Former Emmerdale actress Lorraine Chase has revealed that she promised Richard Thorp she would return to the soap the day before he died.
The actress briefly reprises her role as Steph Forsythe next week for the funeral of Thorp's character Alan Turner in scenes filmed as a tribute to the late actor.
Richard Thorp alongside Lorraine Chase, who played Turner's daughter Steph Stokes between 2002 and 2006
© Rex Features / ITV
Richard Thorp alongside Lorraine Chase
Steph - Alan's daughter - was last seen in the village in 2006 when she was wrongly jailed for murder. She will be escorted back for the funeral by prison guards.
Chase had remained close to Thorp after her Emmerdale exit and spoke to him on the phone the day before his death in May.
She told the Sunday Mirror: "He said, 'I wish you'd come back so we could have another good storyline together'.
"So I asked him, 'What do you reckon Steph's up to in prison? She's probably running her balcony. I bet she's the one in charge. She's probably got 'bitch' written across her head and tattoos up both her arms and has changed her sexuality'.
Richard Thorp as Alan Turner in 'Emmerdale'
© Rex Features / ITV
Richard Thorp as Alan Turner in 'Emmerdale'
"He liked my idea, he said she'd definitely be running it and I promised him I would get in touch with my agent on Monday.
"It was such a sadness to think I'd made the promise not knowing the way it would come about would be this. It was *great going back. That way, I thought, I can keep my promise to Richard.
"I haven't been there for so long and they gave me a warm welcome. It did also feel a bit like a real funeral, where it's nice to see friends and family but it's a shame it's under such sad circumstances. They've given Alan a lovely send-off."
The Emmerdale scenes will air on October 30 on ITV.
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