Pearl Ladderbanks
Encyclopedia
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.
when she first arrived. Loud and bawdy, Pearl immediately caught Len Reynolds
and Jarvis Skelton's attention and was branded a trollop by prim Edna Birch
.
Pearl soon set her cap at Len but he took a while to see she was the woman for him. Eventually they got together and Len proposed in church one day. She accepted and the couple settled down together. It looked like they were heading for a happy-ever-after but Len and Pearl’s relationship was tested to its limit by Pearl's terrible secret. Her son Frank Bernard Hartbourne, who she claimed was a financial advisor, was released from prison in 2004 after completing a sentence for rape
. Len was horrified when he found out and nearly ended things with Pearl but realised the awful pain she had suffered and agreed to stand by her.
Frank Bernard stayed with Len and Pearl in Emmerdale but his arrival was announced in the local paper and the villagers turned against Pearl and Len, leaving only vicar Ashley Thomas
and Edna standing by them. Frank was beaten up by Scott Windsor
and Syd Woolfe
after a misunderstanding involving Scott's sister, Donna. Frank realised his presence was harming his mother and moved to Leeds. Devastated at being treated so shabbily, the couple decided also decided to move away but were persuaded to stay and rebuild their lives.
When she started work at Pollard’s factory, Pearl soon made friends with fellow seamstresses Del Dingle
and Val Lambert. She was delighted when her grandson Owen – son of her son Frank – visited. Owen and his mother live in Hong Kong
and put Pearl in a difficult position when he asked where his father was buried. Pearl told Owen the truth about his father and Owen admitted that he already knew, having found the details on the internet. He merely wanted someone in his family to tell him the truth. Consequently Pearl and Owen became close and she planned to visit him in Hong Kong
, going on an economy drive to save up.
Having started using the Internet
for email, Pearl found a get rich quick scheme and invested. For ages, she was convinced the money was going to start flowing in and was horrified to discover that she had been ripped off - it was a scam. Unfortunately her friends had invested too and Pearl felt obliged to pay them herself, borrowing money from Pollard but was soon in debt. When Len found out, he was horrified but helped pay it off, thinking the matter resolved. However, he didn’t know Pollard was blackmailing Pearl over an early payment penalty clause in the contract she had signed. Horrified by the mess she had created, Pearl secretly left the village, leaving her engagement ring and a letter for Len.
Eventually Pearl was found working in Leeds
under a false name - Irene. After her picture appeared in the paper, her boss confronted her and he tried convincing her to ring home. She did, but only after she bumped into Daz Eden
, bruised and running away from his Mum and her boyfriend. They agreed to return to Emmerdale together and were welcomed by their family and friends. Over time, the villagers grew to trust Pearl again and she reconciled with Len.
Pearl needed a job so Edna helped her get the housekeeper's job at Home Farm and became a key witness when Tom was murdered. She, like most of the villagers, was at Home Farm that night. Pearl overheard Kelly Windsor
and Jimmy King
discussing his alibi so Pearl realised Kelly was lying when she said she had been with Jimmy when Tom died. Pearl knew because she saw Kelly alone at the time. After confronting her, Jimmy intimidated and blackmailed Pearl to keep her quiet. Unfortunately for them, she quit and went to the police.
Pearl naively thought Eric Pollard
was her friend, helping her after Len died and returned the favour by making cakes for him. Jasmine told Pearl the truth after she found out from Eric's son, David, who she was dating at the time. Pearl and her friends Edna, Terry Woods's father, Duke
and Alan were livid, calling Eric a bully and a coward.
When Douglas, Laurel Thomas's father, was grieving after the death of his grandson, Daniel, in February 2008, Pearl supported him. Edna and Betty were concerned about her intentions and Edna advised Pearl not to visit Doug after Daniel's memorial service. Pearl realised what Edna was implying and furiously told her she had a filthy mind.
Pearl wanted some company as she was lonely so Edna's sister Lily Butterfield
moved in with her. They became good friends and started a syndicate with Betty and Edna, entering competitions. Pearl won tickets for a Baltic cruise but couldn't decide who to take with her so Betty and Lily started buttering her up. They were horrified when she started dating Joe Jacobs, an old friend of Sandy Thomas
, Ashley's father.
Betty and Lily convinced her he only cared about the cruise ticket but he explained that he'd spent most of his career at sea, and had no desire to go on the water again. Pearl eventually, Lily but she was so controlling that Joe dropped a suitcase on foot, meaning she had to miss the cruise, due to her injuries. Betty wasn't interested, so Pearl, realising Joe had feelings for her, gave him the ticket. Pearl returned alone and initially wouldn't talk about Joe but eventually confessed that he had been thrown off the ship for "lewd behaviour".
Lily also worked at Pollards' factory and some of the factory girls clubbed together to buy a raffle ticket from Rodney. When they didn't hear anything, they assumed they hadn't won until Gennie saw an article in the paper about an unclaimed prize. Pearl called the hotline and discovered they'd won a car which they planned to sell and split the money. Lily intended to give her share to her son, Peter, who was in financial trouble but was persuaded to give him the ticket. Lily convinced everyone Pearl had got the number wrong and because of that, she'd thrown the ticket away. Pearl was mortified but Val was suspicious after seeing an article in the local paper about the winner of the unclaimed prize. After some digging, she guessed that Lily had given the ticket to Peter and Lily confessed when Edna confronted her. Lily promised to repay the money that her friends should have had.
announced plans to open a shop with natural foods. Betty and Pearl were very competitive over their jam recipes but Pearl won. To her annoyance, when the shop opened in July, another woman's face was on the front of the jars. Natasha calmed her by giving her vouchers, telling her that she also wanted to respect her privacy.
Presently she is working as the receptionist at the vet's.
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...
on 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...
. She is played by Meg Johnson
Meg Johnson
Meg Johnson is an English actress who currently plays the role of Pearl Ladderbanks in ITV's popular soap opera Emmerdale. Prior to joining Emmedale, Johnson was a part of the now-axed UK soap Brookside, playing Brigid McKenna for three years...
. She first appeared on the show during the episode airing on 30 July 2003.
2003–07
Flamboyant pensioner Pearl Ladderbanks made quite an impression in EmmerdaleEmmerdale
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...
when she first arrived. Loud and bawdy, Pearl immediately caught Len Reynolds
Len Reynolds
Leonard "Len" Reynolds is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He was played by Peter Martin.-Character's background:...
and Jarvis Skelton's attention and was branded a trollop by prim 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...
.
Pearl soon set her cap at Len but he took a while to see she was the woman for him. Eventually they got together and Len proposed in church one day. She accepted and the couple settled down together. It looked like they were heading for a happy-ever-after but Len and Pearl’s relationship was tested to its limit by Pearl's terrible secret. Her son Frank Bernard Hartbourne, who she claimed was a financial advisor, was released from prison in 2004 after completing a sentence for rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. Len was horrified when he found out and nearly ended things with Pearl but realised the awful pain she had suffered and agreed to stand by her.
Frank Bernard stayed with Len and Pearl in Emmerdale but his arrival was announced in the local paper and the villagers turned against Pearl and Len, leaving only vicar Ashley Thomas
Ashley Thomas
Ashley Michael Thomas is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by John Middleton.-1996–99:Ashley soon began developing feelings for the landlady of the Woolpack pub, Bernice Blackstock. He tried putting them aside as Bernice was engaged to Gavin, despite suspecting that...
and Edna standing by them. Frank was beaten up by Scott Windsor
Scott Windsor
Scott Windsor is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale.From 1993-1996, Scott Windsor was played by Toby Cockerell...
and Syd Woolfe
Syd Woolfe
Sydney "Syd" Woolfe was a fictional character in the soap opera Emmerdale, played by Nathan Gladwell.-Character's background:A jack the lad builder who arrived in the village with his workmate Jerry "Mack" MacKinley...
after a misunderstanding involving Scott's sister, Donna. Frank realised his presence was harming his mother and moved to Leeds. Devastated at being treated so shabbily, the couple decided also decided to move away but were persuaded to stay and rebuild their lives.
When she started work at Pollard’s factory, Pearl soon made friends with fellow seamstresses Del Dingle
Delilah Dingle
Delilah "Del" Dingle, played by Hayley Tamaddon, is a fictional character in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale she made her first appearance on 15 July 2005 and remained on the show for two year and leaving on 13 May 2007.-Creation and development:...
and Val Lambert. She was delighted when her grandson Owen – son of her son Frank – visited. Owen and his mother live in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and put Pearl in a difficult position when he asked where his father was buried. Pearl told Owen the truth about his father and Owen admitted that he already knew, having found the details on the internet. He merely wanted someone in his family to tell him the truth. Consequently Pearl and Owen became close and she planned to visit him in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, going on an economy drive to save up.
Having started using the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
for email, Pearl found a get rich quick scheme and invested. For ages, she was convinced the money was going to start flowing in and was horrified to discover that she had been ripped off - it was a scam. Unfortunately her friends had invested too and Pearl felt obliged to pay them herself, borrowing money from Pollard but was soon in debt. When Len found out, he was horrified but helped pay it off, thinking the matter resolved. However, he didn’t know Pollard was blackmailing Pearl over an early payment penalty clause in the contract she had signed. Horrified by the mess she had created, Pearl secretly left the village, leaving her engagement ring and a letter for Len.
Eventually Pearl was found working in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
under a false name - Irene. After her picture appeared in the paper, her boss confronted her and he tried convincing her to ring home. She did, but only after she bumped into Daz Eden
Daz Eden
Darren "Daz" Eden is a fictional character in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, portrayed by Luke Tittensor until April 2009. He made his first appearance in the show on 9 October 2003....
, bruised and running away from his Mum and her boyfriend. They agreed to return to Emmerdale together and were welcomed by their family and friends. Over time, the villagers grew to trust Pearl again and she reconciled with Len.
Pearl needed a job so Edna helped her get the housekeeper's job at Home Farm and became a key witness when Tom was murdered. She, like most of the villagers, was at Home Farm that night. Pearl overheard Kelly Windsor
Kelly Windsor
Kelly Windsor is a fictional character from the British ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale, played by Adele Silva. The character first appeared on 10 August 1993. Silva portrayed her from August 1993 until November 2000. In February 2005 it was announced that Silva would be reprising her role and she...
and Jimmy King
Jimmy King
Jimmy Hal King is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-College career:He was part of the famed University of Michigan Wolverines Fab Five along with Ray Jackson, current NBA player Juwan Howard, and former NBA players Chris Webber and Jalen Rose, that reached the 1992 and...
discussing his alibi so Pearl realised Kelly was lying when she said she had been with Jimmy when Tom died. Pearl knew because she saw Kelly alone at the time. After confronting her, Jimmy intimidated and blackmailed Pearl to keep her quiet. Unfortunately for them, she quit and went to the police.
Pearl naively thought Eric Pollard
Eric Pollard
Eric Charles Pollard is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Chris Chittell.Pollard has appeared on the show since 1986, making him the second longest running current character after Alan Turner who has appeared since 1982. He has lied to, cheated and swindled...
was her friend, helping her after Len died and returned the favour by making cakes for him. Jasmine told Pearl the truth after she found out from Eric's son, David, who she was dating at the time. Pearl and her friends Edna, Terry Woods's father, Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
and Alan were livid, calling Eric a bully and a coward.
When Douglas, Laurel Thomas's father, was grieving after the death of his grandson, Daniel, in February 2008, Pearl supported him. Edna and Betty were concerned about her intentions and Edna advised Pearl not to visit Doug after Daniel's memorial service. Pearl realised what Edna was implying and furiously told her she had a filthy mind.
Pearl wanted some company as she was lonely so Edna's sister Lily Butterfield
Lily Butterfield
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...
moved in with her. They became good friends and started a syndicate with Betty and Edna, entering competitions. Pearl won tickets for a Baltic cruise but couldn't decide who to take with her so Betty and Lily started buttering her up. They were horrified when she started dating Joe Jacobs, an old friend of Sandy Thomas
Sandy Thomas
Sandy Thomas is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Freddie Jones and made his first appearance on the show 6 November 2005...
, Ashley's father.
Betty and Lily convinced her he only cared about the cruise ticket but he explained that he'd spent most of his career at sea, and had no desire to go on the water again. Pearl eventually, Lily but she was so controlling that Joe dropped a suitcase on foot, meaning she had to miss the cruise, due to her injuries. Betty wasn't interested, so Pearl, realising Joe had feelings for her, gave him the ticket. Pearl returned alone and initially wouldn't talk about Joe but eventually confessed that he had been thrown off the ship for "lewd behaviour".
Lily also worked at Pollards' factory and some of the factory girls clubbed together to buy a raffle ticket from Rodney. When they didn't hear anything, they assumed they hadn't won until Gennie saw an article in the paper about an unclaimed prize. Pearl called the hotline and discovered they'd won a car which they planned to sell and split the money. Lily intended to give her share to her son, Peter, who was in financial trouble but was persuaded to give him the ticket. Lily convinced everyone Pearl had got the number wrong and because of that, she'd thrown the ticket away. Pearl was mortified but Val was suspicious after seeing an article in the local paper about the winner of the unclaimed prize. After some digging, she guessed that Lily had given the ticket to Peter and Lily confessed when Edna confronted her. Lily promised to repay the money that her friends should have had.
2008—
She joined the church choir in November 2008, and in December, was there to help Lily and Edna through Lily's brain operation. In early 2009, Natasha WyldeNatasha Wylde
Natasha Jane Wylde is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Amanda Donohoe. She made her first appearance, along with her husband Mark Wylde, on 15 January 2009. It was announced in July 2010 that Donohoe had quit her role as Natasha, and would leave the series later...
announced plans to open a shop with natural foods. Betty and Pearl were very competitive over their jam recipes but Pearl won. To her annoyance, when the shop opened in July, another woman's face was on the front of the jars. Natasha calmed her by giving her vouchers, telling her that she also wanted to respect her privacy.
Presently she is working as the receptionist at the vet's.