Betty Eagleton
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth "Betty" Eagleton (née Pendagast) is a fictional character
from the British
soap opera
Emmerdale
played by Paula Tilbrook
. She made her first on-screen appearance on 12 April 1994 and, in 2011, following the death of Viv Hope
, she is the longest-serving female character.
She made her first appearance in the show in April 1994. Upon her arrival in 1994 she soon became associated as one of the village gossipers and even tried to call off Zoe Tate
's lesbian wedding in 1996.
In 2000, her ex Reggie arrived in the village. It transpired that Betty and Reggie dated while working in the Windmill Theatre in London. On the day she went to tell him she was expecting their baby, Betty found him in bed with another woman and had an abortion. Unfortunately this left her unable to have children but kept this to herself. Knowing this, Reggie tried to blackmail Betty by threatening to tell Seth. Instead, Betty told him herself and Seth drove Reggie out of the village.
in Australia and went on a long holiday. Seth Armstrong
joined her, but when she got homesick and returned to Emmerdale several months later but came back alone. She spent a lot of time with Seth in Australia.
On Christmas Eve, Betty got the best present ever when Seth sung "Silent Night" to her over an Internet connection. However, on his way home, Seth died on the aeroplane. Betty was waiting at the airport when her friend Kathy Brookman
broke the bad news.
During Seth's funeral, Betty took Seth's coffin and buried it in the countryside, with help from Laurel
, Zak
and Sam Dingle
. A fake coffin, containing a sack of sand, was buried in the Emmerdale cemetery. The funeral also saw the return of Betty and Seth's former lodger Biff Fowler
.
Soon after, Alan Turner
moved in with Betty. After lamenting a lack of contact with his son Terence, it was Betty who got in touch with Terence and convinced him to return to Emmerdale. It was revealed that Terrence sexually abused his sister as a child. Unable to accept this, Alan lashed out at Betty and moved into Holdgate Farm with Terrence. Alan later realised the truth and returned to live with Betty. Terence went missing soon after this and Steph began claiming that her new husband, Adam, murdered him. It turned out that she was telling the truth but nobody believed her as Adam had poisoned her and then had her sectioned. So she forfeited her freedom by claiming they murdered him together and both Adam and Steph were sent to jail.
As Betty and Alan struggled to get over this, a new person entered Betty's life, Sandy Thomas. He is the father of local vicar, Ashley Thomas. Ashley and Sandy didn't get on that well and following an argument, Sandy moved in with Betty and Alan.
Recently Betty's dog Charlie died, and she decided to spread the dog's cremated remains over Seth's burial place.
In June 2008, Betty told Laurel Thomas
that she was like "the daughter she never had".
Betty has discovered Donald De Souza's body, joined the church choir and was locked in a small room during a singing competition for several hours in December 2008.
In March 2009, Jamie Hope
asked Betty to make a batch of chutney
to send to Louise
in Australia
. Betty obliged, and spent hours making several jars. The following day, while cleaning at Home Farm she was tired, and Nathan Wylde
told Natasha that Jamie had made a delivery of chutney. Betty had a funny turn, dropping a vase in the process. She took one jar of chutney and saw that Jamie had put a label on, replacing hers. Betty decided to get revenge on Jamie and Bob, who was also in on it, recalling the chutney she had made, saying Alan was ill because of the batch she had made the previous night. Betty said she would make another batch, making a disgusting alternative. She gave it to Jamie, who took it to Home Farm. Nathan unwittingly tasted a spoonful and had to rush to the sink because of its foul flavour. Natasha then went to the Woolpack and shoved a spoonful into Jamie's mouth, warning him not to pull a stunt like that again. Betty admitted what she had done, and wanted free tea and cakes in the café as compensation. However, Rodney Blackstock
pointed out that she may have missed an opportunity with the Wyldes, but Betty eventually made an arrangement with Natasha and she produces chutney under the Home Farm brand.
When Mark Wylde's body was found, Betty thought it might have been Seth's and admitted to Alan that they buried him in Home Farm grounds and sandbags were buried at the cemetry.
In Jan 2011, the fire that spread through Emmerdale went into Betty's home whilst she slept and she was unaware about the fire. She was saved by the residents and was taken to hospital due to her intake of the smoke. Her friends Edna, Pearl and Alan all helped Betty get better and she is now fighting fit, being observant and back to gossiping. In June 2011, Chastity heard Betty and Val gossiping over Hazel and Aaron helping Jackson to die. Chastity told Betty she had no idea what she was talking about. Betty then continued to drink her sherry.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
played by Paula Tilbrook
Paula Tilbrook
Paula Tilbrook is an English actress who has played Betty Eagleton in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale since 1994.In 1977, she made an appearance as Stella Rigby in Coronation Street, and followed this by appearances as Olive Taylor-Brown in the same show in 1978 and 1980. From 1991 to 1993, she...
. She made her first on-screen appearance on 12 April 1994 and, in 2011, following the death of Viv Hope
Viv Hope
Vivienne "Viv" Hope was a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Emmerdale. Portrayed by Deena Payne, the character first appeared on 10 August 1993, and remained until 13 January 2011, becoming one of the longest serving characters, after nearly 18 years in the show.In November...
, she is the longest-serving female character.
Backstory
Betty Pendergrast and Seth Armstrong were childhood sweethearts and nearly married in 1944. Betty claims to have been born in January 1934 which would mean that she would have been just 10 years old when she nearly married Seth, so it is probable that Betty is a bit older than what she claims. She has one sister whose name is unknown. She later married Wally Eagleton in 1954 and was married for 39 years until Wally died in 1993.1994–2003
Betty Eagleton is best known as one of the village busybodies.She made her first appearance in the show in April 1994. Upon her arrival in 1994 she soon became associated as one of the village gossipers and even tried to call off Zoe Tate
Zoe Tate
Zoe Tate is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was played by Leah Bracknell. She appeared between December 1989 and September 2005.-1989–2001:...
's lesbian wedding in 1996.
In 2000, her ex Reggie arrived in the village. It transpired that Betty and Reggie dated while working in the Windmill Theatre in London. On the day she went to tell him she was expecting their baby, Betty found him in bed with another woman and had an abortion. Unfortunately this left her unable to have children but kept this to herself. Knowing this, Reggie tried to blackmail Betty by threatening to tell Seth. Instead, Betty told him herself and Seth drove Reggie out of the village.
2004—
In 2004, Betty decided to visit her friend KathyKathy Brookman
Katherine Elizabeth "Kathy" Brookman is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, She was played by Malandra Burrows...
in Australia and went on a long holiday. Seth Armstrong
Seth Armstrong
Archibald Seth Armstrong is a fictional character in the ITV soap Emmerdale, played by Stan Richards from 1978 until 2003, when the actor's ill health forced him to leave the show for more than a year...
joined her, but when she got homesick and returned to Emmerdale several months later but came back alone. She spent a lot of time with Seth in Australia.
On Christmas Eve, Betty got the best present ever when Seth sung "Silent Night" to her over an Internet connection. However, on his way home, Seth died on the aeroplane. Betty was waiting at the airport when her friend Kathy Brookman
Kathy Brookman
Katherine Elizabeth "Kathy" Brookman is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, She was played by Malandra Burrows...
broke the bad news.
During Seth's funeral, Betty took Seth's coffin and buried it in the countryside, with help from Laurel
Laurel Thomas
Laurel Thomas is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Charlotte Bellamy. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 3 September 2002. Laurel has been off-screen at various times while Bellamy has taken maternity leave.-Casting:In 2004, Bellamy announced she...
, Zak
Zak Dingle
Zachariah Bartholomew "Zak" Dingle is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Steve Halliwell. He first appeared on 20 October 1994 and has remained since except for a brief break from 2002-2003. On his time in the show he has been involved in a testicular cancer...
and Sam Dingle
Sam Dingle
Samuel Jonah "Sam" Dingle is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale played by James Hooton.-Storylines:Sam first appears in 1995 and he demands ransom money from the Sugden family. After his release from prison, he worked as a dogsbody for Eric Pollard and was constantly conned...
. A fake coffin, containing a sack of sand, was buried in the Emmerdale cemetery. The funeral also saw the return of Betty and Seth's former lodger Biff Fowler
Biff Fowler
Brian Ian Francis "Biff" Fowler is a fictional character in the British ITV soapEmmerdale, played by Stuart Wade from 1994 until 1999. Biff later returned for Seth Armstrong's Funeral in October 2005.-Casting:...
.
Soon after, Alan Turner
Alan Turner (Emmerdale)
Alan Jonathan Turner is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Richard Thorp. He first appeared on 18 March 1982, and is the longest running character in the soap. Originally portrayed as an inept, boozing and bullying manager for NY Estates at Home Farm, he has...
moved in with Betty. After lamenting a lack of contact with his son Terence, it was Betty who got in touch with Terence and convinced him to return to Emmerdale. It was revealed that Terrence sexually abused his sister as a child. Unable to accept this, Alan lashed out at Betty and moved into Holdgate Farm with Terrence. Alan later realised the truth and returned to live with Betty. Terence went missing soon after this and Steph began claiming that her new husband, Adam, murdered him. It turned out that she was telling the truth but nobody believed her as Adam had poisoned her and then had her sectioned. So she forfeited her freedom by claiming they murdered him together and both Adam and Steph were sent to jail.
As Betty and Alan struggled to get over this, a new person entered Betty's life, Sandy Thomas. He is the father of local vicar, Ashley Thomas. Ashley and Sandy didn't get on that well and following an argument, Sandy moved in with Betty and Alan.
Recently Betty's dog Charlie died, and she decided to spread the dog's cremated remains over Seth's burial place.
In June 2008, Betty told Laurel Thomas
Laurel Thomas
Laurel Thomas is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Charlotte Bellamy. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 3 September 2002. Laurel has been off-screen at various times while Bellamy has taken maternity leave.-Casting:In 2004, Bellamy announced she...
that she was like "the daughter she never had".
Betty has discovered Donald De Souza's body, joined the church choir and was locked in a small room during a singing competition for several hours in December 2008.
In March 2009, Jamie Hope
Jamie Hope
James "Jamie" Hope is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He was played by Alex Carter and first appeared onscreen on 16 February 2006...
asked Betty to make a batch of chutney
Chutney
Chutney is a a condiment used in South Asian cuisine that usually contains a spice and vegetable mix.Chutneys are wet or dry, having a coarse to fine texture. The Anglo-Indian loan word refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately, with preserves often sweetened. At least several...
to send to Louise
Louise Appleton
Louise Appleton is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Emily Symons. Aussie Louise arrived in the village as a temporary barmaid and ended up as co-landlady with best friend Diane Sugden, before selling to Diane's sister Val Lambert in 2006...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Betty obliged, and spent hours making several jars. The following day, while cleaning at Home Farm she was tired, and Nathan Wylde
Nathan Wylde
Nathan Wylde is a fictional character from the British ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale, played by Lyndon Ogbourne. He made his first on-screen appearance on 17 February 2009.-Character creation and casting:...
told Natasha that Jamie had made a delivery of chutney. Betty had a funny turn, dropping a vase in the process. She took one jar of chutney and saw that Jamie had put a label on, replacing hers. Betty decided to get revenge on Jamie and Bob, who was also in on it, recalling the chutney she had made, saying Alan was ill because of the batch she had made the previous night. Betty said she would make another batch, making a disgusting alternative. She gave it to Jamie, who took it to Home Farm. Nathan unwittingly tasted a spoonful and had to rush to the sink because of its foul flavour. Natasha then went to the Woolpack and shoved a spoonful into Jamie's mouth, warning him not to pull a stunt like that again. Betty admitted what she had done, and wanted free tea and cakes in the café as compensation. However, Rodney Blackstock
Rodney Blackstock
Rodney Blackstock is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Patrick Mower.-2000–:When Rodney Blackstock turned up in Emmerdale, no one was more surprised to see him than his ex-wife Diane...
pointed out that she may have missed an opportunity with the Wyldes, but Betty eventually made an arrangement with Natasha and she produces chutney under the Home Farm brand.
When Mark Wylde's body was found, Betty thought it might have been Seth's and admitted to Alan that they buried him in Home Farm grounds and sandbags were buried at the cemetry.
In Jan 2011, the fire that spread through Emmerdale went into Betty's home whilst she slept and she was unaware about the fire. She was saved by the residents and was taken to hospital due to her intake of the smoke. Her friends Edna, Pearl and Alan all helped Betty get better and she is now fighting fit, being observant and back to gossiping. In June 2011, Chastity heard Betty and Val gossiping over Hazel and Aaron helping Jackson to die. Chastity told Betty she had no idea what she was talking about. Betty then continued to drink her sherry.
External links
- Betty Eagleton at itv.comItv.comitv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...