Emmerdale star Paula Lane has spoken about the future of her character Ella Forster’s storyline following disturbing revelations in Friday’s episode (May 31).

The ITV soap has revealed that Ella is a child killer, as she took the life of her only friend Joanne in a jealous rage when she was younger. The incident took place on the day of Ella’s 11th birthday – she was known as Ruth at the time but later assumed a new identity.

Emmerdale‘s latest episode saw Ella open up to Cain Dingle over her traumatic childhood and how it influenced the terrible decisions she made on the day of Joanne’s murder. Cain was willing to hear Ella out due to his own experiences with his young son Kyle Winchester, who killed Al Chapman in 2022.

As news of Ella’s past spread around the village, she defended herself and insisted that she’d served her time – initially in a facility for young offenders and later in an adult prison.

Ella also revealed that she was deemed not to be a threat to the public before she was released, but many in the village were reluctant to forgive such a distressing crime.

In a new interview, Paula has confirmed that Mandy Dingle may be someone that Ella can rely on in upcoming episodes.

She explained: “In a conversation with Mandy, Ella says she always had to run when the truth has been exposed. I expect she’s experienced this reaction quite a few times and then has found herself living out of her car again.

“Mandy and Ella from day one found something in each other that just sparked. I think because the two have admitted they both have dark pasts and haven’t made the best choices in life, there is a real empathy there and protective nature for each other.”

Ella’s secret led to the breakdown of her blossoming relationship with local doctor Liam Cavanagh, who tragically lost his daughter Leanna as part of serial killer Meena Jutla’s reign of terror in 2021.

Paula continued: “Ella is so ashamed of her past and she knew that as soon as she revealed all, she risked losing everything with Liam.

“Every time the truth has come out in the past, she has had to move on and start again, so it’s incredibly painful to share and know that there is no going back now. I guess she feels he deserves the truth, especially with everything he went through with Leanna.

“Ella’s secret is a heaviness she carries all the time in the back of her mind. Pretending to carry on as normal is a short-term fix and behind closed doors, the guilt is very real.

“Every birthday is a reminder of what happened and will never allow her to fully move on.”

Asked about working with co-star Jonny McPherson, who plays Liam, Paula replied: “Jonny has welcomed me into the fold and we have a great time on set. He makes me feel super short as he’s so tall!

“We both take our work seriously, but then in between we have lots of laughs, mainly about our dogs in real life! A lot of the scenes have been very intense and emotional so it’s important to be able to shake it off and relax.”