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Emmerdale star Zoe Henry shares a secret over Rhona casting

Emmerdale spoilers follow.

Emmerdale star Zoe Henry has shared a secret over her casting as Rhona Goskirk.

The actress debuted as the character in 2001 with a recurring role, before returning in a full-time capacity in 2010.

One storyline involved her marriage to Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt), and Zoe revealed a competitor for the role of Rhona was a familiar face to both Dominic and the soap’s audience.

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“[I have] an interesting fact for you,” Zoe told Inside Soap. “The person up against me in the audition [for Rhona] was Dominic’s wife, Joanne Mitchell. But I think because Paddy and Marlon are best mates in the show, they thought that would be weird!"

Joanne has had several roles on the soap, most notably playing Sandra Flaherty in two separate stints. She also had small roles on the soap in 2003, 2006 and 2009, playing DC Barnbrough, Midwife Yeo and Susan Davies respectively.

coronation street, joanne mitchell as marsha kayla's mum june 25
ITV

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As for Rhona, the character is set to be involved in drama next week, with ex-husband Gus set to enter the fray and put a spanner in the works regarding her relationship with Marlon.

“She’s had a turbulent year with Marlon recovering from his stroke,” explained Zoe. “He’s getting stronger every day. She has Leo, an amazing stepdaughter, in April – and she has her mum back in her life. [That is] a joy, even though Mary is a pain in the bum as well. So this is a really good time for Rhona.”

paddy and rhona
ITV

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Zoe, who has also appeared on Coronation Street and EastEnders, also revealed what she admired most about her character, paying tribute to her work ethic.

“Like a lot of mothers, she keeps those plates spinning – as a working mother, I know how difficult that is,” she said. “A trait that both Rhona and I share is the fierce protection of our children. First and foremost, I’m a mother – everything in my life is about my kids, and I genuinely believe that’s Rhona’s stance as well.”

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.

Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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