Emmerdale fans have been left open-mouthed after discovering Manpreet Sharma actress Rebecca Sarker is ‘related’ to a soap co-star.
Rebecca first graced the Dales in 2018 as the village doctor, quickly winning over the dedicated fanbase of the long-standing ITV soap. Manpreet has been at the centre of numerous pivotal moments on the show, from her unsuccessful love affairs to being the sibling of serial killer Meena Jutla (played by Paige Sandhu).
Her life in the village has certainly been filled with drama. Recently, it’s become apparent that she’s concealing a significant secret, and this week it was revealed that an unknown person is blackmailing her.
Before joining Emmerdale, Rebecca Sarker had roles in EastEnders and Doctors, as well as minor parts in Holby City. She also ventured into comedy as part of the Twenty Twelve cast.
However, it’s her role in a rival soap from the 90s that has sparked a flurry of conversation. Fans have expressed their surprise online upon realising that Rebecca previously appeared in Coronation Street, reports Leeds Live.
She portrayed Nita Desai on the ITV soap from 1999 to 2000. In her debut acting role, she starred alongside her current Emmerdale colleague Chris Bisson, who played her on-screen brother Vikram Desai.
Vikram made quite the entrance to the cobbles as the cousin of soap icon Dev Alahan, portrayed by Jimmi Harkishin. He quickly became best pals with Steve McDonald, a role taken on by Simon Gregson, and entered into a romance with Leanne Battersby, played by Jane Danson.
The character also grappled with a drug addiction during his tenure on the show before making his exit in 2002. Meanwhile, Rebecca assumed the role of Vikram’s sister Nita, arriving on the street just weeks prior to her brother in 1999.
Her stay was brief, lasting a little over a year, during which she had a fling with Steve while managing the Corner Shop. The previous Corrie roles of Chris and Rebecca have left fans astounded across social media.
On an Emmerdale Facebook fan group, one viewer expressed their surprise: “Just found out Jai and Manpreet were siblings when they appeared on Coronation Street! I never knew they were in that many years ago!”.
Another fan shared their astonishment: “They say that you learn something new everyday.” A third added: “Didn’t know that. I knew Jai was in Corrie for good while vikram but I didn’t know Manpreet played his sister.” Yet another commented: “She looks exactly the same!”.
