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Who did Gemma Oaten play in Emmerdale?
25 August 2021, 08:01
Who was Gemma Oaten in Emmerdale and what happened to her character Rachel?
Gemma Oaten has been on our screens for years, starring in some of the nation’s favourite TV shows.
The 37-year-old is also a patron for eating disorder charity Seed UK, which her parents set up, after suffering from anorexia for more than a decade.
But who is Gemma Oaten and what character did she play in Emmerdale? Here’s what we know…
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Who did Gemma Oaten play in Emmerdale?
Gemma Oaten played Rachel Breckle in Emmerdale between 2011 and 2015.
Rachel was the younger sister of Ali Spencer and aunt of Amelia and Sean Spencer.
She was also the mother of Archie Breckle after a one-night stand with Jai Sharma.
Gemma’s character also had a relationship with Sam Dingle and was involved in a storyline where she abused him.
After four years on the soap, Rachel died off screen in September 2019 after a suspected heart attack in her home.
After her final scenes aired, Gemma shared an emotional message and throwback pictures on Instagram, thanking the soap for ‘changing her life’.
She wrote at the time: “What a journey it’s been. I got the role of Rachel Breckle in @emmerdale within a year of graduating from Drama school and it changed my life.
“I always dreamed I’d be part of the show one day, and as many of you know my struggles as a teen, you’ll understand why it really was a dream come true.
“End of an era…such a privilege to have worked with so much talent and also our never forgotten Shirley Stelfox, Kitty McGeever, Freddie Jones and Richard Thorpe. Such an honour.”
What else has Gemma Oaten been in?
Gemma has made several guest appearances on Holby City as Nurse Sydney Somers, as well as starring in Doctors and Casualty.
In 2017 she appeared in Rise Of The Footsoldier 3 and had a small part in Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool alongside Jamie Bell.
The star also makes many other TV appearances, speaking openly about her mental health struggles of Good Morning Britain, BBC News and This Morning.
