Shirley Stelfox who plays Emmerdale’s Edna Birch is at the centre of the soap’s Christmas storyline when she becomes the victim of a crime in the village.
In an interview with Digital Spy, Stelfox said Edna will be burgled which adds to her financial strain as she struggles to pay the medical bills for her pet pooch, Tootsie.
Despite the fact Paddy and Rhona are worried about her and the extent of the payments for Tootsie, she refuses to turn to them for help: “She...hasn't confessed that the small print on her insurance policy has meant she is not insured.
“Edna would not confide in them. She is too proud. It's a sad time with Tootsie being so ill, but Edna is not someone who would share her grief or worries.
"Since Edna found the lump, Tootsie is having chemotherapy. Hopefully this will shrink the tumour, but it's a very worrying time and Edna is doing her best to give Tootsie the best care she can."
Speaking about the break-in, which happens on Christmas Day, she said: "Edna is distraught and feels very vulnerable after discovering she has been robbed.
"I can't give away too much about how it happens, but the viewers will see that Edna laid herself open to it. She unwittingly sowed the seed that caused the robbery."
