the new cast member Tom Mannion, who's playing Steve. He started on exactly the same day as me, and I had no idea until I saw his name up on the board. He played my boyfriend in The Royal for four episodes."

What was your first day on set like?
"My first day was in The Woolpack. I had three scenes and I'll never forget it. It was with Zoe, Dom Brunt and Mark Charnock, so it was a pleasure. I was very nervous, but I think you've got to have that adrenaline."

Were you a fan of Emmerdale before joining?
"Yes, I love it and all of my family love it. Because it's a local soap to us, I've watched it as far back as I can remember, ever since the age of 11 or 12."

Who will Vanessa be sharing a lot of scenes with?
"Well, obviously she's friends with Rhona, but at one point she actually says, 'I'm going to have to make new friends because Paddy is going to want Rhona back at some point!'

"Vanessa gets very friendly with Moira, which is lovely because they're about the same age and they're both on the lookout for men. There's a few glasses of wine to be had with Moira, and when Alicia comes back there's a few glasses with her as well. In fact, Vanessa has a drink with anybody who'll talk to her!"

You mentioned that some people think Vanessa will be trouble. Will she be?
"Yes, but not trouble in a really bad way. It's trouble in a fun, good way because she's got a heart of gold. Vanessa wouldn't ever set out to hurt anybody, but she does like to get her own way. She's not a bad girl, though, not intentionally. I think she might be misunderstood!"

Are you planning to watch your first episode when it goes out next week?
"I know for a fact that my family will all be round at my mum and dad's with a few bottles of champagne. But I'll be watching it through my fingers!"


Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s1...#ixzz2E9hkEUH4

[alan45]

Vanessa Woodfield's job hangs in the balance on Emmerdale next week after she misdiagnoses Katie Macey's horse Wilson.

Turning up to Home Farm on an urgent call-out after attending her godmother's funeral, Vanessa tells Katie (Sammy Winward) that Wilson just has colic and there's nothing to worry about.

Later, however, all hell breaks loose as Wilson dies suddenly. With Katie on the warpath, Vanessa is left in the firing line - and a huge rift develops between Rhona and Paddy Kirk as they debate how to handle the situation…

Here, Michelle Hardwick - who plays Vanessa - lifts the lid on a tough week ahead for her character.

Is Vanessa enjoying working in the village?
"Oh, she absolutely loves working in Emmerdale. She loves village life, as I don't think it's something she's been used to before. Vanessa also really enjoys working with her best friend Rhona, so life can't get any better, really."

Is Vanessa sympathetic when she can see that Paddy is feeling pushed out?
"Well, Vanessa and Rhona are very tight after their time at college together. Vanessa has come back wanting to pick things up exactly where they left off, so Paddy is bound to feel pushed out.

"Vanessa does realise how Paddy is feeling, so she does take the foot off the accelerator slightly. She is slightly sympathetic, and she wouldn't want to do anything to come between Rhona and Paddy."
Trouble brews in the next few days when Rhona hurts her back. How does that come about?
"It's absolutely Vanessa's fault, as it happens during a piggy back race at her birthday party. Rhona falls down, and Vanessa falls off her!

"Rhona has now injured herself, so she's limited with what she can do at work. Paddy has been struck off, so Vanessa is left holding the fort pretty much herself. She's brought that on herself, but it's going to cause problems."

Then Vanessa's godmother passes away. Is this a significant loss for her?
"It is, as Vanessa was very close to her godmother, so she tells Paddy that she needs time off for the funeral. It's not just any old funeral, as they were particularly close. It's a sad time for her, but she does get the time off to go."

Vanessa heads to the pub after the funeral, but she's soon called out to examine Katie's horse Wilson. What happens?
"The funeral is all over and Vanessa is at the pub when she gets a phone call from Paddy, saying that they need her to go up to Home Farm.

"Vanessa doesn't think twice - she's straight up there in funeral gear. She's had one glass of wine in the pub so she can drive straight there with no messing."

After examining him, Vanessa says that Wilson just has colic. Does she have any doubts about the diagnosis she gives?
"None whatsoever! She saw the horse, did all the relevant checks and said everything would be fine."

How does Vanessa react when she finds out that the horse has died later that day?
"It's an absolutely unbelievable shock, because there were no signs there at all that would have suggested this might happen. There was nothing more Vanessa could have done.

"There's nothing for Vanessa to feel guilty about, as Rhona says that she would have done exactly the same thing. Katie and Declan think Vanessa was distracted due to her godmother, but whether she'd been at a funeral or not, there's nothing that could have been done differently."

Is Vanessa worried when Katie threatens to take legal action over this?
"Yes, because at the end of the day, it's Rhona and Paddy's practice. She doesn't want any trouble for them that's down to her. Paddy already thinks that Vanessa is a botherer and she's a nuisance, without this happening too!"

Has anything like this happened to Vanessa before?
"No, I think this is absolutely the first time, and she's been a vet for many, many years."

In the end, Katie promises to call off the legal threat if Paddy and Rhona sack Vanessa. Will Vanessa go along with this?
"If it came to it and it was going to stop them from losing their business, then Vanessa would hand her resignation in without a shadow of a doubt!"

This issue causes a big problem as Rhona doesn't want to sack Vanessa, but Paddy wants her gone. Is Vanessa aware that they're arguing bitterly over her?
"Very much so, and as I've said, the last thing she wants is to cause even more problems between them. Vanessa turning up in the first place was causing arguments, and now this is even worse because obviously Rhona's standing by her best friend and Paddy's saying, 'No, get rid of her!'"

What happens next?
"Vanessa hands in her resignation, but there's more to follow after that! It's a really bad position for them all, because obviously Paddy cannot work because he's suspended, and Rhona is in so much pain with her back that she cannot stand up straight.

"Vanessa is the only one who can work properly at the moment, due to her hurting Rhona's back. She's feeling really bad about everything, so we'll have to wait and see what happens."

Romance-wise, has anyone caught Vanessa's eye in the village?
"Well, she's teased Rodney a couple of times. She's probably thinking, 'What can I get from this man?' And also poor Dan! She went to his Bronte night with him, and he thought he was in with a bit of a chance, but she was never going to go there in a million years.

"I think Vanessa likes to play the guys along a little bit, but she's not really had time for romance. Nobody has turned her head at all, so watch this space!"

[alan45]

Vanessa Woodfield's job hangs in the balance on Emmerdale next week after she misdiagnoses Katie Macey's horse Wilson.

Turning up to Home Farm on an urgent call-out after attending her godmother's funeral, Vanessa tells Katie (Sammy Winward) that Wilson just has colic and there's nothing to worry about.

Later, however, all hell breaks loose as Wilson dies suddenly. With Katie on the warpath, Vanessa is left in the firing line - and a huge rift develops between Rhona and Paddy Kirk as they debate how to handle the situation…

Here, Michelle Hardwick - who plays Vanessa - lifts the lid on a tough week ahead for her character.

Is Vanessa enjoying working in the village?
"Oh, she absolutely loves working in Emmerdale. She loves village life, as I don't think it's something she's been used to before. Vanessa also really enjoys working with her best friend Rhona, so life can't get any better, really."

Is Vanessa sympathetic when she can see that Paddy is feeling pushed out?
"Well, Vanessa and Rhona are very tight after their time at college together. Vanessa has come back wanting to pick things up exactly where they left off, so Paddy is bound to feel pushed out.

"Vanessa does realise how Paddy is feeling, so she does take the foot off the accelerator slightly. She is slightly sympathetic, and she wouldn't want to do anything to come between Rhona and Paddy."
Trouble brews in the next few days when Rhona hurts her back. How does that come about?
"It's absolutely Vanessa's fault, as it happens during a piggy back race at her birthday party. Rhona falls down, and Vanessa falls off her!

"Rhona has now injured herself, so she's limited with what she can do at work. Paddy has been struck off, so Vanessa is left holding the fort pretty much herself. She's brought that on herself, but it's going to cause problems."

Then Vanessa's godmother passes away. Is this a significant loss for her?
"It is, as Vanessa was very close to her godmother, so she tells Paddy that she needs time off for the funeral. It's not just any old funeral, as they were particularly close. It's a sad time for her, but she does get the time off to go."

Vanessa heads to the pub after the funeral, but she's soon called out to examine Katie's horse Wilson. What happens?
"The funeral is all over and Vanessa is at the pub when she gets a phone call from Paddy, saying that they need her to go up to Home Farm.

"Vanessa doesn't think twice - she's straight up there in funeral gear. She's had one glass of wine in the pub so she can drive straight there with no messing."

After examining him, Vanessa says that Wilson just has colic. Does she have any doubts about the diagnosis she gives?
"None whatsoever! She saw the horse, did all the relevant checks and said everything would be fine."

How does Vanessa react when she finds out that the horse has died later that day?
"It's an absolutely unbelievable shock, because there were no signs there at all that would have suggested this might happen. There was nothing more Vanessa could have done.

"There's nothing for Vanessa to feel guilty about, as Rhona says that she would have done exactly the same thing. Katie and Declan think Vanessa was distracted due to her godmother, but whether she'd been at a funeral or not, there's nothing that could have been done differently."

Is Vanessa worried when Katie threatens to take legal action over this?
"Yes, because at the end of the day, it's Rhona and Paddy's practice. She doesn't want any trouble for them that's down to her. Paddy already thinks that Vanessa is a botherer and she's a nuisance, without this happening too!"

Has anything like this happened to Vanessa before?
"No, I think this is absolutely the first time, and she's been a vet for many, many years."

In the end, Katie promises to call off the legal threat if Paddy and Rhona sack Vanessa. Will Vanessa go along with this?
"If it came to it and it was going to stop them from losing their business, then Vanessa would hand her resignation in without a shadow of a doubt!"

This issue causes a big problem as Rhona doesn't want to sack Vanessa, but Paddy wants her gone. Is Vanessa aware that they're arguing bitterly over her?
"Very much so, and as I've said, the last thing she wants is to cause even more problems between them. Vanessa turning up in the first place was causing arguments, and now this is even worse because obviously Rhona's standing by her best friend and Paddy's saying, 'No, get rid of her!'"

What happens next?
"Vanessa hands in her resignation, but there's more to follow after that! It's a really bad position for them all, because obviously Paddy cannot work because he's suspended, and Rhona is in so much pain with her back that she cannot stand up straight.

"Vanessa is the only one who can work properly at the moment, due to her hurting Rhona's back. She's feeling really bad about everything, so we'll have to wait and see what happens."

Romance-wise, has anyone caught Vanessa's eye in the village?
"Well, she's teased Rodney a couple of times. She's probably thinking, 'What can I get from this man?' And also poor Dan! She went to his Bronte night with him, and he thought he was in with a bit of a chance, but she was never going to go there in a million years.

"I think Vanessa likes to play the guys along a little bit, but she's not really had time for romance. Nobody has turned her head at all, so watch this space!"

[Katy]

Ive been wondering who she was for ages now!!

[tammyy2j]

She is quite annoying so far with Rhona

[Perdita]

Emmerdale star Michelle Hardwick has revealed that she would like to explore her character's past.

The actress, whose character Vanessa Woodfield joined the cast last year, admitted that she would be intrigued to find out more about her alter ego's history.

Speaking to Inside Soap, Hardwick stated that she would like some of Vanessa's family members to be written into the show.

"There's so much scope because [Vanessa] never mentions anyone! They would need to be quite loud though, just like Vanessa," she said.

"I can't wait to find out what they have in store for her."

Hardwick also said that she loves playing her Emmerdale character, but is nothing like her in real life.

She commented: "I'm nowhere near as direct as Vanessa. She's not afraid to say exactly what is on her mind, while I go round the houses. But that is why I love playing her - she is so much fun!"

Vanessa Woodfield's job hangs in the balance on Emmerdale next week after she misdiagnoses Katie Macey's horse Wilson.

[tammyy2j]

What is the deal with her, is she after Paddy or Rhona?

[Perdita]

Emmerdale vet Vanessa Woodfield remains in an impossible predicament over the next fortnight as she continues to cover up Rhona Goskirk's painkiller addiction.

Vanessa is currently staying loyal to her best friend in the hope that she can help Rhona (Zoe Henry) overcome her problem without anyone else finding out.

Slowly but surely, Vanessa starts to realise that things for Rhona are getting worse rather than better. Out of her depth, will Vanessa expose the truth about Rhona?

Here, Michelle Hardwick - who plays Vanessa - chats about her character's big dilemma and where things go from here.

How is Vanessa feeling about Rhona's painkiller addiction?
"At first, Vanessa didn't realise how severe this problem is. Obviously this all started when Rhona hurt her back while mucking about with Vanessa quite a few months ago now, so Vanessa does blame herself for that. Since then, Vanessa has seen just how serious this is and she's now trying to cover for Rhona.

"I don't think Vanessa would have agreed to cover for Rhona if she had known just how big the problem was, though. Vanessa would have made Rhona seek professional help right from the start. Vanessa is so out of her depth at the moment."

Next week, Rhona is preparing to go on a weekend away. Does she ask Vanessa for more pills to tide her over?
"Yes, she does. Rhona is going away with Paddy, Marlon and Laurel. She knows that she can only have a certain amount of pills that Vanessa will be prescribing for her, so she's asking Vanessa for more. However, Vanessa refuses because she thinks that Rhona has got enough pills to see her through the whole weekend.

"Vanessa also encourages Rhona to reconsider her decision to go away for the mini-holiday. She reminds Rhona that she could run out of pills and get desperate while she's miles away from anyone. It's not like Vanessa can come and help her in that situation."

We'll also see a worrying incident when Rhona is operating on Val's dog. What happens?
"Vanessa gets a message from Rhona which says that she needs help urgently. When Vanessa arrives into the surgery, she sees that Rhona is about to do an operation on Cheryl while sweating and shaking. She's in no fit state whatsoever to be doing this operation.

"Vanessa takes over and tells Val and Eric that Rhona has got flu. However, this is a big shock for Vanessa, because it's clear that Rhona could have killed this dog. Rhona's addiction is now having a big impact on the vet practice."

Does Vanessa think Paddy should be made aware of this problem?
"Yes, Vanessa really wants Paddy to know now, because she's out of her depth while dealing with Rhona on her own. She has no idea what to do next and she's having to tell so many lies while covering for Rhona. Vanessa keeps urging Rhona to come clean as she's sure that Paddy will understand, but deep down, she knows that Rhona won't.

"Vanessa's main worry is that Rhona's addiction is growing by the day, and so are the lengths that she's going to in order to get her hands on drugs."

Why doesn't Vanessa just tell Paddy?
"At this point, Vanessa is just scared and she doesn't want to lose Rhona as a friend. She also isn't sure that it's her place to say anything. If she was going to tell Paddy, she should have done it at the start rather than waiting until now. If Vanessa told him now, she'd not only lose Rhona as a friend, but Paddy would probably blame her for the whole thing. He blames her for everything else!

"Rhona could also possibly blame Vanessa for pushing the drugs on her, because she is that desperate. Rhona is an addict and addicts will talk their way out of any situation, no matter who they're hurting."

Rhona ends up stealing some medication from Sandy, doesn't she?
"Yes, but Vanessa doesn't find out about this until Rhona has gone away for the weekend. Vanessa is having a quiet drink with Sandy at The Woolpack when Ashley walks in and tells his dad, 'Your medication has turned up - it's a good job that it was someone like Rhona who found them'.

"The penny drops for Vanessa that Rhona has tried to steal drugs from Sandy to keep her going over the weekend. Vanessa is worried and also angry at Rhona's lies. It's shocking that Rhona has stolen medication from an old man, but Vanessa still won't tell Paddy the truth. It's gone too far down the line."

Rhona behaves strangely during the mini-holiday, and ends up telling Paddy that she has an alcohol problem. How does Vanessa react when she finds out?
"Vanessa can't believe it. Rhona has steered Paddy down the wrong path and is quite happy to do that. Vanessa is baffled and says, 'Hang on, so it's alright for him to think you're an alkie but not a druggie?' Paddy's next move is to ban alcohol from the house, which isn't good news for Vanessa because she does like a drink herself.

"Rhona's behaviour is strange, but it's because she's scared and also that she doesn't believe her problem is all that big. I don't think addicts do realise the extent of their own problem until much, much further on."

How does Vanessa want things to progress from here?
"Vanessa really needs Rhona to attend a support group now and seek professional help. Vanessa thought that she was helping to contain the problem by prescribing Rhona with tablets, with the aim of weaning her off gradually. But now Rhona is getting stashes of pills from wherever she can, so this problem is beyond Vanessa's control. Rhona really needs to go and see a counsellor."

Have you done any research into painkiller addiction?
"Yes, a guy came in who had been addicted to painkillers. It was an eye-opener, because I've had no experience or knowledge of this before. I also did my own research on the internet and it's amazing what you find out."

Could this addiction ruin Vanessa and Rhona's friendship?
"I really hope it doesn't, but depending on how it turns out, yes it could. Vanessa feels as though she's being the best friend she can by helping Rhona. But as each day goes by, Vanessa is slowly realising that she should have put a stop to this from day one."

Do you think we'll end up seeing Vanessa and Paddy on the same side for once?
"I think it'd be nice if that happened, because they both want the same thing at the end of the day. They'd both want Rhona to be healthy and back to her old self, so they have her best interests at heart. It'd be good to see them on the same side!"