Coronation Street villain joins Emmerdale in major new storyline as April Windsor goes missing

EMMERDALE has signed up a Coronation Street villain for a major new storyline.

Actress Rhea Bailey is best known for playing deranged abuser Caz Hammond on the cobbles between 2015 and 2016.

Caz controlled and abused girlfriend Kate Connor, stalked and terrorised Sophie Webster before turning her unhinged attentions onto Maria Connor.

She stalked Maria before framing her for murder, faking her own death before she was lured out by Kate and exposed.

Now the actress has joined Emmerdale in a very different kind of role.

The star is playing Anna, the family liaison officer to April Windsor’s family after the teen’s sudden disappearance.

April was last seen getting into a mystery car over Christmas after fleeing the village in the show’s highest profile new year storyline.

Soap bosses have worked with charity Missing People to ensure their portrayal of April’s disappearance is as accurate as possible.

Emmerdale Producer, Laura Shaw, said: “Marlon has recently been struggling with his relationship with April but never imagined he would be in such a heartbreaking situation this Christmas. 

“In the coming weeks, as the search for April intensifies, we explore the emotional turmoil a family faces when a young person goes missing. 

“We are so grateful to the charity Missing People for their invaluable help and support with this storyline.”

Kate Graham, Head of Communications at Missing People added:  “It has been an amazing experience to work with Emmerdale on this important storyline. 

“The researchers were clear from the start that they wanted to ground the storyline in reality and in no way glamorise it. 

“Everyone at Emmerdale, including the actors, have impressed us with their understanding of a very difficult subject matter, meeting with our team of experts, asking very relevant questions and really immersing themselves in the experience of both being missing and homeless, and also being the parents of a missing teenager. 

“We hope that as viewers watch this story unfold they are able to gain some understanding of what families with a missing loved one go through and why our charity exists to support those families, as well as anyone thinking of being missing, or anyone already away from home.”