Laurel Thomas
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| Emmerdale character | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Laurel Thomas | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Charlotte Bellamy | |||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2002–2004, 2005— | |||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 3 September 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 31 May 1974 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Married | |||||||||||||||||||
| Home | Mulberry Cottage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Cleaner | |||||||||||||||||||
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Laurel Thomas (née Potts) is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is played by Charlotte Bellamy.
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[edit] Overview
Laurel's first appearance was at Marlon and Tricia’s engagement party dressed as a bumblebee. She collapsed midway through her act and had to be rushed to hospital. Laurel was taken in by pensioners Betty Eagleton and Seth Armstrong.
[edit] Relationship with Ashley Thomas
Laurel's major love interest was Ashley Thomas, who thought highly of her but did not have any romantic feelings for her. After his recent divorce from Bernice Blackstock, he was not interested in any serious relationship. During this time, Laurel was working as a domestic cleaner in and around the village, including at the church.
In 2004, a storm which claimed the life of Tricia Dingle also caused Ashley and his then-fiancée Louise Appleton to drive offroad and have an accident. Laurel proved to support Ashley's recovery all along the way.
After some false starts, Ashley finally realised Laurel had feelings for him and they began dating. Although she’d now got everything she’d ever dreamed of, Laurel wanted to broaden her horizons and went off to work as a volunteer in Tanzania. (This was due to actress Charlotte Bellamy taking maternity leave).
[edit] Approval from the Bishop
Ashley was sad to see her go and throughout her time abroad, feared she might not come back to him. She eventually did return and after a second proposal from Ashley, she accepted. While the couple were planning their wedding, Ashley’s boss, the Bishop, was none too impressed with his employee’s hectic love life and banned him from marrying Laurel. In defiance, Ashley quit his job but soon found he couldn’t cope with not being a vicar anymore. However, Laurel was willing to wait for him and her love was certainly put to the test.
Ashely's curate, Ethan Blake, had been Laurel's confidant throughout this time and realised that he was also in love with Laurel and wanted her for himself. When she did not reciprocate his love, he falsely told the Bishop that he and Laurel had kissed. Ethan eventually confessed, however, to the Bishop, who decided that Ashley and Laurel had waited long enough to marry and gave them his blessing.
They arrived home for their wedding night to find Ashley’s estranged father Sandy in their marital bed. It was Laurel who helped her husband bond with his father.
Laurel's professional life changed too. The departure of her friend Nicola Blackstock, who left Emmerdale in shame, meant Laurel got put in charge of the cleaning business. She also had her hands full being a full time mum to Gabby, being a wife, running the choir, and trying to keep up with Ashley’s troublesome niece Jasmine. Laurel was devastated when Jasmine and her friends Debbie and Daz accidentally set fire to the vicarage, and they lost everything.
[edit] Jasmine's relationship with Cain Dingle
When Jasmine started having an affair with Debbie's dad, Cain, she confided in Laurel. Laurel promised to keep it a secret from Ashley, even though she felt very uncomfortable lying to her husband. After the truth came out Ashley was furious with Laurel. Laurel went away on a holiday with her parents thinking that the break would help her marriage. When she returned all was normal and they promised that there would be no more secrets.
[edit] Laurel's pregnancy: Baby Daniel and Baby Arthur
In December 2006, Laurel discovered she was pregnant with Ashley's baby.
Laurel headed to the church to get some peace there, her water broke and she went into labour in church, and couldn't get out because Emily Kirk had accidentally locked the entrance door, also Shadrach Dingle was in the church and he rang the church bells to alert help. Later on at Hotten General Hospital with her husband Ashley Thomas at her side, Laurel and Ashley became the proud parents of a baby boy, called Daniel. While at the hospital they met Greg Doland and his wife Melanie Doland, who was also giving birth to a baby boy, Arthur.
[edit] Daniel's death
On 21 February 2008, Laurel and Ashley were having dinner with her parents when Laurel went to check on her son and found he had died from cot death. Laurel went into a downward spiral and lashed out at her mother during the memorial service, driving her parents away. She also resented and blamed Ashley. When she snapped at Ashley's little daughter Gabby, Ashley accused her of blaming Gabby because she was still alive and Daniel was dead. Laurel moved in with Betty Eagleton. Greg Doland attempted to comfort her and she kissed him. Ashamed of her actions, she returned to Ashley and she and Greg swore no one would find out the truth.
[edit] Baby switch
Just as Laurel began to feel comfortable with her life again, her mother Hillary began to suspect the Doland baby actually belonged to Laurel and Ashley. Laurel refused to hear a word of it, but when Hillary feared the Dolands were going to leave with Arthur and never come back, she kidnapped him. She soon returned, but Ashley decided to tell the Dolands the truth, which made them attempt to flee the country and when Ashley stopped them, for Mel to briefly run away with Arthur.
Through it all, Laurel refused to see Arthur as her son, as she felt that was a betrayal of Daniel, the baby she'd raised and loved. Hillary went back home because she couldn't bear to see her daughter not want contact with her own son. Ashley continued with the process of proving Arthur was theirs biologically and bringing him into their family. The tension between him and Laurel only got worse when she revealed she'd kissed Greg. Betty and Douglas begged her to support Ashley and to not turn her back on her son. Mel asked her to allow Arthur to stay with the parents who had raised him, and said she of all people knew what it was like for a child to be ripped away from its mother.
The day before the hearing to decide custody of Arthur, Ashley gave her an ultimatum -- either she attended, or he would leave her. After much thought, Laurel attended the hearing, and was shattered when she and Ashley were granted custody of Arthur.
[edit] External links
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