Natalie Anderson has joined the cast of 'Emmerdale' as Leyla Harding's hell-raising sister Alicia.
The actress, who recently starred as Nessarose in West End musical 'Wicked', starts filming in June and hits screens in August.
Show bosses say brassy and trashy Alicia blazes into the village with an axe to grind with estranged sibling Leyla (Rokhsaneh Ghawam-Shahidi), who has settled into domestic bliss with David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden).
An insider said: "[Leyla's] happiness could be short lived as Alicia's arrival sends a reminder that you can't escape your past, however murky and scandal-ridden it might be. There's clearly bad blood between the warring sisters, but does Leyla have something to hide?"
Natalie, who is best known for playing Nurse Stella Davenport in 'The Royal', said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining the show, it'll be wonderful to be working back home in Yorkshire again. I'm a Yorkshire girl so a part in 'Emmerdale' is a dream come true! Alicia is a complex character, she's not all she seems and she's set to make life quite complicated for Leyla."
Series producer Gavin Blyth added: "We're delighted to have Natalie on board. She's a great actress and a wonderful addition to the cast. Alicia will start stirring things up in Leyla's life the minute she sets foot in the village."
