Viv Hope
Encyclopedia
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 2007, it was confirmed that Deena Payne had asked for a break. To explain her absence Viv was sentenced to three years' imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to Conspiracy
to defraud. Actually conman Freddie Yorke stole the charity money and left her to take the blame. Viv was offscreen for eleven months, but made two brief appearances in October 2008. In June 2009, Deena Payne
resumed the role and returned on screen in July. On 11 October 2010, it was announced Payne would leave after 18 years on the show. The character was killed off in January 2011, when Viv was trapped in a fire and died alongside Terry Woods who was attempting to rescue her, when the Post Office exploded.
Viv was introduced in 1993 as part of the new Windsor family introduced by series producer Nicholas Prosser, who cast Payne in the role. Payne had started out as a dancer. She trained with raunchy Hot Gossip's choreographer, Arlene Phillips
, performed in stage musicals and was a member of the band Cats U.K.
, as well as singing with pop stars such as Alan Price
and B. A. Robertson
.
In 1992, Payne had her first child, William. He was still a baby when Payne was offered the role of Viv Windsor a year later. "'It was a big decision," recalls Deena, "because I had got my life quite well balanced. I didn't really think any further than getting work that would suit me as a mum." This part came along and it meant either traveling on a regular basis up and down from London to Yorkshire or moving up here. Denna took the job and, for the first six months, she found a small cottage, where she brought William up, and hired a nanny. Payne then realized that that wasn't working, so Deena and her husband Steve both moved up to Leeds - Steve suggested that they rent a house in Yorkshire and still keep the house down south.
Viv's a very passionate woman and she gets angry when she has no emotional outlet. She loses any patience she might have and doesn't think before she speaks. She sees everything in black and white. If she thinks something's wrong, then it's wrong - end of story. No one can ever persuade her to see their point of view. 'There is a softer side to her, though, as she can be funny and enjoys a bit of banter with Emily, who now helps out in the post office. I don't actually think Viv's comic side has been sufficiently explored. When Vic was still alive, he and Viv had this great repartee ~ a bit like Jack
and Vera Duckworth
in Coronation Street
. It's a shame that we weren't able to make more of it.
Viv tried to be faithful to Vic but had an affair with Vic's best friend Terry Woods
. The fling didn't last and eventually Vic and Viv got back together but tragically, Vic’s life was cut short when criminal Billy Hopwood
robbed the post office, armed with a gun and accidentally killed him.
Bob seemed to be avoiding Viv until he reappeared in the shop. He had to mediate between Viv and Carol as they continue to bicker. Bob suggests a Christmas party, Carol agreed, Viv takes more persuading. With the party in full swing, Viv announces that she’d like Bob to move in. Bob’s initial reaction is laughter but he later accepts her offer. Bob kept making excuses to Viv about when he is going to move in. Donna thought it this very suspicious. Bob tries to make friends with Donna when he took her shopping for a ski jacket.
In 2001, Bob announced yet another quick departure, annoying Viv once again, and when he returns, she kicks him out. Desperate to win her back, he scales a drainpipe. The plan succeeds but he’s soon booted out again after Viv discovers he has been discussing intimate secrets with Cain. A reconciliation looked unlikely until Bob had gotten drunk, left the pub and spontaneously asked Viv to become his fourth wife. Viv was overjoyed. The next morning Bob was surprised as she accepted, and admitted he only did it to please her. At the wedding, Bob was nervous but the ceremony went ahead. Bob continued to work away from home and Viv suggested they work together in the shop, Bob was horrified. Viv decided she wants to buy the B&B and Carol will buy the shop. Bob wasn’t overjoyed when the offer on the B&B was accepted but kept quiet. Bob fobbed Viv off by saying he has to train someone else up, which takes time. Bob lost his job at Naughty Nylons because Viv enters the Naughty Nylons lovely legs competition under her maiden name. She wins but his boss finds out and he is forced to resign or Viv must give up her title. He resigns and gets a job as Eric Pollard's factory manager.
As Viv struggled to keep her family together, Scott and Kelly were getting wilder by the day. When Kelly took an overdose after confessing to sleeping with her stepbrother, Viv was plagued with guilt and tried to mend fences. Kelly wasn’t to be tamed, however, and continued to flirt with every man in Emmerdale. Their relationship was rocky but they married in 2001 and continued to fall out and make up on an almost daily basis. Their relationship was tested to the limit when it was revealed that Viv slept with a limo driver on her friend Tricia Stokes’s hen night and, at his daughter Dawn
’s wedding, Bob exposed Viv and left her. Somehow they managed to mend their relationship but when Scott started dating Dawn, things took another turn for the worse. After assaulting convicted rapist Frank Bernard Hartbourne, Scott persuaded Dawn to give him an alibi but she was uncomfortable about lying and soon retracted her statement.
, where Payne revealed that she needed a rest from the hectic filming schedule.
Payne told the Daily Star that after 16 years of enjoying the part of Viv, Payne felt she was ready to take a break.In order to spend some time with her family, and be a supportive mother through my son's GCSE year. In August 2008 Payne’s sabbatical storyline reached its climax, when Viv was wrongly imprisoned for fraud
, by conman Freddie Yorke (Keith Woodason). Viv was sentenced to three years in prison. Viv returned in July 2009, after two recent appearances in October 2008. In June 2009 Payne resumed her role on a regular basis, and her return episode aired on July 14, 2009.
Payne was ready to handle whatever fantastic storylines that were thrown at her, she also
spoke of her return. [...] "The year off did just the trick. I have come back to lots of big hugs and smiley faces which makes it pretty much worth having had the time off. By my second scene it felt like I had never been away but had just gained loads of enthusiasm."[...]
On October 11, 2010 it was announced that Deena Payne had been axed by series producer Gavin Blyth
, and is to leave the soap after almost 18 years in the role of Viv Hope. Details of her final storyline were initially kept secret, but producers confirmed that her exit will central to a huge winter storyline. Emmerdale has been such a gift to Payne for almost 18 years she’d taken every challenge with both hands and enjoyed the ride. [...] "I'm very proud of Viv and the impact she has had over the years. I will miss putting on her shoulder pads and high heels every morning, but I am very excited about what the future holds. [...] Blyth said: [...] "Deena created one of Emmerdale's most iconic characters in Viv. She's been a fundamental part of the show over the years and a valued member of the cast. [...].
Viv was killed alongside Terry Woods
(Billy Hartman
) in an arson
attack by DC Nick Henshall (Michael McKell
). The blaze spread from Victoria Cottage to the Post Office in which Viv was trapped. Terry had entered the building to rescue her from the flat above the shop when it exploded, killing both of them.
Payne was asked in an interview who she will miss most now that her stint has came to an end. Payne: [...] "VIV! She has been my one Emmerdale constant for nearly 18 years! And of course many of the crew and cast I have worked closely with, Tony Audenshaw
especially!" [...]
Payne reflected on which plots she enjoyed the most from her time at Emmerdale, she explained: [...] "Having the time to evolve as Viv and not being a typical nomadic actor, being in one place to bring my son up! And now realising that for quite a few people I am a household name - they have been on Viv's journey too. I am given many positive warm comments, it's a lovely fulfilling feeling!" [...].
Payne told The Mirror that she enjoyed her stint on 'Emmerdale' and had always been 150 per cent into it," . [...] "When I first arrived, there were only two episodes a week, 17 people in the cast and it wasn't really one of the best soaps. "Over my 18 years we've gone to six episodes a week and a cast of 55-plus. It's now one of the top soaps and it's been fantastic to be involved in all of that. And 18 years is fine, thank you very much. It’s been fantastic to have been in one place and have a secure job to bring up my son."She continued: [...]" But I'll miss Viv's short skirts and tottering around, stomping across the road and shouting at people.[..] As soon as the hair was backcombed and the make-up was on, that was Viv According to Paynes mail there are a lot of people like Viv out there. She puts a little too much bling on and wears skirts just a little too short for her age. But I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think she could carry it off. And she did.”[...] .
Speaking of her disappointment about her character's departure, Payne slammed her final episodes as an anti-climax after spending 18 years playing the part of Viv". She told The Mirror.[...] "I was very disappointed with my departure,"And I think the viewers will be, too. Having followed Viv for so long and travelled with her on her ups and downs, I think they'd want a better build-up so they could really get into it and give her a good send-off." Payne was promised a big storyline. she claimed it was probably the easiest exit in soap history because she didn't have to act at all. [..] I wasn't even involved in the dramatic rescue scenes.
Over my three last episodes I had one scene in each, with the house burning down without Viv knowing it - and that was my storyline."[...] Payne had no lines in her final two episodes, broadcast last night.[...]"I had to do nothing, which was a shame," she told the paper. "It's a bit of an anti-climax after being told that you're going to have one of the biggest storylines that soap has ever seen, but for my character it wasn't at all. The big storyline is the fire and how people get everyone out. And quietly, behind the scenes, Viv just gets burned to death. Without saying a word. The easiest acting I've done in 18 years!" Payne confessed that she felt "let down" when she discovered that Viv would not be buried in the village graveyard. [...] "What did really hurt me - what did get me and is a bit disloyal to the fans and to Viv - is the fact that she isn't even buried in Emmerdale," she said. "If they had to kill me off, they could at least have given me a nice funeral befitting Viv, instead of being shunted out of the Dales. You can't be in a soap forever. But I feel let down by the way Viv's been written out.[...] Viv was a strong character, central to village life in the post office, and it's a shame she's not being buried next to her ex-husband Vic in the graveyard and doesn't even have a headstone there." Payne said that it would have been nice to have seen Viv's daughter Donna and son Scott and stepdaughter Kelly, just to have got a little bit of the past back into the now. [...]They're losing the history of the village.[...]
Producers told Payne they couldn't get them, Payne immediately telephoned Adele Silva
, Verity Rushworth
and Ben Freeman
and they all said they hadn't even been asked and of course they'd come back. And Kelly, played by Adele Silva, is coming back in the show anyway! [...] It is a shame for Viv and for everyone who's been watching her."[...] .
Payne later played down suggestions that she was 'furious' over her exit storyline, insisting that she is merely sad and disappointed. Following Payne's appearance on This Morning
the day after her final episode was aired , Payne was asked to comment on a Viv's Fury headline which appeared alongside a newly-published interview in a newspaper.
Payne replied: [...] Substitute that for 'sad and disappointed, I'm not furious or angry at all. - I've loved my 18 years [at Emmerdale]. All good things have to come to an end and I've had such support from the viewers and everything. But I did think that maybe falling asleep on the sofa was a little bit cheating them of a good storyline."[...]
Payne then confessed that she was not surprised when the Emmerdale producers told her that they will not be renewing her contract. Last year or so, [Viv's] character had slightly changed and taken more of a backseat route to it all. [...] I was expecting my contract not to be renewed, so I wasn't surprised. But I was a little bit shocked at how soon - they brought it forward to November.[...]
Payne thought that maybe she'd have a couple of months in the New Year however it was a surprise to her. When she was told that she'd have a really big storyline, so when Payne read the script she realised that she didn't actually have anything to say, [...] that was a surprise as well. That was a disappointment, and I was sad to leave everybody. [...] .
Viv comes to Beckindale to view the post office with her husband, Vic
, and their children, Scott
, Donna
and Kelly
.
She finds it hard to adapt to country life and does not realize how much her children are affected by the plane crash in December 1993. She intended to sue the Sugdens after Donna has an accident on their tractor and later supports Vic when he appears in court for assaulting looters. In June 1994, Reg Dawson, her ex-husband and Scott's father, comes to the village after being released from prison. He takes Viv and Shirley Turner
hostage during a siege at the post office. Reg tries to shoot Viv but kills Shirley instead when she throws herself in front of her in an attempt to protect her. Reg later dies after being shot by a Police marksman and Viv is rescued, unharmed. Reg leaves her £30,000 in his will, on condition that she gets a divorce from Vic. Viv, however, declines and stays with Vic.
In 1995, Viv is annoyed when Tina Dingle flirts with Vic and she bars Kim Tate
from the post office when she and her husband, Frank
, threaten them with eviction. After being arrested for standing at the barricades when Frank attempts to evict the Dingle family from their home, Viv regrets helping the Dingles and tries to make them leave the village. In 1996, after winning a dance competition with Terry Woods
, Terry tries to persuade her to have an affair with him. Viv attempts to stay faithful to Vic at first when she is initially tempted. Viv later kisses Terry for comfort but later embarks on an affair with him until Vic cons her into thinking that she has won the lottery. She starts to hate him and eventually moves out to live with Terry in the Woolpack, but soon returns to Vic for her children's sake.
In 1997, Viv unsuccessfully tries to stop Kelly running away with Tom Bainbridge, a teacher whom she has an affair with. Viv blames Terry when Donna collapses after drinking alcopops and moves back into the post office. She also starts a campaign against Andy Hopwood
at school and tries to seduce Paddy Kirk
, but he rejected Viv's advances.
In 1998, when Kelly announces her pregnancy, Viv disapproves but tries to be supportive when Kelly suffers a miscarriage. Viv eventually moves back home and is falsely accused of hitting Kelly but she is delighted when Scott returns home from the army. When Vic takes her on a birthday treat, the couple are reconciled, but on Christmas Day, Vic is killed in a robbery at the post office by Billy Hopwood
and Viv ends the year desperately trying to hold her family together.
In 1999, Kelly gets engaged to Roy Glover, and Viv offers to pay for their wedding. She also agrees to lend Scott, Kelly’s £5000 inheritance money from Vic to help build his business without Kelly’s knowledge. But after Roy and Kelly's offer on a cottage was accepted they needed Kelly's money for the deposit. Horrified, Viv asks her friend Stella to lend it to her but when Kelly finds out, she punches Viv. In 2000, Viv starts the new year by deciding to sell the shop. Viv throws Kelly and Scott out of her house after they sleep together and she goes on holiday to Spain. Viv briefly becomes attracted to Carlos Diaz
, the new diner chef. A hosiery salesman, Bob Hope
, changes Viv's life almost immediately, and after he seduces her with his charm, he moves in with her. Her friend, Carol Wareing, reappears, and announces she will be staying with them. Viv tells Bob she wants more commitment from him.
In 2001, Viv and Bob's relationship experiences problems but in February, they get married. Carol and Viv stike a deal that Viv would sell her the Post Office, planning to buy the B&B but Carol goes behind Viv’s back and buys the B&B for herself. Furious at her friend's betrayal, Viv throws Carol out of the house and she responds by hiding a bag of frozen prawns in a curtain rail. Bob's excuses make Viv suspicious and she entraps him into admitting the existence of another wife, Barbara. Viv forgives him, and decides to try and raise some cash for a honeymoon by entering the Naughty Nylons competition organised by Bob's firm. Viv wins and Bob is fired.
The move infuriates Viv so much that she throws Bob out and the couple begin divorce proceedings. To make matters more difficult for Viv, Scott begins a relationship with Bob's daughter Dawn
. Alone and unhappy, Viv begins flirting with her employee and best friend Emily Kirk
’s husband Paddy whom she had previously tried to seduce eight years earlier. A misunderstanding leads Paddy to confess to sleeping with Viv, resulting in Emily smashing up the shop, resigning from her job and announcing their deception to all the villagers in the Woolpack. Viv is at her lowest point and things only get worse when Scott is injured, following a violent showdown at Home Farm with Zoe Tate
, mother of his daughter, Jean. The accident brings Kelly back to the village and although there is still some tension between them, Viv seems to enjoy having her around again.
Viv's luck later changes for the best when she and Bob finally reconcile after working together in a cooking competition and Viv excitedly begins planning their second wedding. The event intended to be a double wedding with Donna and her fiancée Marlon Dingle
.
Bob tells Viv that he wants to get back in touch with all his children. Viv sets about contacting them and discovers that he has children with every single one of his wives, except her.
On their wedding day, Viv is horrified when Bob fails to arrive. It transpires that Bob has actually spent the night in a hotel after a vasectomy
reversal and is taken prisoner by his ex-wife Jean
who begs him to leave Viv and get back together with her. When Bob finally arrives they have a row, but walk down the aisle and tie the knot for a second time.
Although they spend months trying for a baby, Viv does not seem able to get pregnant. After a test, Viv is sure she is pregnant but it later transpires to be a false alarm. The Hopes are told Viv may be too old to have another child. Thrown into despair, Viv asks Donna to be a surrogate mother, in exchange for a deposit on a dream house for herself and Marlon.
After Dawn's death in the showhouse explosion, Bob is devastated and the day of Dawn's funeral, Viv discovers she is pregnant and expecting twins. Bob initially tells her that he does not want any more children but he is with her when she gives birth to Cathy and Heath on 9 February 2007. Viv starts parenting classes in the Cafe, telling parents how to raise their children and what routines they should follow. This leads to a few angry residents including Lisa Dingle
, saying that Viv is being a busybody.
Viv begins raising money for children's charities, a drive which gains a higher profile when Ashley
and Laurel Thomas
lose their son Daniel to cot death. But the man she entrusts with the charity money, Freddy Yorke, takes it and vanishes. Viv and Bob go to the police but Viv implicates herself when she admits moving funds around. Viv and Bob try to keep the investigation a secret, but she is arrested at a party thrown for her at the Woolpack in honour of her charity efforts. Viv and Bob are charged with conspiracy to defraud and whenever Viv tries to clear her name, she makes matters worse. With the help of a private investigator, she finds Freddie, but he threatens her children's lives and gets away, putting stolen money in her bag as a goodbye present.
On 20 August 2008, after Donna nearly dies in a car-crash whilst pursuing Freddy, Viv pleads guilty in court and is later sentenced to three years imprisonment. Her voice is later heard on a recording she makes of a bedtime story for Bob, Heath and Cathy
Viv appears briefly on 10 October, when Bob pretends to be a postman so he can see her. He does this when she is doing prison work, and Bob tells Viv he loves her. She is seen again on 16 October, when Bob pretends to be a drama teacher under the name of Terry Woods, in order to see Viv. He and Viv perform a piece of drama together where Bob explains to Viv about a man whose wife refuses to see him while she is in prison. This makes Viv cry as she tells Bob that the reason she does not want to see him was so he would remember her how she wanted him to and that her children could see her in her current predicament. Viv starts crying and reveals to everyone who "Terry" really is.
. The next day, Viv, after being granted early release for good behaviour, returns to the village. She needs money to pay for her taxi and returns to the cafe/post office, only for Brenda Walker
to mistake her for a thief and restrain her until Paddy Kirk clears up the confusion by identifying Viv.
Viv is upset at the changes during the past year, particularly when the twins do not recognize her. Viv soon reveals that she had not been in touch with Bob and the children because she had been appealing against the length of her sentence. Bob is furious, but when his anger reduces Viv to tears, he apologizes. The next day, Val Pollard
informs Viv that Brenda now owns half of the business. She goes to Essex for a week to visit Donna to see how she is getting on after leaving her husband, Marlon, and the village for a new job during Viv's absence. Seeing that Donna is happy and has a new boyfriend, Viv returns to the village where she clashes repeatedly with Brenda. They eventually call a truce after Viv hears Brenda talking about her money worries and Viv tells Terry, who was currently Brenda's boyfriend. Brenda and Viv then make an effort to get on so that the shop and the cafe run smoothly. Viv's life seems to be back on track, but things decline again when it is revealed that Bob had had a fling with Brenda's adopted daughter, Gennie, his son Jamie's girlfriend whilst she was in prison.
Viv splits up with Bob after coming to the realisation that they are both no longer compatible. She then displays envy regarding Bob's friendship with Lizzie Lakely
. In August 2010, Viv begins bonding with fellow Londoner Hazel Rhodes, but again becomes jealous when Hazel befriends Bob. Viv finds it very hard to accept the split, and she later hopes that it will not be permanent.
She tries to reconcile with Bob by getting his attention by using their children as an excuse and faking break-ins at the shop, after Bob helps her after a real burglary. She also attempts to make Bob jealous by pretending that she has moved on and makes up stories about men she has met whilst out. After being encouraged by her former lover Terry after he finds out that she had faked the burglaries, Viv resumes her love of salsa dance classes and genuinely seems to be trying to move on and adjust to being single again, having fun and seeking a new boyfriend.
Terry supports Viv through this and accompanies her to the dance competitions as he used to when they had their affair, and encourages her to look to the future and be happy. Viv misinterprets his friendliness, and makes a move on him believing he wants to restart their relationship and kisses him and he hesitates before leaving the cafe in shock. Terry later visits Viv and lets her down gently and tells her that he was just trying to cheer her up and that he regards her as a special friend and that they cannot get back together as he is with Brenda. After Terry leaves, Viv drowns her sorrows by drinking a bottle of wine. She falls asleep on the sofa and is oblivious when the post office and flat catches fire after corrupt police officer Nick Henshall starts a fire at Victoria Cottage and it spreads to surrounding buildings. Bob and Terry break into the shop to try and rescue Viv and the twins. Bob rescues Cathy and Heath and makes it out alive and Terry attempts to rescue Viv. The Post Office explodes and Terry and Viv are killed. Despite being one of Emmerdale's longest serving characters, Viv's funeral, agreed by Bob, Donna and Scott, was held in her hometown in Essex
, offscreen.
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...
. Portrayed by Deena Payne
Deena Payne
Deena Payne is an English actress and former singer who is best known for playing Viv Hope in ITV's Emmerdale.Payne was born in Orpington, Kent. She used to tour with ex-Animals keyboard player Alan Price as a backing singer and she was a member of the novelty girl band Cats U.K....
, 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 2007, it was confirmed that Deena Payne had asked for a break. To explain her absence Viv was sentenced to three years' imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to Conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to defraud. Actually conman Freddie Yorke stole the charity money and left her to take the blame. Viv was offscreen for eleven months, but made two brief appearances in October 2008. In June 2009, Deena Payne
Deena Payne
Deena Payne is an English actress and former singer who is best known for playing Viv Hope in ITV's Emmerdale.Payne was born in Orpington, Kent. She used to tour with ex-Animals keyboard player Alan Price as a backing singer and she was a member of the novelty girl band Cats U.K....
resumed the role and returned on screen in July. On 11 October 2010, it was announced Payne would leave after 18 years on the show. The character was killed off in January 2011, when Viv was trapped in a fire and died alongside Terry Woods who was attempting to rescue her, when the Post Office exploded.
Casting
Arlene Phillips
Arlene Phillips OBE is an English choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, TV presenter, TV judge and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment...
, performed in stage musicals and was a member of the band Cats U.K.
Cats U.K.
Cats U.K. were a British four-piece all-girl band who had a hit with the single "Luton Airport" in October 1979.The record, which reached No. 22 in the UK Singles Chart, was inspired by the 1977 Campari television commercial in which cockney model and actress Lorraine Chase responds to Jeremy...
, as well as singing with pop stars such as Alan Price
Alan Price
Alan Price is an English musician, best known as the original keyboardist for the English band The Animals, and for his subsequent solo work....
and B. A. Robertson
B. A. Robertson
B. A. Robertson is a Scottish musician, actor, composer and songwriter.-Career:...
.
In 1992, Payne had her first child, William. He was still a baby when Payne was offered the role of Viv Windsor a year later. "'It was a big decision," recalls Deena, "because I had got my life quite well balanced. I didn't really think any further than getting work that would suit me as a mum." This part came along and it meant either traveling on a regular basis up and down from London to Yorkshire or moving up here. Denna took the job and, for the first six months, she found a small cottage, where she brought William up, and hired a nanny. Payne then realized that that wasn't working, so Deena and her husband Steve both moved up to Leeds - Steve suggested that they rent a house in Yorkshire and still keep the house down south.
Personality
Deena had no problems tackling the role of Viv, a wife and mother in a family themselves moving from London to Yorkshire, Viv was the backbone of the Windsor family but later cheated on husband Vic by having an affair with Woolpack manager Terry Woods in 1996. [...] 'I saw exactly who she was,' [...] . ' Viv is An Essex girl with high heels and colourful clothes - but slightly clashing in the way the colors are actually co-ordinated. She opens her mouth first and thinks afterwards - her reactions are quicker than her head but she has a heart.Viv's a very passionate woman and she gets angry when she has no emotional outlet. She loses any patience she might have and doesn't think before she speaks. She sees everything in black and white. If she thinks something's wrong, then it's wrong - end of story. No one can ever persuade her to see their point of view. 'There is a softer side to her, though, as she can be funny and enjoys a bit of banter with Emily, who now helps out in the post office. I don't actually think Viv's comic side has been sufficiently explored. When Vic was still alive, he and Viv had this great repartee ~ a bit like Jack
Jack Duckworth
John Harold "Jack" Duckworth is a long-standing fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. He is played by actor William Tarmey. The character debuted onscreen during the episode...
and Vera Duckworth
Vera Duckworth
Veronica "Vera" Duckworth , played by Elizabeth Dawn, is a fictional character on the British soap opera Coronation Street, first appearing in August 1974 and last appearing in episode 6,734 on 18 January 2008, where the character peacefully died in her sleep at the age of 70 from heart failure...
in Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. It's a shame that we weren't able to make more of it.
Relationship with Vic Windsor
When Viv Windsor arrived in Emmerdale, she cursed her roguish husband, Vic, for bringing her north to run a post office instead of heading off to the picturesque Devon hamlet she'd imagined. Yet actress Deena Payne, who plays the vicious-tongued Viv, remembers her first scenes as if they were yesterday. .."'It was cold and pouring with rain. I was wearing these high heeled boots which were very difficult to walk in and I banged noses with Alun Lewis, who played Vic, as soon as we were introduced..",' she recalls. 'It wasn't the best start but, within half an hour of filming, I felt at home and as if Alun and I had been married for years!'Viv tried to be faithful to Vic but had an affair with Vic's best friend Terry Woods
Terry Woods (Emmerdale)
Terence "Terry" Woods is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Billy Hartman. He was one of the longest-serving characters in the show when he was killed off in early 2011, after 16 years.-1995–2003:...
. The fling didn't last and eventually Vic and Viv got back together but tragically, Vic’s life was cut short when criminal Billy Hopwood
Billy Hopwood
William "Billy" Hopwood is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale and was played by David Crellin. Billy is the biological father of half-brothers Andy Sugden and Daz Eden.-Storylines:...
robbed the post office, armed with a gun and accidentally killed him.
Relationship with Bob Hope
In 2000, nearly three years after Vic was killed, Viv met Bob Hope and was immediately taken with him when he arrived selling Naughty Nylons. Viv loved his amusing banter and they had dinner together. Viv was smitten. When Bob came back to the village, Kelly made a point of flirting with him in the pub and suggests that he is interested in her. Viv walked in to find Bob expressing his disgust at Kelly’s proposition. Viv called Kelly an evil little minx and they end up fighting. Viv disowned Kelly and told her to leave.In 2001, Bob announced yet another quick departure, annoying Viv once again, and when he returns, she kicks him out. Desperate to win her back, he scales a drainpipe. The plan succeeds but he’s soon booted out again after Viv discovers he has been discussing intimate secrets with Cain. A reconciliation looked unlikely until Bob had gotten drunk, left the pub and spontaneously asked Viv to become his fourth wife. Viv was overjoyed. The next morning Bob was surprised as she accepted, and admitted he only did it to please her. At the wedding, Bob was nervous but the ceremony went ahead. Bob continued to work away from home and Viv suggested they work together in the shop, Bob was horrified. Viv decided she wants to buy the B&B and Carol will buy the shop. Bob wasn’t overjoyed when the offer on the B&B was accepted but kept quiet. Bob fobbed Viv off by saying he has to train someone else up, which takes time. Bob lost his job at Naughty Nylons because Viv enters the Naughty Nylons lovely legs competition under her maiden name. She wins but his boss finds out and he is forced to resign or Viv must give up her title. He resigns and gets a job as Eric Pollard's factory manager.
As Viv struggled to keep her family together, Scott and Kelly were getting wilder by the day. When Kelly took an overdose after confessing to sleeping with her stepbrother, Viv was plagued with guilt and tried to mend fences. Kelly wasn’t to be tamed, however, and continued to flirt with every man in Emmerdale. Their relationship was rocky but they married in 2001 and continued to fall out and make up on an almost daily basis. Their relationship was tested to the limit when it was revealed that Viv slept with a limo driver on her friend Tricia Stokes’s hen night and, at his daughter Dawn
Dawn Woods
Dawn Woods is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Julia Mallam.-Storylines:Dawn came to Emmerdale in early 2003 as the fiance of Terry Woods. It was revealed that she is Bob Hope's daughter but she had not seen much of him since he left her, her mother Jean,...
’s wedding, Bob exposed Viv and left her. Somehow they managed to mend their relationship but when Scott started dating Dawn, things took another turn for the worse. After assaulting convicted rapist Frank Bernard Hartbourne, Scott persuaded Dawn to give him an alibi but she was uncomfortable about lying and soon retracted her statement.
2008 sabbatical, 2009 return and 2011 departure
In November 2007 Payne called an urgent meeting with Producer Kathleen BeedlesKathleen Beedles
Kathleen Beedles originates from Rogart in Sutherland. She attended Golspie High School where she did some acting in a film with Tom Hanks. She is a former Series Producer of British television soap opera Emmerdale. She took over from Steve Frost during 2005. Kathleen was producer and series editor...
, where Payne revealed that she needed a rest from the hectic filming schedule.
Payne told the Daily Star that after 16 years of enjoying the part of Viv, Payne felt she was ready to take a break.In order to spend some time with her family, and be a supportive mother through my son's GCSE year. In August 2008 Payne’s sabbatical storyline reached its climax, when Viv was wrongly imprisoned for fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, by conman Freddie Yorke (Keith Woodason). Viv was sentenced to three years in prison. Viv returned in July 2009, after two recent appearances in October 2008. In June 2009 Payne resumed her role on a regular basis, and her return episode aired on July 14, 2009.
Payne was ready to handle whatever fantastic storylines that were thrown at her, she also
spoke of her return. [...] "The year off did just the trick. I have come back to lots of big hugs and smiley faces which makes it pretty much worth having had the time off. By my second scene it felt like I had never been away but had just gained loads of enthusiasm."[...]
On October 11, 2010 it was announced that Deena Payne had been axed by series producer Gavin Blyth
Gavin Blyth
Gavin John Blyth was a British television producer and journalist. He was well known for being series producer of Emmerdale from January 2009 until his death. Beginning his career in 2002, he joined Emmerdale in 2003 as a writer...
, and is to leave the soap after almost 18 years in the role of Viv Hope. Details of her final storyline were initially kept secret, but producers confirmed that her exit will central to a huge winter storyline. Emmerdale has been such a gift to Payne for almost 18 years she’d taken every challenge with both hands and enjoyed the ride. [...] "I'm very proud of Viv and the impact she has had over the years. I will miss putting on her shoulder pads and high heels every morning, but I am very excited about what the future holds. [...] Blyth said: [...] "Deena created one of Emmerdale's most iconic characters in Viv. She's been a fundamental part of the show over the years and a valued member of the cast. [...].
Viv was killed alongside Terry Woods
Terry Woods (Emmerdale)
Terence "Terry" Woods is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Billy Hartman. He was one of the longest-serving characters in the show when he was killed off in early 2011, after 16 years.-1995–2003:...
(Billy Hartman
Billy Hartman
Billy Hartman is a Scottish actor, well known for playing the part of Terry Woods on ITV's Emmerdale from 1995 until his character was killed off in 2011.He also played a small role in the film Highlander...
) in an arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
attack by DC Nick Henshall (Michael McKell
Michael McKell
Michael McKell is an English actor and singer/songwriter.- Television career :He is best known for appearing in two British soap operas, Doctors, in which he played Dr...
). The blaze spread from Victoria Cottage to the Post Office in which Viv was trapped. Terry had entered the building to rescue her from the flat above the shop when it exploded, killing both of them.
Payne was asked in an interview who she will miss most now that her stint has came to an end. Payne: [...] "VIV! She has been my one Emmerdale constant for nearly 18 years! And of course many of the crew and cast I have worked closely with, Tony Audenshaw
Tony Audenshaw
Antony Audenshaw is an English actor best known for his role as Bob Hope on the popular ITV1 soap Emmerdale. In 1995 and 1996, he had a brief appearance as PC Ian Coban in the Channel 4 Soap Brookside...
especially!" [...]
Payne reflected on which plots she enjoyed the most from her time at Emmerdale, she explained: [...] "Having the time to evolve as Viv and not being a typical nomadic actor, being in one place to bring my son up! And now realising that for quite a few people I am a household name - they have been on Viv's journey too. I am given many positive warm comments, it's a lovely fulfilling feeling!" [...].
Payne told The Mirror that she enjoyed her stint on 'Emmerdale' and had always been 150 per cent into it," . [...] "When I first arrived, there were only two episodes a week, 17 people in the cast and it wasn't really one of the best soaps. "Over my 18 years we've gone to six episodes a week and a cast of 55-plus. It's now one of the top soaps and it's been fantastic to be involved in all of that. And 18 years is fine, thank you very much. It’s been fantastic to have been in one place and have a secure job to bring up my son."She continued: [...]" But I'll miss Viv's short skirts and tottering around, stomping across the road and shouting at people.[..] As soon as the hair was backcombed and the make-up was on, that was Viv According to Paynes mail there are a lot of people like Viv out there. She puts a little too much bling on and wears skirts just a little too short for her age. But I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think she could carry it off. And she did.”[...] .
Speaking of her disappointment about her character's departure, Payne slammed her final episodes as an anti-climax after spending 18 years playing the part of Viv". She told The Mirror.[...] "I was very disappointed with my departure,"And I think the viewers will be, too. Having followed Viv for so long and travelled with her on her ups and downs, I think they'd want a better build-up so they could really get into it and give her a good send-off." Payne was promised a big storyline. she claimed it was probably the easiest exit in soap history because she didn't have to act at all. [..] I wasn't even involved in the dramatic rescue scenes.
Over my three last episodes I had one scene in each, with the house burning down without Viv knowing it - and that was my storyline."[...] Payne had no lines in her final two episodes, broadcast last night.[...]"I had to do nothing, which was a shame," she told the paper. "It's a bit of an anti-climax after being told that you're going to have one of the biggest storylines that soap has ever seen, but for my character it wasn't at all. The big storyline is the fire and how people get everyone out. And quietly, behind the scenes, Viv just gets burned to death. Without saying a word. The easiest acting I've done in 18 years!" Payne confessed that she felt "let down" when she discovered that Viv would not be buried in the village graveyard. [...] "What did really hurt me - what did get me and is a bit disloyal to the fans and to Viv - is the fact that she isn't even buried in Emmerdale," she said. "If they had to kill me off, they could at least have given me a nice funeral befitting Viv, instead of being shunted out of the Dales. You can't be in a soap forever. But I feel let down by the way Viv's been written out.[...] Viv was a strong character, central to village life in the post office, and it's a shame she's not being buried next to her ex-husband Vic in the graveyard and doesn't even have a headstone there." Payne said that it would have been nice to have seen Viv's daughter Donna and son Scott and stepdaughter Kelly, just to have got a little bit of the past back into the now. [...]They're losing the history of the village.[...]
Producers told Payne they couldn't get them, Payne immediately telephoned Adele Silva
Adele Silva
Adele Silva is an English actress and television personality who has been on stage and television since she was a young girl. She is best known for playing the role of Kelly Windsor in the television soap opera Emmerdale....
, Verity Rushworth
Verity Rushworth
Verity Rushworth is an English actress who is best known for her role as Donna Windsor-Dingle in the ITV1 soap Emmerdale, having taken over the role from Sophie Jeffery in 1998.- Life and career :...
and Ben Freeman
Ben Freeman
Benedict "Ben" Freeman is an English television actor, best known for his part in ITV's Emmerdale as Scott Windsor.-Personal life:...
and they all said they hadn't even been asked and of course they'd come back. And Kelly, played by Adele Silva, is coming back in the show anyway! [...] It is a shame for Viv and for everyone who's been watching her."[...] .
Payne later played down suggestions that she was 'furious' over her exit storyline, insisting that she is merely sad and disappointed. Following Payne's appearance on This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
the day after her final episode was aired , Payne was asked to comment on a Viv's Fury headline which appeared alongside a newly-published interview in a newspaper.
Payne replied: [...] Substitute that for 'sad and disappointed, I'm not furious or angry at all. - I've loved my 18 years [at Emmerdale]. All good things have to come to an end and I've had such support from the viewers and everything. But I did think that maybe falling asleep on the sofa was a little bit cheating them of a good storyline."[...]
Payne then confessed that she was not surprised when the Emmerdale producers told her that they will not be renewing her contract. Last year or so, [Viv's] character had slightly changed and taken more of a backseat route to it all. [...] I was expecting my contract not to be renewed, so I wasn't surprised. But I was a little bit shocked at how soon - they brought it forward to November.[...]
Payne thought that maybe she'd have a couple of months in the New Year however it was a surprise to her. When she was told that she'd have a really big storyline, so when Payne read the script she realised that she didn't actually have anything to say, [...] that was a surprise as well. That was a disappointment, and I was sad to leave everybody. [...] .
1993–2008
Vic Windsor
Victor "Vic" Windsor is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Alun Lewis for a period of five years, from 1993 until 1998. Vic was the second husband of shopkeeper, Viv Hope then Windsor, and also father of Kelly Windsor and Donna Windsor-Dingle...
, and their children, Scott
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...
, Donna
Donna Windsor-Dingle
Donna Windsor Dingle is a fictional character that appeared in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was originally played by Sophie Jeffery, and later replaced by Verity Rushworth in 1998. Donna was the third longest running character on Emmerdale at the time of her departure. She made her first...
and Kelly
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...
.
She finds it hard to adapt to country life and does not realize how much her children are affected by the plane crash in December 1993. She intended to sue the Sugdens after Donna has an accident on their tractor and later supports Vic when he appears in court for assaulting looters. In June 1994, Reg Dawson, her ex-husband and Scott's father, comes to the village after being released from prison. He takes Viv and Shirley Turner
Shirley Turner
Shirley K. Turner is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....
hostage during a siege at the post office. Reg tries to shoot Viv but kills Shirley instead when she throws herself in front of her in an attempt to protect her. Reg later dies after being shot by a Police marksman and Viv is rescued, unharmed. Reg leaves her £30,000 in his will, on condition that she gets a divorce from Vic. Viv, however, declines and stays with Vic.
In 1995, Viv is annoyed when Tina Dingle flirts with Vic and she bars Kim Tate
Kim Tate
Kimberly Jane 'Kim' Tate is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. who appeared between 1989 and 1999, She was played by actress Claire King. Kim Tate is seen as one of the most iconic characters in the history of British soap opera, having been dubbed The Soap Superbitch...
from the post office when she and her husband, Frank
Frank Tate (Emmerdale)
Francis Ronald "Frank" Tate is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He was played by Norman Bowler.Frank arrived in Beckindale in 1989 with his second wife Kim, son Chris and daughter Zoe...
, threaten them with eviction. After being arrested for standing at the barricades when Frank attempts to evict the Dingle family from their home, Viv regrets helping the Dingles and tries to make them leave the village. In 1996, after winning a dance competition with Terry Woods
Terry Woods (Emmerdale)
Terence "Terry" Woods is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Billy Hartman. He was one of the longest-serving characters in the show when he was killed off in early 2011, after 16 years.-1995–2003:...
, Terry tries to persuade her to have an affair with him. Viv attempts to stay faithful to Vic at first when she is initially tempted. Viv later kisses Terry for comfort but later embarks on an affair with him until Vic cons her into thinking that she has won the lottery. She starts to hate him and eventually moves out to live with Terry in the Woolpack, but soon returns to Vic for her children's sake.
In 1997, Viv unsuccessfully tries to stop Kelly running away with Tom Bainbridge, a teacher whom she has an affair with. Viv blames Terry when Donna collapses after drinking alcopops and moves back into the post office. She also starts a campaign against Andy Hopwood
Andy Sugden
Andrew "Andy" Sugden is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Kelvin Fletcher.-1996–2007:...
at school and tries to seduce Paddy Kirk
Paddy Kirk
Patrick Frederick "Paddy" Kirk is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Dominic Brunt. Paddy demonstrates the dedication of the soap's writers towards maintaining a comedic tone in plotlines. While he has appeared at the centre of some grave storylines, Paddy is often...
, but he rejected Viv's advances.
In 1998, when Kelly announces her pregnancy, Viv disapproves but tries to be supportive when Kelly suffers a miscarriage. Viv eventually moves back home and is falsely accused of hitting Kelly but she is delighted when Scott returns home from the army. When Vic takes her on a birthday treat, the couple are reconciled, but on Christmas Day, Vic is killed in a robbery at the post office by Billy Hopwood
Billy Hopwood
William "Billy" Hopwood is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale and was played by David Crellin. Billy is the biological father of half-brothers Andy Sugden and Daz Eden.-Storylines:...
and Viv ends the year desperately trying to hold her family together.
In 1999, Kelly gets engaged to Roy Glover, and Viv offers to pay for their wedding. She also agrees to lend Scott, Kelly’s £5000 inheritance money from Vic to help build his business without Kelly’s knowledge. But after Roy and Kelly's offer on a cottage was accepted they needed Kelly's money for the deposit. Horrified, Viv asks her friend Stella to lend it to her but when Kelly finds out, she punches Viv. In 2000, Viv starts the new year by deciding to sell the shop. Viv throws Kelly and Scott out of her house after they sleep together and she goes on holiday to Spain. Viv briefly becomes attracted to Carlos Diaz
Carlos Diaz (Emmerdale)
Carlos Diaz was a fictional character in ITV's Emmerdale from 2000-2001. He was played by Gary Turner.-Character's background:Carlos had an on-off-on affair with Bernice Thomas while he was engaged to Bernice's half sister Nicola Blackstock. Bernice was married to vicar Ashley Thomas during her...
, the new diner chef. A hosiery salesman, Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, changes Viv's life almost immediately, and after he seduces her with his charm, he moves in with her. Her friend, Carol Wareing, reappears, and announces she will be staying with them. Viv tells Bob she wants more commitment from him.
In 2001, Viv and Bob's relationship experiences problems but in February, they get married. Carol and Viv stike a deal that Viv would sell her the Post Office, planning to buy the B&B but Carol goes behind Viv’s back and buys the B&B for herself. Furious at her friend's betrayal, Viv throws Carol out of the house and she responds by hiding a bag of frozen prawns in a curtain rail. Bob's excuses make Viv suspicious and she entraps him into admitting the existence of another wife, Barbara. Viv forgives him, and decides to try and raise some cash for a honeymoon by entering the Naughty Nylons competition organised by Bob's firm. Viv wins and Bob is fired.
The move infuriates Viv so much that she throws Bob out and the couple begin divorce proceedings. To make matters more difficult for Viv, Scott begins a relationship with Bob's daughter Dawn
Dawn Woods
Dawn Woods is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Julia Mallam.-Storylines:Dawn came to Emmerdale in early 2003 as the fiance of Terry Woods. It was revealed that she is Bob Hope's daughter but she had not seen much of him since he left her, her mother Jean,...
. Alone and unhappy, Viv begins flirting with her employee and best friend Emily Kirk
Emily Kirk
Emily Kirk was a fictional character in ITV Soap opera Emmerdale. She was played by Kate McGregor....
’s husband Paddy whom she had previously tried to seduce eight years earlier. A misunderstanding leads Paddy to confess to sleeping with Viv, resulting in Emily smashing up the shop, resigning from her job and announcing their deception to all the villagers in the Woolpack. Viv is at her lowest point and things only get worse when Scott is injured, following a violent showdown at Home Farm with 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:...
, mother of his daughter, Jean. The accident brings Kelly back to the village and although there is still some tension between them, Viv seems to enjoy having her around again.
Viv's luck later changes for the best when she and Bob finally reconcile after working together in a cooking competition and Viv excitedly begins planning their second wedding. The event intended to be a double wedding with Donna and her fiancée Marlon Dingle
Marlon Dingle
Marlon Sebastian Dingle is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Mark Charnock. -1996–:...
.
On their wedding day, Viv is horrified when Bob fails to arrive. It transpires that Bob has actually spent the night in a hotel after a vasectomy
Vasectomy
Vasectomy is a surgical procedure for male sterilization and/or permanent birth control. During the procedure, the vasa deferentia of a man are severed, and then tied/sealed in a manner such to prevent sperm from entering into the seminal stream...
reversal and is taken prisoner by his ex-wife Jean
Jean Hope
Jean Hope is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Initially she was a recurring character and played by Julie Higginson, but when she returned in 2006 as a regular character, Susan Penhaligon took over the role....
who begs him to leave Viv and get back together with her. When Bob finally arrives they have a row, but walk down the aisle and tie the knot for a second time.
Although they spend months trying for a baby, Viv does not seem able to get pregnant. After a test, Viv is sure she is pregnant but it later transpires to be a false alarm. The Hopes are told Viv may be too old to have another child. Thrown into despair, Viv asks Donna to be a surrogate mother, in exchange for a deposit on a dream house for herself and Marlon.
After Dawn's death in the showhouse explosion, Bob is devastated and the day of Dawn's funeral, Viv discovers she is pregnant and expecting twins. Bob initially tells her that he does not want any more children but he is with her when she gives birth to Cathy and Heath on 9 February 2007. Viv starts parenting classes in the Cafe, telling parents how to raise their children and what routines they should follow. This leads to a few angry residents including Lisa Dingle
Lisa Dingle
Lisa May Dingle is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Jane Cox.-Casting:Lisa Clegg was first introduced by producer Mervyn Watson in 1996 who cast Jane Cox for the role...
, saying that Viv is being a busybody.
Viv begins raising money for children's charities, a drive which gains a higher profile when Ashley
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 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...
lose their son Daniel to cot death. But the man she entrusts with the charity money, Freddy Yorke, takes it and vanishes. Viv and Bob go to the police but Viv implicates herself when she admits moving funds around. Viv and Bob try to keep the investigation a secret, but she is arrested at a party thrown for her at the Woolpack in honour of her charity efforts. Viv and Bob are charged with conspiracy to defraud and whenever Viv tries to clear her name, she makes matters worse. With the help of a private investigator, she finds Freddie, but he threatens her children's lives and gets away, putting stolen money in her bag as a goodbye present.
On 20 August 2008, after Donna nearly dies in a car-crash whilst pursuing Freddy, Viv pleads guilty in court and is later sentenced to three years imprisonment. Her voice is later heard on a recording she makes of a bedtime story for Bob, Heath and Cathy
2009–11
In July 2009, Viv sends Bob a letter asking him to visit. As Viv had refused to see Bob while she was in prison, he assumes she wanted to end their marriage, and chooses not to see her. Instead, he has comfort sex with Genesis WalkerGenesis Walker
Genesis "Gennie" Walker is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Sian Reese-Williams. She made her first appearance on 1 April 2008.-Character creation and development:...
. The next day, Viv, after being granted early release for good behaviour, returns to the village. She needs money to pay for her taxi and returns to the cafe/post office, only for Brenda Walker
Brenda Walker (Emmerdale)
Brenda Walker is a fictional character from the British soap opera, Emmerdale played by Lesley Dunlop. She made her first appearance on 2 April 2008.-Backstory:...
to mistake her for a thief and restrain her until Paddy Kirk clears up the confusion by identifying Viv.
Viv is upset at the changes during the past year, particularly when the twins do not recognize her. Viv soon reveals that she had not been in touch with Bob and the children because she had been appealing against the length of her sentence. Bob is furious, but when his anger reduces Viv to tears, he apologizes. The next day, Val Pollard
Val Pollard
Valerie "Val" Pollard is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is played by Charlie Hardwick...
informs Viv that Brenda now owns half of the business. She goes to Essex for a week to visit Donna to see how she is getting on after leaving her husband, Marlon, and the village for a new job during Viv's absence. Seeing that Donna is happy and has a new boyfriend, Viv returns to the village where she clashes repeatedly with Brenda. They eventually call a truce after Viv hears Brenda talking about her money worries and Viv tells Terry, who was currently Brenda's boyfriend. Brenda and Viv then make an effort to get on so that the shop and the cafe run smoothly. Viv's life seems to be back on track, but things decline again when it is revealed that Bob had had a fling with Brenda's adopted daughter, Gennie, his son Jamie's girlfriend whilst she was in prison.
Viv splits up with Bob after coming to the realisation that they are both no longer compatible. She then displays envy regarding Bob's friendship with Lizzie Lakely
Lizzie Lakely
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lakely is a fictional character from the British ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale, played by Kitty McGeever. She is Emmerdale's first blind character, and is played by a blind actress...
. In August 2010, Viv begins bonding with fellow Londoner Hazel Rhodes, but again becomes jealous when Hazel befriends Bob. Viv finds it very hard to accept the split, and she later hopes that it will not be permanent.
She tries to reconcile with Bob by getting his attention by using their children as an excuse and faking break-ins at the shop, after Bob helps her after a real burglary. She also attempts to make Bob jealous by pretending that she has moved on and makes up stories about men she has met whilst out. After being encouraged by her former lover Terry after he finds out that she had faked the burglaries, Viv resumes her love of salsa dance classes and genuinely seems to be trying to move on and adjust to being single again, having fun and seeking a new boyfriend.
Terry supports Viv through this and accompanies her to the dance competitions as he used to when they had their affair, and encourages her to look to the future and be happy. Viv misinterprets his friendliness, and makes a move on him believing he wants to restart their relationship and kisses him and he hesitates before leaving the cafe in shock. Terry later visits Viv and lets her down gently and tells her that he was just trying to cheer her up and that he regards her as a special friend and that they cannot get back together as he is with Brenda. After Terry leaves, Viv drowns her sorrows by drinking a bottle of wine. She falls asleep on the sofa and is oblivious when the post office and flat catches fire after corrupt police officer Nick Henshall starts a fire at Victoria Cottage and it spreads to surrounding buildings. Bob and Terry break into the shop to try and rescue Viv and the twins. Bob rescues Cathy and Heath and makes it out alive and Terry attempts to rescue Viv. The Post Office explodes and Terry and Viv are killed. Despite being one of Emmerdale's longest serving characters, Viv's funeral, agreed by Bob, Donna and Scott, was held in her hometown in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, offscreen.
External links
- Viv Hope 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...