Ever since Alicia arrived in Emmerdale she’s been giving sister Leyla the cold shoulder – this week viewers will find out why. Yorkshire-born actress Natalie Anderson reveals how playing Alicia is a dream come true.

Alicia is such an upfront character, she must be fun to play?
Yes she is. I tend to be a bit more shy and quieter, whereas there are no airs and graces with her. She says what she thinks, there’s no pretence.

Despite the tough exterior is she quite insecure?
Absolutely, she’s got her boobs out, the short skirt, false hair, fake tan and nails, it’s all out there. But there tends to be a reason why someone dresses that way and sometimes it comes down to massive insecurities. We’ll soon find out why she is the way she is.

You’re from Bradford originally and you now live in Leeds. What’s it been like joining Emmerdale?
Stepping on to the set on the first day I was incredibly nervous as it’s so iconic. There were so many familiar faces because I worked with a lot of the same crew on The Royal so it felt completely right for me. I told my mum last week that I feel at home, right in my comfort zone.

Did you watch Emmerdale when you were growing up?
Oh my gosh, absolutely. Everyone was laughing at me because I was telling them all about the storylines I remember – Kim Tate and Dave Glover and Joe and Jack Sugden falling out. I’ve always been a huge fan.

Since leaving The Royal at the end of 2008 you’ve released an album and appeared in the musical Wicked...
Yes, the time’s gone really quickly because I’ve been so busy. I had to move to London and away from my husband James which was really hard, particularly at Christmas. It’s all about spending time with your family but I was down in London and literally had one day off from Wicked. I finished the show on Christmas Eve, jumped on a train, had Christmas Day at home and then my husband drove me back to London to do two shows on Boxing Day. But it was a fantastic experience and something I really wanted to do. We still act like newlyweds because we’ve got a lot of time to make up.

It must have been tough on the marriage?
It was but I think it’s an absolute credit to both myself and James that we’ve just picked up where we left off. It shows how strong we are.

Is it weird playing a mum to young Jacob in Emmerdale?
Not really. Joe, the little boy who plays Jacob, is just so gorgeous.

Now you’re back in Yorkshire, do you hook up with old mates?
Yes I have six best girlfriends, we all went to school together when we were 11 and I see as much of them as I can. When I was in London I also really missed being able to see my sisters, my grandparents and my mum and dad so whenever I have a day off, I drop in on them.

By Mary Comerford