Manpreet Sharma on Emmerdale: Serial killer sister, failed romances and secret blackmail scandal
Unpacking the life of the other village doctor
As the village doctor, Manpreet Sharma is at the heart of much of the action in Emmerdale. She’s currently going through some immense personal torment of her own as the victim of a blackmail campaign.
As Leyla knew, lonely Manpreet had been boosting her confidence by posting intimate images of herself online. All fun and games until the wrong person saw her pictures and began sending her threatening messages.
But who would do such a thing to one of the community’s most liked and respected figures? As her blackmail torment escalates, join us as we take a look back over the life and times of Manpreet Sharma.
Who plays Manpreet on Emmerdale?
Manpreet is played by actress Rebecca Sarker. She previously appeared on Coronation Street between 1999 – 2000, as Nita Desai.
Prior to joining the soap, she appeared in EastEnders and Casualty, and also had a small role in the 2012 sci-fi film John Carter.
When did Manpreet join Emmerdale?
Manpreet Jutla first appeared in the village in July 2018. A local locum covering for Doctor Liam, she was introduced as the love interest – and eventual wife – of Rishi Sharma.
Taking a shine to Manpreet after meeting her at the surgery, Rishi and the doctor began dating soon after, and even arranged a date between her daughter, Aiesha, and his son Jai.
Who was Manpreet’s daughter?
Aiesha was Manpreet’s daughter from a previous marriage. Arriving in the village with her mum, she was left mortified when Jai rejected her romantically, after being turned off by her ‘annoying’ laugh. She left the village not long after, and currently resides in Ibiza.
Jai, went on to become a miserable divorcee and underling of Caleb and Steph. It may be an annoying one, but Aisha had the last laugh after all.
Spending addiction
After dating for some time, Manpreet moved in with Rishi in January 2019. During this time, Jai had become suspicious of her past and discovered that she was heavily in debt due to a spending addiction. Having battled addiction himself, Jai tried to encourage her to visit a support group for help.
But the situation only worsened, and she came clean to Rishi after stealing from the company accounts.
Marriage to Rishi
In March 2019, Rishi and Manpreet revealed that they had gotten married in a Las Vegas wedding. Desperate to help Manpreet with her debt problem, Rishi took a loan from Kim Tate.
When a fire broke out a the factory, he and Priya were forced to give up their shares in the business, selling to Kim.
Struggling with her guilt, Manpreet attempted to leave the village, but was convinced to stay by Rishi and Priya.
Why did Rishi and Manpreet split up on Emmerdale?
After a period of marital bliss, Rishi and Manpreet’s marriage came under tension with the arrival of her old flame, Charles, in the village.
She was forced to reveal that she’d cheated on her ex husband Dennis with Charles, under the pseudonym Saira. With Charles unaware that it had been an affair, she’d left him at the altar – presuming her dead.
Noticing a spark between Manpreet and Charles, Rishi soon grew jealous. And, when Charles’ girlfriend Andrea died in a maze fire, she was Charles’ shoulder to cry on – only strengthening their bond.
Rishi and Manpreet split up in 2021, when she told her husband that she no longer loved him, leaving her free to be with Charles.
Serial killer sister
Charles’ and Manpreet’s relationship was complicated by the interference of her sister Meena, who had recently become part of her life again.
Having initially become estranged after Meena slept with Manpreet’s ex, the pair made up and grew close again. However, Meena was secretly manipulating the situation, texting Charles’ son Ethan and pretending to be his mother.
Seeing how the texts from his ‘mother’ brought father and son closer together, Manpreet decided not to say anything – although she came clean as they were about to get together.
Shocked by the sisters’ betrayal, he called the whole thing off. But Meena’s manipulation didn’t end there, setting her sights on Dawn Taylor instead.
When she learned that Meena had been planting drugs on Dawn to destroy her family, Manpreet was horrified.
She would have exposed her sister, but, following an explosion at the Woolpack, Manpreet was discharged and released into her sister’s ‘care.’
Held hostage by Meena
Said ‘care’ being tied to her bed in Dale view, where Meena locked her up, gagged and sedated for weeks on end – while she gloated about her evil.
Meena, it emerged, was a serial killer, and had killed Charles’ sister – as well as her former best friend Nadine Butler, Leanne Cavanagh, Ben Tucker, and her father too.
Rescued by Liam, Manpreet didn’t see her sister again until February 2022. Watching as Liam pushed Meena off a bridge, she agreed to cover for him, clearing him of attempted murder.
Meena’s trial took place in April and was a typically explosive affair for the chaotic serial killer. Threatening Manpreet with a glass shard, she held the courtroom hostage.
Dragged back to her cell, Meena was sentenced to life in prison, and hasn’t been seen since.
Relationship with Charles
With Meena safely behind bars, Charles and Manpreet were free to resume their relationship.
Things ran (relatively) smoothly for the pair, for a while – until his battleaxe mum Claudette arrived in the village.
Tensions in the house were at an high until his son Ethan was killed. Just as Claudette had began to warm to Manpreet, Charles spiralled – shutting her out and embarking upon a weird fling with Laurel.
Who’s blackmailing Manpreet on Emmerdale?
Recent weeks have seen a vicious blackmailer target Manpreet over her saucy online presence. The list of suspects includes Billy Fletcher, who she made a drunken pass at last year.
After stumbling across Manpreet’s page, he soon became her (only?) fan, and seems to have developed quite the crush on her while Dawn is otherwise occupied with her affair with Joe.
But with Billy looking less likely, who’s blackmailing Manpreet? Could it be a betrayal by confidante Ella, or a ploy by cash-strapped Tracy?
Emmerdale star Rebecca Sarker first joined the soap in 2018, taking on the role of new doc in town, Manpreet Jutla. The actress turned 50 this year.
She was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1975, where she was raised before attending drama school.
Who did Rebecca Sarker play in Coronation Street?
Prior to starring in Emmerdale, Rebecca played series regular Nita Desai on Coronation Street. The daughter of corner shop owner Ravi and sister of Vikram, she left the family business to find independence working at local supermarket Freshco.
There she worked her way up the career ladder to managerial level before leaving Weatherfield for Inverness in the year 2000.
Aged only 23, this was Rebecca’s first ever TV role. “It was fantastic and I learnt a lot, but I was very young and it was hard to cope with the instant recognition,” she told The Mirror.
What else has Rebecca Sarker been in?
Aside from Emmerdale and Coronation Street, Rebecca also appeared in episodes of EastEnders, Doctors, Casualty and Holby City. Given her history in medical dramas, it’s only appropriate that she would go on to play one of Emmerdale’s two village doctors, then.
Throughout her lengthy career, she also appeared in the Hollywood blockbuster John Carter and episodes of Rosemary & Thyme and the sitcom Twenty Twelve. Beyond her soap work, Rebecca also took part in the celebrity sports challenge The Games, hosted by Holly Willoughby and Freddie Flintoff.
Is Rebecca Sarker married?
The Emmerdale star is reportedly married, although little is known about her husband. However, we do know that she has two sons, telling OK! in 2022: “I need to set the record straight. I have two sons!”
“My youngest is 10 and loves the fact that his older brother, now 15, is never mentioned and my eldest always wants me to remind everyone that I’ve got two boys.
“I say, ‘Yes, darling. I will big you up at every opportunity. He’s a black belt in karate, plays the guitar, and is very handsome,” she shared at the time.
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