Emmerdale's Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) finds herself in a tricky situation in a fortnight's time when Carl King (Tom Lister) claims that he'll call off his wedding to Lexi (Sally Oliver) if Chas says she loves him. However, with her new lover Paddy (Dominic Brunt) and son Aaron (Danny Miller) to think about, she's faced with a tough decision between following her heart and her head. So just why has Chas sparked a relationship with Paddy? And has she even gotten over Carl? We gave Lucy Pargeter a call to find out more.

Why did Chas embark on a relationship with Paddy?
"I think it all started when he completely opened his heart to Chas and she heard things that she'd never heard before. She felt special, lovely and wanted. Even though she was with Carl for so long, he never really vocalised his adoration for her like Paddy. Also, Paddy's seemingly taken Aaron on board and is trying to help him. Aaron's the biggest thorn in Chas's side as she'll never be able to get back with Carl while her son's around because Aaron gave her the ultimatum - him or Carl. She's really come to a time in her life now where she thinks she should settle and she needs a male role model in her life for Aaron. Paddy's great with him, too. I think Chas loves Paddy as a friend mostly, but she could probably learn to love him as a partner."

Do you think she really loves him?
"I don't think she could love anybody the way she loved - or still loves - Carl, really."

Did she ever move on after her relationship with Carl?
"No, she never moved on because there was never closure. He never told her the reason why they split. It was a very sudden separation, and to this day she's never discovered the real reason. So living in such close proximity to him and never knowing the reason behind it all is something that she's struggled with. I don't know what Chas would do if she found out that Carl killed his father Tom to be with her!"

Will that continue to bubble under for a while, then?
"Yeah. It was supposed to come out during the wedding episode, but it was inappropriate, so we changed it. The moment would have been thrown away really if it'd have come out around the wedding. It's such a big moment and we've shelved it for some time in the future."

Despite telling Paddy otherwise, do you think Chas is jealous?
"Definitely, and Paddy knows there's something wrong, bless him. She tries to tell him that she's with him and nothing can possibly happen between her and Carl anymore, even though she's desperate for it to happen. Despite the jealousy, she's determined to give it a go with Paddy. She tries to make him feel secure, but in the situation her insecurities shine through and Paddy cottons onto it."

Chas has a run in with Lexi the night before the wedding, doesn't she?
"Yeah, outside the Woolpack. Surprisingly, Chas lets Lexi rant, rave and pull her hair and get the upper hand. Chas could quite easily crush all Lexi's dreams by revealing that she and Carl had a relationship behind her back, compounded with the knowledge that Chas knows Carl doesn't really want to be with Lexi. But Chas is the bigger person, she's better than that. She doesn't want to throw a spanner completely in the works. She just thinks that if it's meant to be, it's meant to be, while at the same time she'll happily let Lexi make her own mistakes."

Does Chas intend to go to the wedding?
"She has every intention of going - God knows what she was thinking! She'd have sat at the back wearing a black veil, sobbing her heart out! She wants to go to prove a point to everyone in the village and be there for Carl, really. Carl calls Chas before the wedding, though, asking to speak with her. It's quite a mad thing to do on his part and an awkward position to put Chas in. She's been trying to come to terms with her relationship ending and then he calls on his wedding day when she's desperately trying to move on…She agrees to meet him, though, and Carl reveals that he can't marry Lexi because he still loves her. Chas is completely screwed up by the revelation. She's desperate to get things back on track with Carl, but she's got Aaron to contend with. So Carl pours his heart out and she has to be as strong as she can."