Leyla Harding
Leyla Harding is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Roxy Shahidi. She made her first on-screen appearance on 11 August 2008 and was introduced by series producer, Anita Turner. The character departed on 5 August 2011. Shahidi returned to Emmerdale for two episodes on 25 December 2013. She returned full-time in January 2014. On 5 January 2018, Shahadi took maternity leave from the show whilst pregnant with her first child. She returned on 3 October 2018. In October 2024, it was announced that Shahidi would be leaving the soap and Leyla was killed-off in the episode broadcast on 19 February 2025, following a limousine crash.
Casting
In July 2008, the Prestwich Advertiser reported that actress Roxy Shahidi had joined the cast of Emmerdale as Leyla Harding. Shahidi signed an initial six-month contract. She said of her casting: "I've been filming for two weeks now and it's great. I've done a lot of theatre but not much TV work up to now so it's great for me to work on such a popular and well established show. It's a dream come true in fact." Shahidi later said that she was "so excited", commenting: "This is a brilliant opportunity for me as I've done lots of theatre but not much TV. Everyone at Emmerdale has been so warm and welcoming. It's such a well-established show and I can't wait to see what Leyla gets up to." Emmerdale series producer Anita Turner added, "Rokhsaneh is a terrific actress and an exciting new addition to the cast. Leyla's going to have some fun stirring up the factory."Development
Characterisation
Leyla is described as "streetwise" and "savvy". Shahidi described her as "very down to earth", "very lovable" and "really ballsy". Leyla was initially a new worker at Eric Pollard's factory and it was said that she would immediately get on the right side of him. Leyla is reluctant to talk about her past, which sparks speculation about why she has moved to the village. Channel Five's soap opera reporting website Holy Soap describe Leyla as a "naive, honest, hard worker who can sometimes be a bit too trusting of people". What's on TV deemed her an "attractive woman". Shahidi told the Daily Mirror that she and Leyla are "quite similar in some ways" saying "We're both pretty ditsy and we have the same sense of fun. Leyla says things without thinking, and I can do that too." She added that their lives and relationships are very different because she and Leyla are "worlds apart".Relationship with David Metcalfe
Leyla begins a relationship with Eric's son, David Metcalfe. In October 2009, Leyla sleeps with her new boss, Nathan Wylde. However, when she admits that she regrets cheating on David, Nathan warns that he will not let her forget what happened and begins a "campaign of manipulation". Of the plot, Ogbourne told the Press Association: "The switch between being such a seemingly nice guy and the malicious way he's controlling Leyla is quite horrific." He added that Nathan would get "worse and worse" and could "easily fit into the cast of American Psycho by the end of it". Leyla then fears that Nathan will tell David the truth. Shahidi said this causes Leyla to be "under a lot of stress". However, Leyla confesses to David. Leyla and David later reconcile. Wolfenden said he believes that Leyla is the "right woman" for David, despite "all of the things she has done to him". He said "David seems to be under the thumb, and Leyla gets away with cheating, stealing and having a secret son. But David has been good enough to put that to one side, so because of that I reckon she must be the right girl for him."Family
In May 2010, Digital Spy reported that Leyla's sister, Alicia Gallagher, would be introduced. The website said Alicia arrives in the village and makes it clear that she has unfinished business with Leyla. Leyla and Alicia's relationship is "far from perfect". Leyla is forced to deal with Alicia's arrival in an attempt to keep her "murky and scandal-ridden" past buried. Anderson said that Alicia was set to make life quite complicated for Leyla. Emmerdale series producer Gavin Blyth added that Alicia will start stirring things up in Leyla's life the minute she sets foot in the village. Alicia arrives in the village to warn Leyla that she does not want her at their mother's funeral. However, Leyla ignores Alicia and they "have a bit of a screaming match" at the funeral, which leaves Alicia annoyed. Discussing what caused the "bad blood" between Alicia and Leyla in an interview with Digital Spy, Anderson said, "All I can really say is that something has definitely gone on between them! The biggest clue I can give is that Alicia is fiercely protective of her family unit and she doesn't want anything to come between that. So you can read into that what you want!" Anderson said that Alicia does not want to cause trouble, but does not want Leyla around. Anderson added that Alicia would "prefer it if just disappeared". Alicia was introduced along with her husband, Justin, and their son, Jacob.In September 2010, it was revealed that Leyla is the biological mother of Jacob. Shahidi said that she was "really shocked" when she learned about the storyline, but was also excited as she thought it would be "really interesting" to play. She opined that the storyline would bring a new dimension to Leyla. Shahidi was involved in Warren-Plant's casting as Jacob. Shahidi admitted that she was surprised that Leyla had not seen Jacob for so long, but understood as Leyla wanted to get on with her life and escape her past. Shahidi said that Leyla just wants to be Jacob's aunt. Leyla wants to see Jacob and interact with him like a normal aunt and nephew. Shahidi had previously said that Leyla kept the secret as she wanted to get on with her life. Shahidi also said that the easiest way for Leyla to move on in her life was to ignore it.
Leyla takes Jacob to a birthday party, where he goes into anaphylactic shock due to an allergic reaction to some cake. Speaking about the plot, Shahidi commented: "It's Leyla's fault because she hasn't listened to her sister's warnings about not letting Jacob eat anything because of his nut allergy." Shahidi added that if Leyla had listened to Alicia, it could have been avoided. The situation shocks Leyla and makes her realise that Alicia is Jacob's mother and needs to be listened to. Shahidi said that Leyla needs to learn to be "less full-on" and stop "indulging and spoiling" Jacob.
Departure (2011)
In June 2011, the Daily Star Sunday reported that Shahidi was to leave Emmerdale. Speaking to the newspaper, Shahidi confirmed: "I have had an amazing three years at Emmerdale and it has been a really tough decision to leave." She filmed her final scenes as Leyla later that month. Shahidi admitted to We Love Telly that it took her six months to reach the decision to leave the show. The actress explained that Anderson helped her reach the decision as she has experience of leaving a long-running serial. Shahidi said that viewers would see a "desperate" side to Leyla in the build-up to her departure.Reintroduction (2013)
Leyla returned to Emmerdale during the episode broadcast on 25 December 2013. Shahidi revealed that when she received the call from producer Kate Oates about coming back, it came at the "perfect time." She was initially in talks about coming back earlier, but the play she was appearing extended its run. She continued, "I went away from that not knowing whether Leyla was coming back, but then when Kate got in touch with this Christmas Day storyline, it just felt like fate because it was a much better way for Leyla to come back into the show." Shahidi said that she had always hoped Leyla would return at some point and she was excited about Leyla's return storyline. The show's producers decided not to announce Shahidi's return, so viewers would be surprised. When asked how long she would be staying with the show, she quipped that Leyla would have "lots of exciting stuff" in 2014 and she and Anderson had spent time filming on location. The actress added "After that, there's stuff in the pipeline but I haven't read the scripts yet!"Alicia later finds Leyla working as a pole dancer. To prepare for the storyline, Shahidi took pole dancing lessons and had to wear a PVC catsuit. Shahidi explained that it was important for viewers to warm to Leyla and she did not want to be wearing "a little pair of panties", as it may have been off putting to some. She thought the catsuit was the perfect outfit for Leyla as it made her look ridiculous. She told Susan Hill from the Daily Star that she enjoyed the fact Leyla did not come back to the village straight away following her appearance at Christmas, saying "It means the viewers can see what she's been doing while she's been away." Hill reported that there would be "lots of twists and turns" as Leyla continues to work on her relationships with her sister and son. Shahidi added that she was looking forward to the next chapter in Leyla's life.
Departure and death
On 6 October 2024, it was announced that Shahidi would be departing Emmerdale as Leyla once again, with the desire to "spread her wings." A spokesperson told The Sun: "Roxy has adored her time on the soap and has made so many happy memories since first joining. The cast have become like family to her and she has grown so much as an actress, but now feels like the perfect time to spread her wings and try something new. She is really excited about her meaty exit storyline, which will see her character Leyla die on screen. She'd rather go out in a blaze of glory and be remembered."In the weeks running up to her final scenes, Leyla is shown to have developed extreme loneliness. She "is left miserable as she wallows in her loneliness" and feels that her friends and family have become too busy with other people to find time for her. At the end of the episode broadcast on 18 February 2025, Leyla was killed off in a limousine crash stunt which saw the vehicle plunge into an icy lake. Leyla was initially pulled from the water and was taken to hospital. In a cliff-hanger, one character was pronounced dead prior to their arrival at hospital. In the following episode on 19 February, it was revealed that Leyla had died. Her final scenes feature Jacob saying goodbye to Leyla as she lay dead in a hospital bed.
After finding out the producers were set to kill her character, Shahidi said she was shocked since she had been on Emmerdale for a long time. She felt that for long-running cast members like herself, "Emmerdale becomes a fabric of existence" so was not expecting to be killed off. However, Shahidi tried to take it as a compliment. She recalled a producer telling her "you have to be worth killing!". She found filming her final scenes difficult, accrediting this to Plant's portrayal of grief in Jacob. She added: "At one point I was supposed to be dead and I had tears streaming down my eyes, I was a weeping corpse."
On 1 March, it was confirmed that Leyla would feature through voiceover during her funeral episode, which aired on 6 March. The day before the episode, it was further revealed that Leyla would appear in flashback scenes, which reveal three secrets the character learned prior to her death to the audience. Shahidi described the scenes as "a really unique way to end Leyla's time on the show".