Emmerdale’s Gabby Thomas is set to take centre stage in a troubling new storyline focused around food later this year.
The character, played by Rosie Bentham, has suffered a series of setbacks over the last few years – particularly romantically, with several love interests falling flat.
Last year, viewers watched as she ended her brief marriage to Vinny (Bradley Johnson), who she discovered after their wedding day was struggling with his sexuality.
In episodes airing this week on Emmerdale, Gabby’s set to make a move on Ross Barton (Michael Parr), who has been engaging in a harmless flirtation with her at Home Farm, unaware she’s taking it seriously.
While he is set to let her down gently, the rejection proves to be a trigger point for what comes next, as Gabby’s self-esteem hits an all-time low.
Speaking in the latest edition of Inside Soap, producer Laura Shaw has confirmed this will soon warp into an obsession with healthy eating, and could have disastrous consequences.
“It’s going to be a big story for Gabby, where we delve into the dark side of obsessive healthy eating,” she told the magazine (via Digital Spy).
“She lost Vinny and then being pushed away by Ross makes her start to become a little bit more obsessive about controlling what she eats.”
Shaw added that things are “quickly going to go wrong”, with Bentham explaining that her character’s decisions come from a desire for control.
“I feel like Gabby’s always had that desire to prove herself,” she explained.
“She’s a 24-year-old girl and so social media plays into that. Getting rejected on top of that means that everything spirals.
“She’s looking for something else to put a focus on. What can be seen as quite a healthy thing – investing in your health – at what point does that become an obsession and unhealthy?”
The storyline will play out across the next year, with Bentham noting this is “just the tip of the iceberg” of what Gabby is set to go through.
Read the full interview in Inside Soap Magazine, available now.
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.
Add Emmerdale to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app– download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.
