Emmerdale‘s Sarah Sugden doubles down on her desire for a baby next week – despite fierce criticism from her ex-boyfriend Jacob Gallagher.

In upcoming scenes, Sarah is diagnosed with cervical cancer after recently undergoing tests. As Sarah tries to take in all of the information from the consultant, she’s relieved when she learns that she may still be able to get pregnant.

Jacob – the only person Sarah chooses to confide in – immediately brands her selfish for wanting a child amid her various health issues and limited life expectancy. Still struggling after the death of Leyla, Jacob urges Sarah to consider how it feels to lose a mum at such a young age.

Katie Hill, who plays Sarah, recently caught up with us about the big new storyline and why it’s bound to divide fans…

Why is Sarah so keen to have a baby?

“Sarah is feeling lonely. She doesn’t feel like she has much of a purpose right now, so she’s set on the idea of having a baby. Her condition, Fanconi Anaemia, reduces her lifespan but she’s been told that she can live up to the age of 40.

“But if Sarah were to die in 20 years, her mindset is that she still would have had those years with her child. She’s always said that she wants to be a mum.

“As Sarah’s getting older, it’s hitting her that she doesn’t know how long she has left – so the sooner the better for her, really.”

How does Sarah feel about some of the doctors expressing concerns?

“Sarah is set on the fact that she wants to do it, so she’s not paying attention. She’s doing her own research and she’s holding onto the fact that a handful of people have been able to do it in similar situations, so she’s not listening to anyone who’s telling her what to do.”

Can you tell us about Sarah receiving her cancer diagnosis next week?

“Sarah gets called back to an appointment after undergoing tests and is told that she’s got cancer. She’s completely on her own and doesn’t confide in anyone about it.

“There’s a lot going on around Sarah at the moment, so she doesn’t want to bother anyone. She thinks she can handle it herself, but I don’t think she can.

“Sarah probably needs someone to talk to, but she thinks she’s strong enough to do it alone, even though it would be good to have someone’s shoulder to lean on.”

How is Sarah feeling about the diagnosis?

“Sarah is trying to stay positive, so she thinks everything is going to work out. When Sarah gets told about the cancer diagnosis, she asks whether she’ll still be able to have a baby.

“Sarah has obviously dealt with cancer while growing up. She’s been through so much, so she’s quite good at handling things like that, as much as it hurts to hear the news.

“Sarah takes the route of: ‘I’m going to focus on having this baby and going through the IVF’. So that’s where she’s at with her mental state: ‘I just want to have this baby and get the cancer out the way’.”

Will Sarah confide in Vanessa about her diagnosis?

“I don’t know yet. Sarah is quite set on just getting it done. If she were to open up to anyone about the cancer at this stage, they’d say to forget about the IVF and sort the cancer out first.

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“But Sarah doesn’t want to do that, so for now she’s happy to keep it to herself. Plus, she knows that Vanessa would tell Charity straight away about the cancer.”

Sarah does confide in Jacob, though…

“Yes, she bumps into Jacob in the hospital after her appointment. Jacob doesn’t react the way she wants him to, though.

“When I was given this storyline and spoke with the Emmerdale producer, she said that it will be a dividing storyline. Some people will understand why Sarah wants to have a baby now, but some will think: ‘If she’s going to die young then what will happen to the child?’

“So with everything that’s happened with Jacob losing his mum at a young age, he says at first that this is not a good idea and it’s selfish.”

How does Sarah react?

“Sarah knows that Jacob is still grieving – it’s not long since Leyla passed away. It’s the first time that Sarah has received a negative reaction like this. She has a close relationship with Jacob, so to hear this from him upsets her.

“But again, she tries to push it away saying: ‘I’m still doing this’. She’s very headstrong when she knows what she wants.”

How worried is Sarah about the diagnosis?

“Deep down, Sarah always fears cancer. People with Fanconi Anaemia are a lot more likely to get cancer throughout their life, so she’s always had that worry.

“But again, because she’s been through it since such a young age, she’s built up resilience to it. She tries to keep a strong head on and be brave, but she does have her moments where she feels like her world has come crashing down.”

Is the door closed on Jacob and Sarah’s romance?

“I don’t know – Sarah didn’t want it to end, so those feelings haven’t been cut off straight away. They went through so much together when Jacob was grieving for his mum.

“The door, in my view, is hopefully still open to explore something in the future together, but I think they need to communicate better. It would be nice if they could come back together.”

Did you like Sarah and Kammy together?

“Working with Shebz [Miah, who plays Kammy] was great – he’s such a ball of fun. It was nice exploring the more light-hearted and fun scenes after doing the more serious stuff with Jacob.

“With Sarah’s condition, she wants to live life to the fullest. She wants to be a bit reckless sometimes because she never knows what is around the corner. So it was nice to play that side of Sarah.”

It seemed like Sarah’s inner Dingle was coming out…

“I really enjoyed playing that! Ever since I was little, I watched Charity do all these things and was always excited for when it would be my turn. It was going to happen at some point with this family, wasn’t it?”

Would Sarah make a good mum?

“I think she would. I think because of her condition, if Sarah were to have a baby, she’d just give it the best life because she knows what’s coming in the future. She would want her child to know love and happiness.

“After what Sarah has been through with her mum and dad not being there, she knows what it feels like to be lonely as a kid and she wouldn’t want that for her child.”

Would you like Sarah’s parents Debbie or Andy to return?

“Funnily enough I never met Kelvin Fletcher, who played Andy! Obviously it would be great if he came back and we got a chance to explore their relationship.

“Obviously Charley Webb too – she was my person here for so many years. She really took me under her wing when I joined the show, so it would be so nice to work with them both.”

How did you feel about exploring such a big storyline?

“I was excited. As actors, the thing we love to do most is to be able to tell stories that resonate with the audience, so I was honoured they trusted me with this storyline. The research team has worked with charities and it’s a privilege to take it on.

“In a soap, not everyone can have a big storyline at the same time, so I’ve had quite a few quiet years. So I’m definitely ready to get a storyline and get my teeth into something.

“When they called me up for that original meeting, at first I thought: ‘Oh no!’ But then the producer sat me down and explained what was coming up. I was so pleased to find out they trusted me to do all these storylines and I’m really enjoying it.

“It’s busy. It’s a big transition, going from being quiet and then doing eight scenes every day all week, but I’m really enjoying it.”

You’ve been in the show for a while now…

“Yes, I joined in 2017 and it’s going so quickly. It’s really nice how the younger cast have all grown up together. It’s funny because when I first came into the show, I was the kid on set. I wouldn’t get involved in all the adult conversations but now Emma [Atkins, who plays Charity] is my best friend.

“I know we all say it’s like a family but it really is. If I ever need help with anything, I’ve got someone to turn to. The Dingle WhatsApp group chat is always going off. It’s called ’12 Angry Dingles’ after the storyline we did with Lydia. We’re a really tight bunch and I adore them all.”