Patsy Kensit has opened up about the unexpected anxiety she experienced while returning to Emmerdale after a 20-year absence. The actress, who has reprised her iconic role as Sadie King, revealed that the first two weeks back on the soap were particularly overwhelming and left her experiencing panic attacks.
Kensit spoke about her comeback while on the Emmerdale set, admitting that she was worried about the amount of dialogue she had to learn after spending two decades away from the show.
Why Did Patsy Kensit Have Panic Attacks After Returning To Emmerdale?
Kensit revealed that the sheer volume of dialogue was one of the biggest reasons she felt overwhelmed during the initial weeks of her return. “[During] the first two weeks, I was having panic attacks and I was so worried about the amount of dialogue we had to learn.”
Despite the nerves, the actress said her years of experience eventually kicked in. Kensit has been working professionally since she was four and explained that the “muscle memory” of acting was still there.
“But that muscle memory has been there because I’ve been working. I’ve been working every year of my life since I was four. I’m 58, I’m nearly 60…so I’ve been doing this my whole life,” she said.
What Is Patsy Kensit’s Emmerdale Character Sadie King Like?
Kensit is back as Sadie King, one of Emmerdale’s most memorable villains. She originally played the character between 2004 and 2006. Sadie arrived in the Yorkshire Dales as the glamorous and ambitious wife of Jimmy King.
During her original stint, she was involved in several dramatic storylines, including affairs with Robert Sugden and Cain Dingle, as well as a ransom plot that ultimately led to her downfall.
Interestingly, Kensit says she is almost the opposite of her Emmerdale alter ego. The actress has described herself as “pathologically polite” and said playing Sadie allows her to live vicariously through a woman who behaves in ways she never would in real life.
“When I play Sadie, I get to live vicariously through this woman. I would never speak to anyone the way she does,” Kensit said.
What Has Patsy Kensit Said About Returning To Emmerdale After 20 Years?
Kensit had previously expressed excitement about returning to the soap and said she treasured her original years on the show. ITV also described Sadie’s comeback as an explosive return that would bring plenty of drama back to the Yorkshire Dales.
