Emmerdale favourite Emma Atkins has shared that she has decided not to take part in Strictly

Come Dancing, citing ‘mental health’ as her reason. The actress, who audiences have adored for

nearly 25 years as the feisty Charity Dingle, took a break from the soap in 2005 to work as

a “jobbing actor” and has since used that experience to develop Charity into a “better character”. Aside from marking a quarter of a century on Emmerdale, Emma will celebrate another life milestone next year – turning 50. She views this event as a cause for “embrace” and it has inspired her to “get really fit”. Although Emmerdale viewers see plenty of Charity’s escapades on screen, in her real life, Emma prefers to keep things private. In the scenic setting of north Yorkshire, she shares her home with son Albert, aged nine, and their pet cockapoo, Ringo. Emma at Charity, centre back, on Emmerdale. ( ITV) This preference for privacy extends to her television career too, as Emma tends to steer clear of reality shows like I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!

or Dancing on Ice – both of which have seen some of her Emmerdale colleagues participate. Emma’s mum, Lili, is adamant that she’d be an excellent contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, reports the Daily Star. In an intimate chat with My Weekly magazine, Emma revealed: “My mum always says ‘why don’t you do that? You’d be great’. I love Strictly too but the pressure the contestants must be under for that is phenomenal. I don’t know if I would want to do something that would test my mental health in that way.” Emma, reflecting on the possibility of joining a reality show, shared: “I’ve lived a pretty private life and it’s worked perfectly for me. But I would never say never, it depends on the nature of the show.”

She expressed her fondness for ‘Race Across the World’, enthusing that she “loved” the competition where participants race through various countries to reach checkpoints on a budget equivalent to a plane ticket. Emma is confident she’d excel on the programme, saying she would join because she’d be “really good at it.” Away from her on-screen persona as the tumultuous Charity, Emma enjoys a more serene lifestyle involving yoga, woodland walks with her dog, and practising the Wim Hoff breathing technique. She’s also gearing up for the Great North Run, motivated by her “super fit” boyfriend who has been her inspiration to take up running and HIIT workouts.