Farmer Celia Daniels, who was killed last night by her right-hand man Ray Walters, received the deserved comeuppance that so many Emmerdale fans hoped she would receive. However, actress Jaye Griffiths feels sad that she was left out of the show.
After playing the roles in The Bill, Silent Witness, EastEnders, Doctors, and Casualty, actress Jaye Griffiths describes it as a tragic loss for one of her best roles. But she was aware that the wicked drug dealer would have to come to an appropriately grizzly conclusion. And who better than fellow villain Ray, who Joe Absolom brilliantly played, would be able to carry her punishment?
When Ray refuses to leave the village, because he’s fallen in love with Laurel Thomas and wants a new life, he and Celia have a furious clash and he delivers the fatal blows. Jaye, 62, admits: “Working on Emmerdale has been one of my best TV jobs ever. “There is still that thing of women being maternal, caring and the givers. Celia was none of these and I’ve loved playing her.
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It took me ages to learn my lines because I was so wary of it happening, and it has also been very difficult to accept the reality of leaving. I nearly cried at the conclusion of the episode, and then I had to lie on the cold floor and pretend to be dead. It has been a challenging situation.
She has been praised by fellow Emmerdale actors for her portrayal of evil Celia, who has been hailed as one of the soap’s worst characters ever. Given that the soap has featured everyone from serial killers to rapists, Jaye considers this a significant accomplishment.
She claims that hearing this because there have been some truly excellent ones [villains] is flattering. “Celia has been a shocker, and I’m glad I didn’t avoid having no scruples, not even half a one.” She did it if she threatened to hurt someone when she said it.
I found the release to be that unfeeling, and I’ve missed the soap a lot since filming finished. It’s been incredibly difficult to suddenly have no scenes to learn or call sheets. Jaye, who arrived in the Dales in June, has had a life-changing experience.
Some of Celia’s most heinous deeds include forcing April to engage in prostitution, human trafficking, operating a modern slavery camp, and extorting money wherever possible, including from Rhona and Marlon Dingle.
She also brainwashed Ray into calling her ‘mum,’ while hiding behind a front of an ordinary farmer. And in November, Jaye disclosed how she had been the victim of crime herself, when she broke down on ITV’s Loose women and told how she had once been involved with an abusive partner.
She revealed that if you made the tea the wrong way, it might have consequences. She is now happily married. I was told I was pointless. She is also attempting to assist other domestic abuse victims through Refuge and two other organizations. She responds, “I’m glad I’ve opened up. This job has changed my life, and I’m going to meet the people at Refuge to see if I can help them.
She will miss Emmerdale, but she thanks the cast for their commitment and warmth. Everyone wants to work, but there is no skipping or trying to quit hard work, she says. Everyone wants to go there, and you always feel secure. Nobody will comment on a mistake, and nine times out of ten someone will say “yes” if you want to run through a scene before filming. Nobody should attend a school without being too cool.
She is aware that Celia’s moment was when she first met her creator despite the fact that she is depressed after being written out. She claims, “Oh my goodness, she had to be killed off.” Otherwise, she would have abandoned another family. Celia’s story has to completely change, so there is no hope of redemption for her. What would she do, though, even if she were to return? No, she was murdered in accordance with law.
She also lost control. Ray abruptly abandoned his orders. She was devastated for Celia because Ray’s love for Laurel caused her to dislike him, and he didn’t want to leave the village. Celia found it absurd that Ray wanted to lead a cute suburban life. She didn’t realize that he was looking for a change in life.
And she claims that the audience who first saw her in a local supermarket was delighted to meet the real Celia away from the set. She chuckles, “They have had a lot of salacious pleasure meeting her.” There is a “funny feeling” when meeting someone they wouldn’t want to meet in person, even though it’s not real. They first encounter Celia when they first meet her, and they kind of adore her.
According to Jaye, viewers will miss Celia if they only eat desserts with her. They may experience irreplaceable bad from them, she adds. When plans fail, all the other characters make bad decisions for good reasons. They behave differently than Celia. They will miss that, in my opinion.
And Jaye is pleased that Jaye’s portrayal of Celia helped to bring up some crucial issues. She adds, “I’m pleased we could lighten modern slavery.” Unfortunately, it does happen “all around us”. Jaye actually filmed her final scenes at the end of November, when she was treated to a massive leaving do despite only being recently written out.
She claims, “I drank far too much red wine, but I also had to keep Celia’s stick and hat.” It’s been a blast, and even when I moaned at some of her lines, it’s always so entertaining. When I permanently left the set, it nearly broke my heart.
Since her final day, she has been relaxing at home in Hertfordshire, spending Christmas with her family and two rescue dogs. And she has a new role on the horizon, although she is remaining tight lipped for now. “I can’t tell you about the role yet as I have signed so many non-disclosure forms,” she says. “But I will never forget Emmerdale. The dressing rooms are shared, nobody is in isolation and you always have a buddy. There is always someone to lend an ear and I think that is why Emmerdale is such a special place.”
