Lily Butterfield
Encyclopedia
Lily Butterfield is a fictional character
from the ITV
soap opera
Emmerdale
, played by Anne Charleston
. She made her first appearance on 3 November 2006. Lily is Edna Birch
's estranged sister and the biological mother to Edna's son, Peter Birch. Charleston quit her role in April 2009 and the character departed on 3 August 2009.
actress Charleston had joined the cast of Emmerdale as Edna Birch's (Shirley Stelfox
) estranged sister, Lily. Charleston was due to appear in three episodes in November of that year with a potential longer run to follow. Charleston said that she was "over the moon" to be joining the cast. Lily first appears at her great niece, Eve Jenson
's (Raine Davison
) wedding.
In March 2007, Charleston was asked to return to the show after her first appearance was deemed a success. Of her return, Charleston said "I'm thrilled to have been asked back and am looking forward to working with Shirley Stelfox again. It will be interesting to discover more about Lily’s background and character this time around, and I am excited to see where writers take me." Charleston began filming her new scenes in the Summer.
Charleston quit her role in April 2009 and her character was written out in August. Charleston said that she had enjoyed playing Lily, but it was now time to move on.
On Lily's return to the village, she stayed at the b&b until Pearl Ladderbanks
invited her to move in. She was lonely and Lily needed somewhere to stay so it seemed a perfect match. Lily also got a job as machinist at Pollards' factory, where she made friends with the other girls.
Lily used her love for entering magazine competitions and contests to create a pool with Pearl, Douglas Potts
and Betty Eagleton
where they entered lots of competitions. Pearl won a cruise for two and Lily and Betty buttered her up for the other ticket. Finally, she asked Lily to go with her but Lily's attempts to take over caused Pearl's then-boyfriend, Joe Jacobs, to drop a suitcase on Lily's foot in anger. Lily had to miss the cruise and Joe went with Pearl.
In September 2008, Peter returned for a surprise visit, as he was desperate for money. When he wanted £10,000, she told him he'd already had almost every penny she had but he insisted she owed him for what she'd put him through. When she was unable to help, Peter stormed out, leaving Lily in tears.
Lily thought things were looking up when she and the factory girls won a car in a raffle. They planned to sell it and Lily offered Peter her share but he blackmailed her to give him the ticket, which she did reluctantly. Attempting to cover her tracks, she convinced everyone that Pearl had got the number wrong and that they hadn't won anything, after all. Factory boss Val was suspicious and soon discovered the truth so Lily confessed. Edna gave Lily her life savings, claiming Peter had agreed to give the money back. Until the money came through, Lily had to work at the factory for free.
Val and the other factory staff were disgusted that Lily had lied and tried to blame Pearl for her dishonesty and didn't want anything to do with her. One day, she collapsed at work with a bad headache. She insisted she was fine, not revealing that the doctor had told her if she felt bad again, to go to hospital. Following a second collapse, Rodney Blackstock
took her to hospital and after tests, learned she had a cerebral aneurysm
and would need surgery. Lily went into denial, telling Rodney the doctor had just gotten it wrong.
She remained adamant she was not undergoing the procedure until December 2008 when she started getting dizzy spells and finally, after collapsing again, decided to have the operation. She refused to tell Edna about her condition, telling her instead that she was going away when she was, in fact, in hospital. She fled the hospital before the procedure, meaning Rodney had to contact Edna and tell her everything. Leaving the choir competition, she found Lily and convinced her to have the operation. On 19th December 2008, she was released from hospital, following a successful operation.
After meeting and getting on with Alan Turner
's old friend, Eddy Fox, she offered him a place to stay when Betty insisted he leave her house. He had asked Alan to join him on a round the world trip and Alan agreed initially but later changed his mind. Lily suggested she go with him instead and he agreed but Betty and Edna were unhappy about the idea. Betty felt Eddy couldn't be trusted and Edna felt Lily was too old for such antics. Just before she left Lily made peace with Edna, who wished her the best of luck and made her promise to keep in regular contact. Lily and Eddy then left the village.
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 ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
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 Anne Charleston
Anne Charleston
Anne Charleston is an Australian actress currently based in Galway, Ireland and the UK. She is known for her roles as Madge Bishop in the Australian soap opera Neighbours and Lily Butterfield in Emmerdale.-Early career:...
. She made her first appearance on 3 November 2006. Lily is Edna Birch
Edna Birch
Edna Birch is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is played by Shirley Stelfox.In a village marred by affairs, double-crossing and sin, widow Edna is a paragon of virtue. She first appeared on the show in 2000, but had been living in the village for many years...
's estranged sister and the biological mother to Edna's son, Peter Birch. Charleston quit her role in April 2009 and the character departed on 3 August 2009.
Casting
In September 2006, it was announced that former NeighboursNeighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
actress Charleston had joined the cast of Emmerdale as Edna Birch's (Shirley Stelfox
Shirley Stelfox
Shirley Stelfox is an English actress, who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She is best known as Edna Birch in British Soap Opera Emmerdale....
) estranged sister, Lily. Charleston was due to appear in three episodes in November of that year with a potential longer run to follow. Charleston said that she was "over the moon" to be joining the cast. Lily first appears at her great niece, Eve Jenson
Eve Jenson
Eve Jenson is a fictional character from the ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale, played by Suzanne Shaw. She made her first on-screen appearance on 31 August 2001. The character was originally played by Raine Davison from 2001 to 2006. In early 2010, series producer Gavin Blyth recast the role and Shaw...
's (Raine Davison
Raine Davison
Raine Davison is an English actress known for appearing in many English Soap Operas such as ITV's Emmerdale as Eve Birch from 2001–2002. She reprised her role on Emmerdale at the end of 2006. As of April 2010, former Hear'Say singer Suzanne Shaw will be taking over the role of Eve.-External links:...
) wedding.
In March 2007, Charleston was asked to return to the show after her first appearance was deemed a success. Of her return, Charleston said "I'm thrilled to have been asked back and am looking forward to working with Shirley Stelfox again. It will be interesting to discover more about Lily’s background and character this time around, and I am excited to see where writers take me." Charleston began filming her new scenes in the Summer.
Charleston quit her role in April 2009 and her character was written out in August. Charleston said that she had enjoyed playing Lily, but it was now time to move on.
Storylines
Lily came to Emmerdale in October 2007 and stayed with Edna initially but their obvious personality differences caused friction. After finding out Lily was growing cannabis at Home Farm, Edna evicted her from the house. Lily later left the village in shame on 23 January but returned several months later and made up with Edna.On Lily's return to the village, she stayed at the b&b until Pearl Ladderbanks
Pearl Ladderbanks
Pearl Ladderbanks is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is played by Meg Johnson. She first appeared on the show during the episode airing on 30 July 2003.-2003–07:...
invited her to move in. She was lonely and Lily needed somewhere to stay so it seemed a perfect match. Lily also got a job as machinist at Pollards' factory, where she made friends with the other girls.
Lily used her love for entering magazine competitions and contests to create a pool with Pearl, Douglas Potts
Douglas Potts
Douglas "Doug" Potts is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Duncan Preston. In July 2010, Duncan announced that he was taking a break from the show, initially temporarily for several months to allow him to do some theatre work...
and Betty Eagleton
Betty Eagleton
Elizabeth "Betty" Eagleton 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.-Backstory:Betty Pendergrast and...
where they entered lots of competitions. Pearl won a cruise for two and Lily and Betty buttered her up for the other ticket. Finally, she asked Lily to go with her but Lily's attempts to take over caused Pearl's then-boyfriend, Joe Jacobs, to drop a suitcase on Lily's foot in anger. Lily had to miss the cruise and Joe went with Pearl.
In September 2008, Peter returned for a surprise visit, as he was desperate for money. When he wanted £10,000, she told him he'd already had almost every penny she had but he insisted she owed him for what she'd put him through. When she was unable to help, Peter stormed out, leaving Lily in tears.
Lily thought things were looking up when she and the factory girls won a car in a raffle. They planned to sell it and Lily offered Peter her share but he blackmailed her to give him the ticket, which she did reluctantly. Attempting to cover her tracks, she convinced everyone that Pearl had got the number wrong and that they hadn't won anything, after all. Factory boss Val was suspicious and soon discovered the truth so Lily confessed. Edna gave Lily her life savings, claiming Peter had agreed to give the money back. Until the money came through, Lily had to work at the factory for free.
Val and the other factory staff were disgusted that Lily had lied and tried to blame Pearl for her dishonesty and didn't want anything to do with her. One day, she collapsed at work with a bad headache. She insisted she was fine, not revealing that the doctor had told her if she felt bad again, to go to hospital. Following a second collapse, 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...
took her to hospital and after tests, learned she had a cerebral aneurysm
Cerebral aneurysm
A cerebral or brain aneurysm is a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein causes a localized dilation or ballooning of the blood vessel.- Signs and symptoms :...
and would need surgery. Lily went into denial, telling Rodney the doctor had just gotten it wrong.
She remained adamant she was not undergoing the procedure until December 2008 when she started getting dizzy spells and finally, after collapsing again, decided to have the operation. She refused to tell Edna about her condition, telling her instead that she was going away when she was, in fact, in hospital. She fled the hospital before the procedure, meaning Rodney had to contact Edna and tell her everything. Leaving the choir competition, she found Lily and convinced her to have the operation. On 19th December 2008, she was released from hospital, following a successful operation.
After meeting and getting on with 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...
's old friend, Eddy Fox, she offered him a place to stay when Betty insisted he leave her house. He had asked Alan to join him on a round the world trip and Alan agreed initially but later changed his mind. Lily suggested she go with him instead and he agreed but Betty and Edna were unhappy about the idea. Betty felt Eddy couldn't be trusted and Edna felt Lily was too old for such antics. Just before she left Lily made peace with Edna, who wished her the best of luck and made her promise to keep in regular contact. Lily and Eddy then left the village.