Douglas Potts

Douglas Potts
Emmerdale character
Portrayed by	Duncan Preston
Duration	2007–11, 2014–
First appearance	30 April 2007
Introduced by	Kathleen Beedles (2007) Kate Oates (2014)
Classification	Present; regular
Family Wife Hilary Potts (1967–2008) Daughters Caroline Swann Laurel Dingle Grandsons Edward Swann Arthur Thomas Granddaughters Beatrice Swann

Douglas "Doug" Potts is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Duncan Preston. In July 2010, Preston announced that he was taking a break from the show, initially temporarily for several months to allow him to do some theatre work.^[1] However, it was later announced by Executive Producer, Steve November, that a return for the character of Doug wasn't definite. November stated that the door would remain open for Preston to come back to the show but that it was in the actor's hands if and when he decides to discuss a return.^[2] On 30 July 2014, it was announced that Preston has reprised the role and Doug is returning to the show as a regular character from September.^[3]

Creation and Casting

In October 2006, it was announced that Laurel Thomas's father, Douglas Potts, would be cast in the show. It was then later reaveled that actor Duncan Preston had been given the role. He started filming in February 2007 and Douglas Potts arrived in the village on 30 April 2007.

Storylines

Doug is Laurel Thomas' (Charlotte Bellamy) father. He and Laurel's mother, Hilary (Paula Wilcox), come to the village to visit their daughter but after they leave, they are involved in a car crash. Doug suffers minor injuries but Hilary is in a coma for several weeks. Laurel immediately goes to look after her father despite being heavily pregnant. Doug tells Hilary after she recovers that Laurel had moved in to take care of him and the house while she was ill.

Doug returns with Hilary to meet their grandson, Daniel. Daniel dies of cot death in February 2008 and Hilary asks a devastated Doug to contain his grief for Laurel's sake, and he confides his true feelings to Pearl Ladderbanks (Meg Johnson). Hilary and Doug leave the village after Laurel bans Hilary from attending a memorial service for Daniel. They return a couple of weeks later. Laurel and Hilary resolve things and Hilary and Doug move in with Laurel and her husband, Ashley (John Middleton).

Hilary discovers that Daniel was not Laurel and Ashley's son and when she confides her suspicions to Doug, he is reluctant to believe her but she is later proved to be right. Hilary falls out with Laurel over this and leaves but Doug stays to support Laurel, and gets a job at Eric Pollard's (Chris Chittell) furniture factory.

In August 2008, Doug makes plans to reunite with Hilary, who had been on a long holiday to Cuba but she telephones him and asks for a divorce. Doug begins suffering a midlife crisis and buys himself a new sports car and sleeps with Bonnie Drinkwater (Sue Jenkins), a friend of Val Lambert's (Charlie Hardwick). Laurel and Ashley tricked Bonnie into leaving the village, but she had unwittingly caused more problems for Doug. In the village shop, Brenda Walker (Lesley Dunlop) notices him scratching his crotch, and assuming he is a pervert, calls the police. Doug is arrested but released without charge when it is revealed he had an STI, passed on to him by Bonnie. The news spreads around the village and Doug feels humiliated. Laurel reassures him that they would both laugh about the event sometime in the future. Doug disagrees but laughs with her.

Doug begins building a relationship with Brenda but her daughter, Gennie (Sian Reese-Williams), realises that Brenda has feelings for Bob Hope (Tony Audenshaw). Brenda initially denies it but eventually ends her relationship with Doug, and begins dating Terry Woods (Billy Hartman) instead.

Brenda and Doug continue to be friends, and in early 2009 they form Emmerdale Explorers, a playgroup for the local children. They receive some funding from Natasha Wylde (Amanda Donohoe), but they disagree repeatedly over her son, Will (Oscar Lloyd), attending the group. Eventually, Doug returns her money.

Doug begins to resent Terry's involvement in the Explorers project, and his jealousy is further increased when he learns that Brenda intends to buy half of Bob's business. Doug convinces Terry and Bob that Brenda only wants to buy into the business to try to win Bob's heart. When Bob reneges on the deal, a furious Brenda pours a pint over Doug's head. Doug later apologises for interfering.

Doug continues to work at the factory until Eric Pollard is forced to close it down. As a result of the credit crunch, Doug realises that people did not want new soft furnishings. Doug is disappointed to lose his job but finds a new one, running the Home Farm Fayre shop in the village with Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi). In March 2010, Doug becomes attracted to Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen) and asks her out but she turns him down. Doug is unhappy when Charlie Haynes (George Costigan), a friend of Diane's ex-husband, Rodney Blackstock (Patrick Mower), arrives in the village and begins a relationship with Diane. Fearing Charlie is a con-artist, Doug informs Diane of his suspicions, but Diane does not believe him. In July 2010, Diane discovers that Charlie has fled the village with her money and she forgives Doug for not believing him, but tells him she does not want a romantic relationship. Diane and Doug remain good friends and Doug offers Diane a loan when she faces financial problems as a result of Charlie's actions. Diane is reluctant to accept at first but eventually does so and Doug is pleased to have helped her.

In January 2011, Doug tells Diane that he is seeing a woman, but does not reveal details. Doug eventually tells Diane that his new girlfriend is Hilary. He asks Diane to not tell Laurel and explains that he wants to give his marriage another go. On 11 February, Doug tells Laurel that he is going on a cruise with Hilary. He also tells Laurel that he intends to move back in with her at their old home. Laurel is reluctant at first but eventually accepts her father's decision. At the same time Diane realises that she does have feelings for Doug after all and invites him to a romantic meal at The Woolpack. He tells her of his plans and she is disappointed. On Valentine's Day, as Doug is about to leave, Laurel and Diane's sister, Val, arrange for Doug to meet Diane at the pub. Diane tells Doug that she regrets turning him down, and pleads with him to stay and give her another chance. But Doug is dismissive, telling Diane that had Charlie not been a conman then she would have gone to Spain with him and that he was not the sort of man she wanted and that he did not want to settle for second best. Doug then leaves and says farewell to Laurel, Ashley, Leyla and Ashley's father Sandy (Freddie Jones). As he is leaving the pub, Diane follows him outside and wishes him well. They embrace and bid each other farewell, parting on good terms. Doug then gets into his waiting taxi and is driven out of the village.

Reception

On Doug's most memorable moment; a writer from Holy Soap said that "despite bringing some real gravitas to the soap, he's best remembered for when he caught an unfortunate STD [...] and was arrested for indecent behaviour in a public place because he was scratching himself."^[4]

References

External links

• Character profile at Holy Soap