‘Emmerdale’ Noah’s stalking was 'inevitable' says actor Jack Downham
Jack Downham says that he is 'not really surprised' by his Emmerdale character Noah Dingle’s disturbing descent into stalking.
For several weeks now, Noah’s unhealthy obsession with ex-girlfriend Chloe Harris (Jessie Elland) has grown to the point where he installed a secret tracker on her phone, and used a drone to spy through her bedroom window.
But Noah’s actions are about to culminate in a terrifying situation.
Speaking at a press conference about an upcoming week of special episodes on the ITV soap, Downham explains that he can see how his alter ego got to this point.
Asked if Noah’s troubling mindset came as a shock to him, he replies: “I'm not really surprised, to be honest. He's not acted in the right way around girls in the past."
“And with his mum Charity and her very interesting relationships throughout him growing up, I think it's all had a really negative effect on his view on women and how you should act around women. I think he’s really got it all wrong.”
Read more: Emmerdale: Creepy Noah stalks Chloe
Teasing what viewers can expect as the storyline reaches a crescendo next week, the actor talks us through the moment that Noah’s disgusting behaviour is exposed.
When Chloe finds her ‘lost’ keys at Noah’s house, her suspicions rise. Sending him out to pick up some snacks, she begins searching for evidence of exactly what he has been up to.
As Noah returns, she reveals her findings on his laptop.
Read more: Emmerdale spoilers: Boss teases 'terrifying' week where storylines collide
“He is in a state of panic,” the actor says, describing Noah’s reaction. “He has no idea what to do, and he believes that if he can just explain to her and tell her what he's been doing and why he's been doing it over the past weeks, that she’ll understand.”
As Noah tries to take control by trapping a frightened Chloe, it looks like the situation is about to be taken out of his hands when his mum arrives home. “Charity walks in on this very heightened situation,” Downham tells us.
“With Chloe really distraught about what Noah's done, and Noah in a panicked state. And he doesn't know what to do and he's trying to keep her quiet, and then as soon as Charity sees it, she knows what's going on, and it just goes downhill for Noah from there.”
You’ll have to tune in to find out what happens next. But Downham — who has played Noah since 2009 — gives us an insight into how he felt about taking on such a powerful plot. He also notes the connection between Noah’s behaviour and that of the late father he never met, the ruthless Chris Tate (played by Peter Amory).
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“It's been really different, and playing a totally different side to Noah, maybe more the Tate side, and that coming through - and his dad that's never come through really before.”
“It's also been quite challenging,” the actor concludes.
“Because I’m not used to all the researching and looking at the real life situations that link to my storyline. I just really enjoyed getting my teeth stuck into something properly.”
Emmerdale airs the latest development in Noah’s story from Monday 9th May.
Watch this week's Emmerdale spoilers