I often think of the soaps as career boomerangs for British actors; don’t be surprised if they come back around.
Patsy Kensit is the latest star to venture into a world they once knew, as she returns to Emmerdale 20 years after leaving the show.
The actress and singer is again taking on the role of Sadie King, who let’s just say, isn’t the nicest of individuals.
King was known for her razor-sharp tongue and lightning-fast hands – a compilation of her best slapping moments would be an enjoyable and lengthy watch.
Speaking to me on set in the village about what it’s been like after all these years, Patsy said: “[During] the first two weeks, I was having panic attacks and I was so worried about the amount of dialogue we had to learn.”
“But that muscle memory has been there because I’ve been working. I’ve been working every year of my life since I was four. I’m 58, I’m nearly 60…so I’ve been doing this my whole life,” she said.The mother of two has Hollywood acting credits that include Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Hanover Street (1979) and The Great Gatsby (1974).
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Though her filmography is extensive, Kensit will never forget where it all started for the former child star – a Birds Eye Peas TV advert.
How do you feel when you rewatch young Patsy after all these years? I asked.“Oh, I just think it’s horrific,” she smiled. “Listen, I’m so grateful; my career got me out of where I came from because we had nothing, my family.”Kensit said: “My dad was in and out of prison my whole life and my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer when I was six. Acting got me out of this world I was born into.”The entertainment industry has changed immeasurably over the past two decades.
Patsy may have left Emmerdale in 2006, but unlike many other failed TV formats, the soaps have been an ever-present part of people’s lives and on their screens.“I think it’s an escape,” Patsy said as she reflected on the longevity of the show.“I also think the soaps are the real drama on TV now, there is so much streaming and other stuff. It’s lovely to have that solid, okay, I know that’s going to be on at 8 o’clock and that’s my wind down time,” she added.
It’s been 8,150 days since Patsy Kensit first helicoptered her way onto the show and introduced the nation to Sadie King.
Unlike Sadie, Patsy said she is “pathologically polite”.
She added: “When I play Sadie, I get to live vicariously through this woman. I would never speak to anyone the way she does, but she’s coming back after 20 years, has she changed?”