Joe Absolom reveals Emmerdale villain Ray’s truth behind Laurel connection amid “subservient” dynamic with mum Celia

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Okay, so I’ve got the inside scoop on what was going on with Joe Absolom‘s character, Ray Walters, in Emmerdale. Apparently, he was genuinely drawn to Laurel Thomas – Charlotte Bellamy plays her, of course – and it wasn’t just some evil scheme! Joe also talked about the interesting dynamic between Ray and his adoptive mother, Celia Daniels, played by Jaye Griffiths. It’s a surprisingly complex relationship, and he shed some light on how that all played out.

Ray has been tricking April Windsor and her boyfriend, Dylan, into dealing drugs for him.

Things took an even darker turn when Ray led April into sexual slavery.

Finding out Celia was the one truly in control changed everything. While Ray is definitely dangerous, Celia is far more so!

He has a complicated relationship with Celia, who he both fears and feels deeply connected to, almost like a mother figure. He generally acts like a child around her and is very submissive.

With Dylan and April, he usually takes the lead and pushes things forward. His interactions with them are quite different from his scenes with Celia, who is a strong and assertive character.

The actor shared a story about filming a scene where a colleague didn’t realize Ray and Celia were a couple. Apparently, after Jaye gently touched his cheek, another actor asked if they were dating.

Celia sometimes uses physical touch to guide Ray’s behavior, but we also get to see a gentler side of him when he develops a real connection with Laurel.

When he meets Laurel, a new side of his personality emerges – one that both surprises him and was intentionally developed by the writers. I appreciate this because it makes him feel more relatable and human.

Absolom continued, “I believe he envisions a family for himself—her with her children, a life he never experienced. He was adopted by Celia at a young age, when he was eight, and missed out on that family dynamic.”

As the story progresses, we get small glimpses into his past – not through lengthy flashbacks, but subtle clues. I see Laurel as a woman who balances a career with family life, and her children add an interesting dynamic. She seems to have a comfortable, stable life and a nice home.

“Yeah, I think it’s attractive to Ray in lots of different ways.”

Even with a potential romance developing, Ray will soon return to his criminal life, and he’ll be shocked to learn that Dylan betrayed him by stealing money from a recent job.

“He’s got the backpack and he’s been double crossed, I guess,” muses the star.

This is a crucial turning point where he realizes he might lose the support of these two people, and he needs to step up his efforts to win them back, recover the money, and regain their trust. Essentially, he’s facing the possibility of losing everything.

Dylan and April are trying to get away, and it remains to be seen if Ray will be able to stop them.

Absolom is having a great experience working on Emmerdale. He’s sharing what he’s been doing since he started playing the character of Ray.

Ever since I got here, I’ve been involved in a lot of illegal activities. I’ve been paying kids to transport drugs, dealing drugs myself, and even exploiting others. I also taught Dylan how to drive, which opens up even more possibilities for everyone in the Dales.

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

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2025-10-21 02:34