Emmerdale’s Jaye Griffiths teases ruthless Celia’s exit and reveals character’s “moment of weakness”

by

This article includes reference to violent acts that some readers may find upsetting.

Jaye Griffiths has confirmed that her Emmerdale character, Celia Daniels, won’t be around forever.

The actress plays a powerful and cruel crime boss who controls Ray Walters’s (Joe Absolom) drug dealing. The show will also delve into the issue of modern slavery, with both characters playing central roles in that storyline.

She said she was upset knowing it had to end, because she wished it could last forever.

“It’s such a strong arc.”

Celia has raised Ray for many years, and she’ll be surprised to see him getting close to Laurel Thomas, as he’s developed feelings for her.

“So that scene is, Laurel goes to kiss him, and he won’t kiss her,” summed up Griffiths.

For Celia, this confirms Ray’s strong feelings for Laurel, and it’s the first time we truly understand what Celia is thinking.

This deeply upsets Celia, because it proves she’s not just a casual encounter, and he sees her as someone special. He cares for her so much that he’s even holding back from kissing her.

He feels so strongly for her, and it’s just too much for Celia to handle. She’s worried he might leave, and I honestly think it would devastate her, she said.

The scene only had four lines where you could see it really hurt her, but she quickly tried to hide her feelings afterward.

That was the one time we saw a glimpse of her vulnerability, a moment where she seemed weak. Otherwise, all anyone ever sees is her casually causing pain to others.

Celia gets very protective of Ray, and while it seems like she’s worried about him losing control, it’s actually rooted in her own need to be the one he loves – she wants to feel like he belongs to her.

Because they move around so often, she’s become the only person he truly depends on – the one he always goes to for help, and the one who consistently handles things for him and works through problems alongside him.

If she lost that, Celia would be completely alone, and I don’t think she could handle it.

So, what’s the biggest challenge in playing such a callous character?

The actress explained that sometimes you need to emotionally detach – to stop feeling and stop caring about the people around you.

“So when they say, ‘turn over’, you just don’t care. That is exhausting.

During rehearsals, especially scenes involving violence, it’s a bit unnerving when the crew reacts with concern. You suddenly feel the need to reassure everyone that it’s all acting and you’re not actually dangerous – like you have to prove you’re a normal person and not a threat!

Griffiths described shutting down as a way of completely shutting someone out – a point of no return where nothing they say or do will make a difference. It’s a complete disconnect where their pleas or anger have no effect, because you’ve emotionally removed yourself and no longer care. She explained this demonstrates how she can easily switch between her own personality and the character she plays.

It’s incredibly liberating to connect with others, but it can also be exhausting. Truly caring about people – having empathy – is what gives life meaning. Without that connection, I often feel really lonely, and it’s a strange feeling.

Despite the tough elements of playing Celia, she assured us that she loves the role.

She’s not a particularly cheerful person, and I’m not exactly overjoyed, but it’s actually really refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t care what you think of them – in fact, they don’t value your opinion at all.

Honestly, she just doesn’t consider that I might be hurting, or that I’d even notice if she was causing pain. It’s like she feels invincible, completely fearless. I think it’s because she’s already been through the absolute worst, and she made it through. That’s what gives her this incredible strength, this refusal to be afraid of anything.

When Celia mentioned something about her past, she unexpectedly explained the story behind one of the character’s most noticeable outfits.

This is to give a heads-up about a recent scene featuring Celia and Bob Hope (played by Tony Audenshaw). It contains potentially disturbing content, so viewer discretion is advised.

She wears a scarf to cover a wound on her neck – a result of a failed attempt on her life. The injury isn’t severe, so the scarf only covers part of her neck, hinting at what happened without being overly dramatic.

I asked the executives not to reveal anything about the script, as I want that detail to remain unmentioned. There’s a subtle moment where Bob glances at my neck and quickly looks away – that’s the only instance of it, and it happens just once.

“It’s just a hint of a former life, a life elsewhere that bad things have happened to her.”

Speaking about how viewers have reacted to her character on Emmerdale, Griffiths shared that people seem to enjoy her, particularly her bold and direct personality right now.

But she was quick to point out that this will change as the story progresses.

People constantly stop me on the street to say how much they adore Celia, and I always think that kind of enthusiasm won’t stick around for long.

I don’t think this will last long, and I want to clarify that it’s all for show. I’m a genuinely kind person, and I definitely don’t have any sociopathic tendencies. I’m expecting to receive negative reactions because of it!

I’m hesitant because I anticipate potential problems. Let’s just wait and see how things unfold.

Emmerdale is working with the Salvation Army on this storyline.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX.

Don’t miss out on Emmerdale! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app now for daily TV recommendations, exclusive features, and more.

Read More

2025-11-11 20:36