Emmerdale's Fiona Wade on 'scary decision' to quit show and future plans
Fiona Wade, who played Priya in Emmerdale, has opened up about her 'scary' exit from the soap and her new life on the road.
After leaving the show in early 2023, she planned to take a break and spend more time with her husband, actor Simon Cotton. But now, she's back on stage in a theatre play and loving it. She explained: "I knew that my first job out of Emmerdale had to be the right one, and then this came up. It's honestly been the best decision ever.
"When you leave a soap, I think some people think you made the decision yesterday, but these decisions are taken over years. It was a scary decision, but it was the right one."
She also shared her thoughts on the differences between theatre and TV, saying, "Theatre can feel more scary and in television you're slightly protected by the fact you can do another take, and I was very comfortable in Emmerdale but I wanted a change, I wanted to grow, and I wanted to do something that challenged me."
Today, Fiona, 44, is having a rare day off with her husband Simon, 46. He was also in Emmerdale back in August 2017 as Hugh Bryant. They got married in a beautiful Baha'i Faith ceremony at the Euridge Manor and Orangery in the Cotswolds in late 2019. Even though they're both very busy, they're loving married life.
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She was best known for her role as Priya in Emmerdale (WireImage)
After leaving the show, she planned to take a break and spend more time with her husband (OK! MagazineTONY WARD / OK! Maga)Because they both work in acting, they often have to be away from home for a long time. Simon was away for most of last year, and now Fiona is travelling with 2:22 A Ghost Story. But she says this works for them. "I always wanted to be with someone who does the same job as me. It's important that we can support each other. I talk about him a lot because he's really special. Sometimes I think, 'Wow, we're both actors.'," she told OK!
"We don't have normal jobs, but we're actors because we want this kind of life. So it's normal for us. We love our jobs and we love each other. I just want him to be happy, and he wants me to be happy. I believe in him, and I believe in us." Fiona, known for her role as Priya Sharma in Emmerdale, believes that having a positive mindset is key to life. She's the type of person who would rather spend a week with Simon on tour than take a job she doesn't like just to be closer to home.
She also trusts her instincts and believes in the power of manifestation. She's a "100% believer" in the supernatural, which is another reason why she accepted this role. The writer of the play, Danny Robins, is famous for his interest in the paranormal. He hosts the popular BBC podcast, Uncanny, which explores real-life ghost stories and even UFO sightings. Fiona enjoyed listening to it during her drives up the M1.
Even though she was nervous about returning to the stage after spending so much time in front of the camera, Fiona felt that doing the play "just felt right". She said: "It was completely out of my comfort zone and even back in the day I found theatre scary, but bizarrely, there's something about this play that just felt right."
She's now on stage for 2:22 - A Ghost Story (Runaway Entertainment/ A Ghost Story)"Before I went up for the role, I hadn't realised it was Danny Robins, I think because when you're on a soap it's 24/7 and you're kind of out of the loop. But when I realised it was him, I thought, 'Oh my Goodness, me and my husband listened to his podcast all the time driving up and down to London!'' I was obsessed and realised I had to do it. I mean, everyone loves a ghost story, don't they?"
In the play's latest tour which runs until June Fiona stars as Jenny, who has recently moved into a period home with her husband Sam (played by Call The Midwife's George Rainsford), and their daughter Phoebe. Jenny hears a man crying via the baby monitor every night at 2.22am, and later invites an old friend, Lauren (Hollyoaks' actress Vera Chok), and her new boyfriend Ben ( Jay McGuiness from the band The Wanted) over to stay up late and prove she's not going mad. Given her strong convictions about all things otherworldly, it's the perfect role for Fiona.
"I am 100% Team Believe. Obviously, I believe in God and I have faith, but I also believe so much that there are so many things around us that we can't see, and there's so much we don't know. If I tune into my intuition, I can feel things. We always want to physicalise things in this world, and if you can't see it, it's not real. I don't believe that. I believe there's so much around us and we can actually tap into those things."
Joining a diverse group of actresses who've played Jenny, including original West End star Lily Allen and others like Cheryl Tweedy, Laura Whitmore, Giovanna Fletcher, and most recently, EastEnders ' Louisa Lytton, Fiona is the latest addition to the cast. Despite her admiration for Danny Robins and the supernatural, Fiona chose not to watch the show after leaving Emmerdale and being offered the part. "It was still running when I was offered the part, but I didn't want to go. I kind of wanted to go in very fresh, I didn't want to copy anything."
Many actors who have worked on soaps often say it's one of the toughest jobs an actor can have. For Fiona, theatre work, while different in pace, is just as challenging.
"When you're in a continuing drama it's incredibly hard work," she confirms. "Especially when you're in from 7am until 7pm every day. There are 5.30am starts, you're learning things very fast, you're getting rid of things very fast. Doing a play is a completely different learning process, I had to remember how to retain because on Emmerdale, once the scene was over I'd forget about it and move on to the next story."
Emmerdale's Fiona Wade declares love for her co-star as she quits soap
When asked if she fancies returning to the soap opera, where her character may step back into The Woolpack, Fiona said: "It was incredibly kind that they left the door open for Priya but I trust myself and I know it was the right decision. I don't want to live looking back, that's not my personality, I want to live my life knowing I fully jumped with confidence. And I think I've done that."
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