Priya Sharma (Fiona Wade) was left traumatised in tonight’s emotional Emmerdale episode (23rd January), as she faced an upsetting reminder of the fire that left her with permanent burns on her back.
The character was seriously injured when village killer Meena Jutla (Paige Sandhu) set a maze on fire, and Priya has worked hard since to recover from everything she has been through.
In empowering scenes last year, Priya bared her scars for the first time, and most recently, she has been keeping Leyla Cavanagh’s (Roxy Shahidi) business, Take A Vow, afloat for her.
Tonight, Leyla and Priya oversaw a classy event on their premises, and Priya was put out when Leyla told a potential client that Priya was her assistant! Leyla apologised, and ended up explaining that Priya had put a lot of ideas and effort into the day.
But when a veil caught alight from one of the candles, Priya froze. Transfixed from the flames, she suffered flashbacks to the day she was caught in the more serious blaze.
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/01/priya-emmerdale-ac04993.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
This left her terrified, believing that the fire was much worse than it really was. While Leyla casually poured her drink on the flames, putting them out instantly, Jai noticed that Priya was shaken, and she rushed out of the office.
Jai searched for her, and he spotted former stepmum Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker) and asked for her help. The pair eventually found Priya hiding away at home, and Jai reassured his worried sister that everyone was OK, and the fire was very small.
But this did little to comfort Priya, who was left devastated as she felt she would never be able to move on from what happened to her. She broke down in tears, sobbing in the arms of her loved ones as they wondered how they could possibly help her.
Star Wade has spoken about her upcoming exit from Emmerdale, and with powerful performances throughout the week, will Priya be able to claim her happy ever after?
Emmerdale has worked with Changing Faces to ensure that Priya’s story is told sensitively.
Read more:
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Soaps hub.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.