Last updated 15:24, Tuesday, 25 March 2008

Carlisle actress Roxanne Pallett tells us about her challenging new Emmerdale story-line in which her character is a victim of domestic abuse.

Does Jo believe that Andy is wrong to stop Debbie seeing Sarah?
In Jo’s mind she feels like she’s trying to hold the family together and she sees Debbie as an essential part as Sarah’s biological mum.

Jo doesn’t want the responsibility of acting as her mother. In Jo’s eyes she’s just trying to do what’s best for Sarah but Andy doesn’t see it that way.

Why does she go behind his back to allow it?
Jo knows she’s walking on egg shells around Andy at the moment. He’s really fragile and paranoid, he’s constantly needing reassurance because of his time in prison.

Jo is on the receiving end of his frustration. He’s checking up on her and questioning her decisions so she feels that the easiest thing while Andy is behaving like this is to go ahead and do it. What he doesn’t know won’t harm him.

Is Jo hurt when Andy says that Sarah is his, not Jo’s?
Absolutely. She doesn’t understand Andy’s double standards. One minute he wants Jo to look after Sarah’s and be her mum. When Andy was in jail, Jo was the only person looking after his little girl.

For him to turn around and say ‘she’s not yours I’ll make the decisions’ is a real kick in the teeth. He’s throwing all the loyalty back in her face.

How does Andy find out that Sarah has been with Debbie?
His pride has really been dented. He’s always been the decision maker as head of the family so for a girl to challenge him and go against his wishes, he feels she had betrayed him.

He thinks that while he was in prison she was making new friends and lying to him about Charlie. Andy sees lies and hidden truths and holds everything against Jo.

Did Jo ever think that Andy would be capable of such anger? Has she noticed a change in him since he left prison?
From the moment of the Sugdens fire and Andy being responsible for his mum’s death, there has been a tension in the Sugden household.

Andy has carried so much frustration and anxiety that his temperament has changed. Now he’s been released from prison we’ve seen a further change in the dynamics between him and Jo. She had softened, but now we’re seeing her stand up to Andy.

It’s a character clash between two fiery personalities in a moment of argument. When Andy does lash out at Jo it is a shock. She’d been counting on him to save her from the trouble she’d been in with Charlie. So for him to be the one to give her that final blow, not just physically but emotionally is heartbreaking.

How does she act round Andy after he hits her?
Immediately afterwards there is a silence as they’re both shocked about what’s happened.

The aftermath of that is quite sensitive because Jo locks herself in a room and Andy is pleading with her to come out. It’s a role reversal because now Andy is the one walking on egg shells around Jo.

He’s dreading her leaving him and is begging for forgiveness. He wants to reassure Jo that he loves her and will never do it again.

Does Jo consider leaving Andy?
There is a moment when Jo packs her bags and starts to write Andy a note. She’s deflated, she doesn’t understand how this has happened.

There is a moment where we think she is going to leave him but then Andy comes home unexpectedly with Sarah and Jo has to hide the evidence. When Andy does find her case he’s devastated that he was so close to losing her.

Does anyone notice that something is wrong and guess what’s happened?
Emmerdale is a small village and people talk. It’s only a matter of time before people start coming round to see them.

Andy wants to keep Jo in the house until her bruise fades but Jo is adamant that she’ll face the world. Val is the first one to notice the bruise and soon everyone is talking about the lie that Andy and Jo have made up to cover it.