NAUGHTY but nice vicars wife Laurel Thomas nearly bedded another man but is guilty of a far greater sin.
Thats the damning verdict of Charlotte Bellamy, who plays the lovable Emmerdale character.
Laurel is convinced resisting having sex with lanky cook Marlon meant she didn't have an affair.
But Charlotte is less forgiving and believes falling in love with a fella is worse than falling into bed with him.
Charlotte, 39, has never discussed this with her boyfriend of 20 years but is sure of his views. She says: I can tell you exactly what he'd say that falling in love with someone else would be the worst thing I could do.
It would be the most treacherous, disloyal and heartbreaking thing in the world. A one-night stand could be put down to being very drunk and would be easier to cope with. Falling in love is completely different.
I'd feel the same way too. For any couple it would be extremely damaging. How do you get back on track after something like that? Can you rebuild a relationship if one of you is in love with someone else?
Millions of viewers of the ITV1 soap have been gripped as loyal Laurel is torn between her feelings for Marlon Dingle and sense of duty to husband Ashley.
Laurel and Marlon, played by Mark Charnock, 43, have kissed but she has not spent the night with him.
Beautiful
Heartbroken Ashley, played by John Middleton, 58, was devastated to find out how close they had become.
He has avoided any intimacy with Laurel but has insisted they go ahead with renewing their wedding vows at Christmas.
The storyline is also a talking point among Charlotte's pals.
All my friends say it would be terrible if their husband said they were in love with someone and that they could forgive them much more easily if it was just lust. A lot of the guys Ive spoken to have said the same thing.
Happily married Laurels love for kind-hearted Marlon seemed to have come out of the blue. Charlotte says: Laurel is a mother, coping with the day-to-day grind and suddenly Marlon made her feel beautiful.
For a woman, thats an incredibly powerful thing for a man to see her not just as a mum but as herself. Shes not fallen out of love with Ashley, shes just fallen in love with Marlon.
In real life Charlotte is happily settled with her partner Mungo Denison, an events manager she met during a performing arts course at Middlesex University.
The couple, who live in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, with their sons Sunnie, seven, Herbie, four, and daughter Teddie, two, make sure they have time together as a couple at the end of every day.
She says: I lead a very manic life, it always feels slightly out of control. Its a loud, busy house but I like that. Mungo is very hands-on we work as a team and help each other out.
The two of us always sit down with a glass of wine and eat together every evening. That's when we have catch-up time which is really important. I'm very lucky. Mungo is the most fantastic person in my life. Hes a funny guy and that's so attractive and he makes me laugh like nobody else.
Charlotte has been in Emmerdale for nine years but the children are largely unaware they have a famous mum.
She explains: I was out one night recently and Mum was looking after the kids. Herbie had gone to bed but came back downstairs while she was watching Emmerdale.
The next morning he said to me really proudly: Mummy, I saw you on the radiator last night. And then walked out, as if he knew my secret it was very cute.
Our telly and a radiator are mounted on the wall so maybe he got slightly confused.
Many people say hello to Charlotte but Sunnie just thinks its because shes popular.
He knows John Middleton plays my pretend husband but he did ask why I was on the cover of TV Times with someone else recently.
Im not married to Mungo so hes now completely confused. Im married to John but not married to Daddy. And now, who is this new guy, Marlon? Charlotte, who grew up in a showbiz family in Hertfordshire, had roles in A Touch of Frost, Casualty, The Bill and with Kevin Whately in The Brokers Man.
She even had eight months on EastEnders as religious cult member Sue Taylor.
But in 2000 she quit acting to become a casting director.
Being an actor you are never really in control of your life and I got fed up with that, she recalls. I wanted to go to work every day and have two weeks holiday when I wanted, so I gave up acting.
But when an Emmerdale writer tipped her off that the part of Laurel was coming up she had a hunch it would be right for her.
Charlotte remains refreshingly down to earth, as happy doing the school run and cooking fish fingers for tea as she is strolling down the red carpet at awards ceremonies. She is also philosophical about hitting the big 4-0 next year. I dont think: oh my goodness, lines. If I have got lines they're only because Ive been up with my kids and that's
fine by me.
Being on the telly you are under scrutiny but I'm playing a mum with kids and a busy life. I'm telling a story and I want to reach out to people who are in that situation.
Real people don't regularly have boob jobs or worry about their lines or panic over putting on weight.
I'm getting older. So what? That's life. As long as Mungo thinks I look OK and he does.
As for the future, Charlotte hopes she and Mungo will find time to marry.
Marriage is on the list, along with potatoes, onions and writing a will, she jokes. They're all things Ive got to do, its just finding time to do them.
Our friends got married in their early 20s and then got their mortgages and their children and we did it slightly out of order.
We are happy as we are and could not be more committed we have three children together and a mortgage but we will get married.
(C) Sunday People
Last edited by alan45; 11-12-2011 at 00:28.
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