Emmerdale's new cast member

Monday 9th

When Pete the sound recordist turned up most of the talk was of the changes at GMTV. The correspondents Elaine Wilcox and Rachel Harrison that he works with most of the time had suddenly just gone.

One day they had been happily doing reports and live broadcasts. The next day they were no where to be seen and not wanting or able to talk to anyone.

His sense of unease and foreboding was an echo of what I was hearing from the London office of the dying GMTV. We just hope that Daybreak, the Phoenix that will rise from the ashes of the GMTV conflagration will be as good as it is hoped.

It was difficult for us to be too despondent and down when we were in such a beautiful location.

The village from the entrance track.

Emmerdale is on a private farm a little way from Leeds. Out of the three main soaps it may well be the number three in viewers and awards but it is reputedly the most enjoyable to work on.

The entrance to the set.

The village set on a bright warm summer morning is surely very pretty and picturesque. Might not be so welcoming in the winter when it is bitter cold and the days are short.

Emmerdale post office.

We were there for a very easy live broadcast with a new member of the Emmerdale cast.

Jake Roach who is the son of Shane Ritchie and Colleen Nolan will have the first episode he is in transmitted tonight.

He would be doing a short live interview with Spice Girl Emma Bunton who is standing in for the holidaying Lorraine Kelly.

A live interview is a daunting prospect for most folk and young Jake was no exception.

His nerves were slightly assuaged by the excitement of talking to Emma.

The down the line interview was going to be done at the Emmerdale sign at the end of the village. The bench outside the Woolpack would have been best but there would be two crews shooting on the street at the time of our live broadcast.

The Woolpack.

Set up at the sign.

Jolly Jake was there in plenty of time to get used to the sound of the programme in his ear.

Jake has a joke with Pete the sound recordist.

When he did the interview he was very personable. The little surprise piece of tape with his dad wishing him all the best went down very well.

Jake the new character.

There was only one slight problem during the morning. Jake's appearance had been getting teased all through the GMTV programme but instead of pronouncing his name as Roach as in, if you'll pardon the expression, cock it was being pronounced as if it was some strange German name, like Rauch or Ruch.

I called to let the producers know but the message must not have arrived at Emma because she still used the wrong form of his name when she introduced him.

All in all though I don't think he minded that much. It was a good enough buzz for him to be talking to the lovely Emma Bunton.