Post by SheWolf on Jun 17, 2007 12:29:17 GMT 1
I LOVE EMMERDALE BUT I NEED TO TRY PASTURES NEW
EXCLUSIVE Soap beauty Verity on her real-life romance..and awful first screen kiss IT'S BEEN 9 YEARS ..I'M STILL YOUNG & I'M IN LOVE BUT I NEED TO SEE WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE
By Jon Wise Jon.Wise@People.Co.Uk
AS soap siren Donna Windsor-Dingle she has kept TV fans hooked while working her way through most of the men in the Dales.
Viewers have seen Donna, played by 21-year-old Verity Rushworth, blossom from a scrawny teenager into a sexy brunette cop.
But now, after nine years in ITV1 smash Emmerdale, Verity thinks it will soon be time to hand in the uniform to try pastures new.
In an exclusive interview with The People, she says: "I'm happy there at the moment but I would like to come out of Emmerdale just to have a break at some stage.
"It's time to see what else is out there. I'd like to give it another year and then see what happens but if I did leave I'd love to be able to go back - that would be amazing."
Verity was only 12 when she joined the show in 1998 after being talent-spotted at drama school in her home town of Leeds, West Yorks. But TV stardom wasn't always easy.
"I missed out on what other girls my age were doing," she sighs. "A lot of girls when they are younger hang out at each other's houses or out on the streets.
"They drink and dye their hair and get their bodies pierced, which I was never allowed to do.
"Iwent through really awkward teenage years with braces and a bob looking like a boy.
"And then they gave me plots that didn't help - sex scenes, even chlamydia storylines.
"I had to go on TV's Lorraine Kelly show to talk about that and I was mortified. I was 15 then and I hadn't known anything about it. I was doing a good deed but I was totally mortified."
The embarrassment she felt was nothing compared to her first love scene on Emmerdale - a kiss with Anthony Lewis, who played Marc Reynolds, when she was 13.
Verity recalls: "I wasn't into boys at all. I used to be quite shy. I was quite immature for my age. "Now I love having a good old snogging scene. It's nice having someone different and I've snogged them all over the years.
"But that first kissing scene was horrendously bad. Anthony was like a mate. The director gave us chewing gum and went, 'Enjoy kids'. It was really awkward. I went bright red like a beetroot."
Donna's recent marriage to Marlon Dingle, played by 35-year-old Mark Charnock, is proving volatile. Verity's own love life is much more stable.
She has been with Leeds Rhinos rugby league player Lee Smith for two years.
But Verity insists: "Lee knows my career has to come first. If I had to move to London for work I would, no problem. He would probably stay in Leeds, but that's OK."
She laughs off any rumours of marriage even though the couple are preparing to move in together. "Ah my Leelee," she giggles.
"He's a hunk. He's 20 and I'm 21 so I've bagged myself a toyboy. "But marriage is a way off. I don't want to settle down till I am at least 30. I haven't had many boyfriends and I think it would be silly to get married straightaway.
"On our first datewe went to see the film Mr and Mrs Smith. I thought it may have been an omen, but I didn't want to scare him. I have just bought a house and he is moving in with me which is going to be great.
"He's really laidback. He's almost horizontal. I'm always happy for him to go out with the lads. I trust him completely.
Anyway, he's probably too lazy to do anything stupid.
"He's just like my dad, likes his sport, doesn't like going out for meals or shopping As a rugby player, he's around men all the time and is a typical bruiser." Although marriage isn't on the cards, only child Verity admits she wants babies at some stage.
"I've missed out not having brothers or sisters so I'd love to have more than one child," she says. "I'd make Lee have the snip after two though. One of each would be nice to see what they both look like." Verity's own childhood was tricky after she joined Emmerdale. Classmates ribbed her for being on screen. She says: "Kids can be cruel and jealous. I let them get on with it and keptmy head down."
She adds: "I can't watch old episodes - it's bad enough seeing photographs. I looked like Ozzy Osbourne when I was 12. I was really insecure and scrawny, like a little boy.
"My mum always told me I was a pretty child but I wasn't. She lied. It feels really good that people see me as being sexy now. I am glad they don't class me as a TV dog."
And now she is well past her teenage awkwardness, the star reveals she would be happy to get her kit off for on-screen nookie. "I'd be all right," she smiles. "If you're confident you're fine. I love getting glammed up in sexy clothes when I'm not working.
Now Donna is in police uniform it's really not glam - flat loafers, highwaisted trousers and slicked-back hair. The clothes are minging."
But Verity says: "I won't do photoshoots in just underwear. It's not me. I'll get my legs out though."
Donna's job as a cop has had other downsides. Verity went on the streets with real police to research the role.
She giggles: "I saw the guy who does the body search put on his latex gloves and I thought, 'Urgh, I am never getting drunk and disorderly.'
Can you imagine those latex gloves going on you?" Next week viewers will see Donna help Marlon recover after he was shot accidentally by brother Eli - Joseph Gilgun, 23. Verity says: "It's great to be doing all these emotions but I have to practise.
When I have to cry I put sad songs on my iPod and get weepy. Des'ree's Kissing You from Romeo and Juliet usually does it." And her next role? "I'm not sure I'd do another soap," Verity insists. "I could change myself a lot from Donna. So fingers crossed for the future."
EXCLUSIVE Soap beauty Verity on her real-life romance..and awful first screen kiss IT'S BEEN 9 YEARS ..I'M STILL YOUNG & I'M IN LOVE BUT I NEED TO SEE WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE
By Jon Wise Jon.Wise@People.Co.Uk
AS soap siren Donna Windsor-Dingle she has kept TV fans hooked while working her way through most of the men in the Dales.
Viewers have seen Donna, played by 21-year-old Verity Rushworth, blossom from a scrawny teenager into a sexy brunette cop.
But now, after nine years in ITV1 smash Emmerdale, Verity thinks it will soon be time to hand in the uniform to try pastures new.
In an exclusive interview with The People, she says: "I'm happy there at the moment but I would like to come out of Emmerdale just to have a break at some stage.
"It's time to see what else is out there. I'd like to give it another year and then see what happens but if I did leave I'd love to be able to go back - that would be amazing."
Verity was only 12 when she joined the show in 1998 after being talent-spotted at drama school in her home town of Leeds, West Yorks. But TV stardom wasn't always easy.
"I missed out on what other girls my age were doing," she sighs. "A lot of girls when they are younger hang out at each other's houses or out on the streets.
"They drink and dye their hair and get their bodies pierced, which I was never allowed to do.
"Iwent through really awkward teenage years with braces and a bob looking like a boy.
"And then they gave me plots that didn't help - sex scenes, even chlamydia storylines.
"I had to go on TV's Lorraine Kelly show to talk about that and I was mortified. I was 15 then and I hadn't known anything about it. I was doing a good deed but I was totally mortified."
The embarrassment she felt was nothing compared to her first love scene on Emmerdale - a kiss with Anthony Lewis, who played Marc Reynolds, when she was 13.
Verity recalls: "I wasn't into boys at all. I used to be quite shy. I was quite immature for my age. "Now I love having a good old snogging scene. It's nice having someone different and I've snogged them all over the years.
"But that first kissing scene was horrendously bad. Anthony was like a mate. The director gave us chewing gum and went, 'Enjoy kids'. It was really awkward. I went bright red like a beetroot."
Donna's recent marriage to Marlon Dingle, played by 35-year-old Mark Charnock, is proving volatile. Verity's own love life is much more stable.
She has been with Leeds Rhinos rugby league player Lee Smith for two years.
But Verity insists: "Lee knows my career has to come first. If I had to move to London for work I would, no problem. He would probably stay in Leeds, but that's OK."
She laughs off any rumours of marriage even though the couple are preparing to move in together. "Ah my Leelee," she giggles.
"He's a hunk. He's 20 and I'm 21 so I've bagged myself a toyboy. "But marriage is a way off. I don't want to settle down till I am at least 30. I haven't had many boyfriends and I think it would be silly to get married straightaway.
"On our first datewe went to see the film Mr and Mrs Smith. I thought it may have been an omen, but I didn't want to scare him. I have just bought a house and he is moving in with me which is going to be great.
"He's really laidback. He's almost horizontal. I'm always happy for him to go out with the lads. I trust him completely.
Anyway, he's probably too lazy to do anything stupid.
"He's just like my dad, likes his sport, doesn't like going out for meals or shopping As a rugby player, he's around men all the time and is a typical bruiser." Although marriage isn't on the cards, only child Verity admits she wants babies at some stage.
"I've missed out not having brothers or sisters so I'd love to have more than one child," she says. "I'd make Lee have the snip after two though. One of each would be nice to see what they both look like." Verity's own childhood was tricky after she joined Emmerdale. Classmates ribbed her for being on screen. She says: "Kids can be cruel and jealous. I let them get on with it and keptmy head down."
She adds: "I can't watch old episodes - it's bad enough seeing photographs. I looked like Ozzy Osbourne when I was 12. I was really insecure and scrawny, like a little boy.
"My mum always told me I was a pretty child but I wasn't. She lied. It feels really good that people see me as being sexy now. I am glad they don't class me as a TV dog."
And now she is well past her teenage awkwardness, the star reveals she would be happy to get her kit off for on-screen nookie. "I'd be all right," she smiles. "If you're confident you're fine. I love getting glammed up in sexy clothes when I'm not working.
Now Donna is in police uniform it's really not glam - flat loafers, highwaisted trousers and slicked-back hair. The clothes are minging."
But Verity says: "I won't do photoshoots in just underwear. It's not me. I'll get my legs out though."
Donna's job as a cop has had other downsides. Verity went on the streets with real police to research the role.
She giggles: "I saw the guy who does the body search put on his latex gloves and I thought, 'Urgh, I am never getting drunk and disorderly.'
Can you imagine those latex gloves going on you?" Next week viewers will see Donna help Marlon recover after he was shot accidentally by brother Eli - Joseph Gilgun, 23. Verity says: "It's great to be doing all these emotions but I have to practise.
When I have to cry I put sad songs on my iPod and get weepy. Des'ree's Kissing You from Romeo and Juliet usually does it." And her next role? "I'm not sure I'd do another soap," Verity insists. "I could change myself a lot from Donna. So fingers crossed for the future."
