Emmerdale’s Ella Forster has proved to be a controversial figure in the village since her arrival earlier this year, but actress Paula Lane has revealed the character nearly reached the end of the line.

As fans know, the villagers turned their backs on Ella after a shock twist revealed that she’d killed her best friend at 11 years old.

The discovery also split Ella up from partner Dr Liam Cavanagh (Johnny McPherson), although they have since been drawn closer together after Ella fell pregnant with their baby.

However, Paula believes Ella would have left the village for good if it had not been for her recent car crash.

‘I think she was on her way out,’ Paula says. ‘And then when she found out about the pregnancy, she’s ended up back, but then because she now has no car, that was her life.

‘And she even says I’ve got absolutely nothing now and she cries over the car because that was literally her little protective shell and now that’s gone.’

Since the crash, Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) has offered her a room at the beauty salon, which has encouraged her to stick around. 

Former Coronation Street star Paula – who is also known to millions as the cobbles’ Kylie Platt – also admitted she only found out Ella was a killer ‘a little bit after I’d started’.

She explained: ‘I don’t think we even had that on the cards when I filmed my entrance. So that probably got decided maybe about a month in but very cleverly, they can kind of make it they allow it to make sense, don’t they?

‘You know, she flipped off the handle that one time… So I think we’ve been able to see hints of how she’s tried to hold it back. 

‘That’s what’s great about her because you never quite know when something’s going to trigger. And that’s what’s fantastic about this because it can go any which way now.’

Forthcoming scenes will see her have an altercation with Wendy Posner (Susan Cookson), with Paula teasing: ‘I don’t think she’s ever been as unhinged as she is in that scene. Has she lost it? Or is she doing it for a good reason? Is she almost putting on a front?’

Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.