Yahoo News Emmerdale to revisit Priya Kotecha's eating disorder storyline
Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale is set to revisit Priya Kotecha's eating disorder in upcoming scenes, as she struggles to cope following her involvement in the recent Maize Maze fire.
Although Priya (Fiona Wade) survived the blaze, she suffered serious burns and has been left with scars that are causing her to feel insecure about her body.
In scenes to air next week, Priya begins to feel the pressure when Leyla Cavanagh (Roxy Shahidi) shows up at Rishi Sharma's (Bhasker Patel) pre-Christmas get together looking glamorous. Priya feels ashamed of the joggers that she's wearing and she asks for Leyla's help in getting more dressed up.
Related: Emmerdale's Cain Dingle to take action over Nate and Tracy's rift
However, when the pair go up to Priya's bedroom and go through her wardrobe, Priya's anxieties about her body are exacerbated as she looks over her clothes.
Priya confides in Leyla that she still hasn't been able to look at her back since being discharged from the hospital and Leyla gently encourages her friend to confront her fears.
As Priya lowers her dressing gown and stares at her reflection in the mirror, she and Leyla are shocked into silence by the sight of the scars on Priya's back.
Related: Emmerdale lines up possible reunion for Billy and Dawn
Although Priya continues to be in huge amounts of emotional and physical pain, she fixes herself up with Leyla's help and gets ready for the gathering.
Outside Holdgate, Rishi has gone all out for his party but Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson) is concerned that Priya is nowhere to be seen.
When Priya does arrive at the gathering, dressed up, her family and friends are all smiles about her ongoing recovery.
Related: Emmerdale's Chas Dingle flirts with Al Chapman while Paddy is away
Unfortunately, when food is mentioned, Priya's anxieties begin to resurface...
Priya was first seen facing an eating disorder in 2014 while she was pregnant with her daughter, Amba, and the issue arose again in 2016 and 2019 as she faced difficult times in her life.
Actress Fiona has previously spoken about the research she did into eating disorders when Priya's storyline first began, saying that she didn't know much about them when she was told about the plot.
"Back in 2014, I didn't know much about anorexia, really. And I definitely hadn't heard of pregorexia, which is what Priya developed," she said. "I had a very healthy relationship with food growing up, and recognising that anorexia is a mental illness and it's serious and so sad, I have so much compassion for it now."
Emmerdale airs these scenes on Thursday, December 2 at 7pm and 8pm on ITV.
Beat (www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk) is a charity which raises awareness and understanding of eating disorders, and supports those affected by them. Beat now has a one-to-one secure messaging service. Its phone helpline for those aged 18 and over is 0808 801 0677, and there's also a dedicated Youthline for those under 18 - 0808 801 0711.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
You Might Also Like
