Watch out Kim Tate! Emmerdale’s new ‘super bitch’, Casualty actress Jaye Griffiths is relishing her role as the new village baddie Celia
Emmerdale’s new ‘super bitch’ farmer Jaye Griffiths has praised the Yorkshire soap for casting a Black actor as a baddie and not a saviour.
Already a household name, after a 40-year career that’s seen her appear in everything from The Bill to Silent Witness, EastEnders and Casualty, Jaye says her new role as Celia is one of her best ever.
Jaye, 61, says of ITV casting her as a ‘bitch’: “It was a courageous thing to do. We (black actors) are often portrayed as the saviours, because the white saviour rolling in on a horse is such trope that it’s now the reverse – namely black people ride in to save the day.
“But Emmerdale has said ‘good and bad people, they don’t have a skin colour, there are just good and bad people’. I’m thrilled Emmerdale has done this.”
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And Celia is a delight to play.
“She is not a wallflower and in the opening scenes, she’s like a bulldog!” says Jaye. “Celia has so many secrets and that’s fantastic.
“She doesn’t need any friends, she doesn’t understand when people get upset and she never says sorry! She gets what she wants and this is, without a shadow of doubt, one of the best ever parts I’ve been given.
“Playing Celia is so freeing. She never worries about what people think. I love playing Celia.”
Aside from her part, Jaye says Emmerdale is a super-friendly place to work.
“Everyone wants the show to be good and they aren’t threatened by new people coming in,” she says. “It’s good to be kind to one another.” But Celia is far from kind.
On Monday she will turn up at Moira’s door asking to rent two of her fields. Despite needing the money, Moira refuses and the two women then enter into a fierce war of words – with Celia being very catty towards the Dingle favourite.
Then she falls out with Paddy Dingle (played by Dominic Brunt), who is attacked by one of her security dogs and hospitalised.
“As viewers will soon see, there will be consequences if you don’t give Celia what she wants,” Jaye teases. “Celia is upfront with people and it’s not horrible – more a case of ‘give me what I want’. The fact people take offence is astonishing to her!
One of my favourite words she uses is ‘cheerio’ as she says it in a slightly threatening way.
“You can’t trust what she says is true either!”
As for hospitalising Paddy? “Celia doesn’t take any responsibility,” says Jaye.
“Winding Paddy up is very enjoyable for her. She has a run in with Moira, but she will be having other power struggles, not just with the women, but men too. She’s an equal opportunities wind up person!”
Unlike her character, Jaye is likeable and she has a great sense of humour.
With acting credits including Ros Henderson in the BBC’s Bugs, D.I Sally Johnson in The Bill and Elle Gardner in Casualty, she has plenty to boast about.
But she says: “When I was a child, pride was considered a sin. So, when I look back on my jobs, I don’t know if I am proud or not. I am certainly not ashamed.”
Bugs, Casualty and The Bill were her three favourite dramas.
“I’d go back on The Bill in a heartbeat if they ever brought it back,” she confides.
“My character, Sally, was a bit naughty but it was a joyous show to work on. I used to love getting out the warrant card and there were times I wished I could get it out when I was driving in real life!
“I also did a small film called Care. That was extraordinary too and I loved Bugs.”
Married to Paul Bezodis, they live in Hertfordshire with their two rescue dogs.
“Everyone needs someone who has your back and says ‘yes’ for you,” she says, referring to Paul. “I am lucky I have that.”
Immediately clicking with the Emmerdale cast, Jaye has bonded with Beth Cordingly, who plays Ruby Milligan, and Natalie J Robb, who plays her arch-rival, Moira. “Dominic, I also had a bit of a crush on when I did my audition,” she chuckles. “He was so generous and kind with his time and, there and then, I knew I wanted to work with him all the time! All the cast are lovely.’
And her secret to proving herself on Emmerdale is simple.
Like most things, the best way is to turn up on time and do your job,” she says. She will definitely have one big fan when she makes her entrance in the Dales – her mum. ,Jaye chuckles: “OMG my mum was beside herself when she found out I’d got the part of Celia. She was so excited and told everyone
“You would think I had been put on the Apollo mission!”
And the rollercoaster Celia is about to take us on will certainly keep viewers on their toes. “She is such a strange, complex woman,” says Jaye. “There is more to come. It is so much fun. Celia wears farm clothes but there is not a scrap of mud on her. She is immaculate. She wears a cravat and there is a reason for that …”
Her advice to other Emmerdale folk is to beware of Celia and give her what she wants!
She says: “I know viewers will think she is a villain at the start, but there is also a lot more to her and she will calm down.
‘She will be manipulating people too. My advice to all the villagers is give Celia what she wants then they won’t have to watch out!”
*Emmerdale airs every weekday on ITV1 and STV1 on weekdays at 7.30pm.