Charlotte Bellamy Opens Up About ‘Humbling’ Emmerdale Storylines and Surprises Fans With Future Plans
Emmerdale star Charlotte Bellamy, who has portrayed Laurel Thomas for over two decades, recently opened up about her future on the ITV soap and the impact of some “humbling” storylines. At 51, the actress has seen her fair share of difficult plots since her debut on EastEnders in 1997, but certain moments in Emmerdale have left a lasting impression on both her and the audience.
In an interview with Bella magazine, Charlotte reflected on some of the most memorable and challenging storylines she’s been a part of. “Obviously the one with John about Ashley’s dementia because that had such a huge impact. It was amazingly received,” she shared, recalling the storyline where Laurel’s husband battled dementia. “I also did a cot death storyline about 17 years ago, and that was also written and dealt with incredibly well.” These hard-hitting plots resonated deeply with viewers, many of whom reached out to Charlotte to share their own stories. “That’s always really humbling. You feel like you’re making a difference, however small,” she added.
Despite the emotionally heavy content she has tackled, Charlotte has no plans to leave Emmerdale anytime soon. Laughing about her future on the show, she said, “I’d have to get killed by a bus in the village for them to get rid of me. I absolutely love Emmerdale and I’m so grateful to be doing something that I love.” She even joked that if her character were to be killed off, she’d “just go and run a coffee shop in the Dales.”
Over the years, Charlotte has taken on serious and controversial storylines, including one where her character, Laurel, and Jai Sharma discover their unborn child would have Down’s syndrome. In a decision that sparked hundreds of complaints, Laurel chose to have an abortion. Despite the backlash, Charlotte believes in the importance of portraying difficult, real-life decisions on screen.
In 2023, she revealed that she had pitched a storyline to the Emmerdale writers, but it was turned down. “The only story I’ve ever tried to pitch to the writers was years ago, when we were all working in the factory,” she shared, explaining that the plot involved a group of women becoming addicted to gambling, a topic close to her heart. However, it didn’t fit with the show’s direction at the time.
Charlotte, who won the British Soap Award for Best Actress in 2017, enjoys a quiet life off-screen. Married to company director Mungo Denison, she keeps her personal life private and focuses on raising their three children—sons Herbie and Sunnie, and daughter Teddie.