Perdita Hyde-Sinclair
Perdita Hyde-Sinclair is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Georgia Slowe. Slowe joined the main cast alongside Christopher Villiers as Perdy's husband Grayson Sinclair. She made her first appearance in the lead up to the wedding between Sadie King and Grayson's brother Alasdair Sinclair, which was broadcast on 1 March 2006. Perdy received immediate comparisons to Sadie, and an Inside Soap columnist pointed out that just like her, Perdy also "loves money, men and getting her way." Slowe bemoaned her and Villiers' slow introduction to the show, saying they had nothing to do for the first six months as producers let viewers get used to their characters.
Perdy is characterised as the stuck-up, stoic, obeying wife of Grayson. She has a "gutsy get-up-and-go attitude", as well as "a taste for the finer things". On the surface, it appears Perdy and Grayson are a perfect match, but Grayson is secretly bisexual and his many affairs have hurt Perdy and strained their marriage. Shortly after her introduction, Perdy has a flirtation with veterinarian Hari Prasad and a one-night stand with Matthew King. It also emerges that Perdy has had difficulty in conceiving a child and she suffers a series of miscarriages, before undergoing a hysterectomy. Perdy has a difficult relationship with her mother-in-law Rosemary Sinclair, who blames Perdy for not giving her grandchildren.
Further storylines for the character include Rosemary's attempts to make Perdy appear insane, an affair with Matthew, and the break down of her marriage. Perdy and Grayson also accept Katie Sugden's offer to become their surrogate, but Katie and Grayson soon begin a relationship, which leaves Perdy worried about her involvement in her child's life. Perdy also blackmails Grayson over his plot to frame Matthew for Rosemary's murder. In May 2008, it was announced that Slowe was leaving the show at the conclusion of the surrogacy storyline. Her character was written out as part of a cast clear-out by the show's new series producer. Perdy's exit scenes aired on 22 July 2008, as she is persuaded by Katie to take the baby and start a new life.
Casting
In March 2006, Inside Soap announced Slowe and Christopher Villiers had joined the cast of Emmerdale on a regular basis, playing Perdita and Grayson Sinclair. The characters move into Oakwell Hall, after previously appearing in the run up to Sadie King and Alasdair Sinclair's wedding. Perdy was immediately compared to Sadie, with an Inside Soap writer calling her "a new rich bitch in the village" and noting she could "be every bit as evil as the scheming Ms King!" An Emmerdale spokesperson also noted Perdy and Sadie's similarity, stating "Like Sadie, Perdy loves money, men and getting her way. She'll turn heads straight away, but whether she'll risk her marriage and status for a fling remains to be seen."In December 2007, Slowe told Graham Young of the Birmingham Mail that her introduction to Emmerdale had been quiet and for the first six months she and Villiers had nothing to do. Slowe explained "We literally limped in and occasionally ambled into The Woolpack and bought an orange juice, so we were pulling our hair out. When they introduce new families, they have to do it very carefully, let people get used to you." The actress added the process of being introduced so gently was frustrating and only after the first six months did her character begin to evolve. Slowe chose not to relocate to Yorkshire, where Emmerdale is filmed and instead spent the week filming her scenes, before returning home to north London at the weekend.
Development
Introduction
Perdy was billed as having "a taste for the finer things, and will go all-out for what she wants." The character's profile at itv.com described her as "stuck-up", having an "outward stoic appearance" and "nursing a secret heartache". They stated that while it appears Perdy and Grayson are "a perfect match", Grayson is secretly bisexual and his "wandering eye has caused her much pain". An Inside Soap writer said that it would soon become clear that Perdy's marriage to Grayson was "on the edge", and hinted at a future affair storyline for the character, saying that she "gets intimate" with one of the show's established male characters. The storyline began shortly after the character's arrival in the village, as she begins a flirtation with veterinarian Hari Prasad. Hari becomes smitten with Perdy, and later abandons a game of golf with Grayson to meet with her. However, Perdy just wants to talk, until there is a risk of them being caught together and she kisses him. Perdy was described as "manipulative" during the plot by an Inside Soap critic, who believed she had "ulterior motives obviously at work". It soon emerges that Perdy has had difficulty in conceiving a child throughout her marriage to Grayson. In scenes broadcast in late September 2006, Perdy is shown in the aftermath of a "devastating" miscarriage. She then reveals that this is the fifth time she has miscarried, which leaves Grayson "shaken to the core." Grayson's mother Rosemary Sinclair blames Perdy for not giving her grandchildren, which leaves Grayson "so horrified" he makes plans to move himself and Perdy out of Oakwell Hall.Jane Gillow of Inside Soap observed that Perdy has a difficult relationship with her "overbearing" mother-in-law, as they both want control of Grayson. Slowe told Gillow that her character is "the kind of person who craves independence". After Perdy and Grayson secure Mill Cottage for a low price, Slowe said moving to the village would allow them the chance to build a future together, while also getting out from under Rosemary's shadow. Slowe explained that Perdy is "anxious" about the payments on the cottage, as she is aware that Grayson tends to spend his money before he gets it. She said "while she usually has no tolerance for weakness, her devotion to him means she accepts that it'll be down to her to tidy up their finances." In an effort to cut down on their "high-class lifestyle", Perdy befriends Katie Sugden and arranges for her horse to be stabled at Butler's Farm. But when the horse is injured on a barbed wire fence, Perdy uses the situation to her advantage. Slowe told Gillow that Perdy is angry about her horse, but she realises she has an opportunity to "bulldoze" her way into securing a share of the stables. Gillow pointed out that Perdy had received "a mixed bag of storylines" since her introduction and wondered if things would start to settle down. Slowe admitted that she was never sure in which direction the writers would take her character, but Perdy would begin playing "an active role" in village affairs, adding "Perdy really isn't the type of person to sit back and let things just happen..."
Fertility issues and Rosemary's manipulation
Perdy has a one-night stand with Matthew King. She later suspects she is pregnant, but when Grayson becomes excited at the prospect of having a child, she is forced to reveal the truth about Matthew. A "horrified" Grayson then tries to hit Matthew with his car, before confronting him. It turns out that Perdy is not pregnant, but her marriage is strained more than before. Perdy's fertility problems continue when she suffers an ectopic pregnancy, which results in doctors having to perform a hysterectomy to in order to save her life. Slowe said that they had to take care to get things right with the hysterectomy story and not show Perdy getting over it in a week. Slowe was aware that there would be women watching the show who have gone through the same procedure and they did not want to sell short how difficult it is. She also said that they had a responsibility to tackle an issue like that properly. Inside Soap chose the storyline as one of their "best bits of April" in their annual Yearbook. A writer for the publication questioned whether Perdy and Grayson's marriage would survive yet another blow. In an interview with Helen Childs of Inside Soap, Slowe empathised with her character because she also wanted children "very much" and loved her two sons. She admitted she would have been bereft if the choice had been taken away from her. When asked if Perdy's marriage can survive, Slowe replied: "Perdy's been asking herself if she can make the marriage work without a child. Even she's wondering what the point of going on is."The development leads to one of the character's more notable storylines, as Rosemary begins manipulating Perdy in an attempt to drive her insane. A reporter for The Northern Echo likened the storyline to the plot of the 1944 film Gaslight. Slowe relished the chance to play out her character's "nightmare" and was excited to receive the new scripts each week, saying "My heart's in my mouth when I read through them, as I'm never sure what's coming next!" She explained that Rosemary has never actually liked Perdy, but she put up with her when there was a chance Perdy could provide her with a grandchild. Now that Perdy has had a hysterectomy, Rosemary believes there is no point to her and she plots to break up Perdy and Grayson, so he will find a woman who will have his children and be easier for Rosemary to control. Slowe believed it was "all too easy" for Rosemary to manipulate her character, saying "Perdy's completely depressed and very vulnerable. Normally, she can protect herself against Rosemary, but because of her current state, she's dropped her barriers." Perdy is prescribed antidepressants, but she is not told about the possible side-effects, which leave her feeling confused. Rosemary takes advantage of this to play "her head games" and Perdy is "all over the place."
As part of Rosemary's "catalogue of mischief", Perdy is blamed for misplacing some of Grayson's important paperwork and she experiences paranoia when Grayson finds damage to their car. Slowe told Childs that Perdy takes the car to a doctor's appointment, which was made for her by Rosemary, only to find that it is not for when she thought it was. Feeling confused, Perdy returns home where she takes her medication and has a glass of wine. When she is woken up by Grayson asking what happened to the car, which is scratched and dented, she has no idea how it got to be like that. Slowe continued: "Even though the poor woman's close to breaking point, still Rosemary doesn't let up. The next day, she locks Perdy out of the house and makes a show of the fact that the kitchen was on the point of burning down because Perdy left a pan on the stove! And there's more to come..." Rosemary later begins drugging Perdy, which led Villiers to call Rosemary "an absolute tyrant".
Villiers told Inside Soap's Allison Maund: "She's been setting Perdy up left, right and centre. From Grayson's point of view, his wife is delusional – which is why he's convinced that she needs proper psychiatric help. Rosemary hasn't caused Perdy's illness, but by constantly drugging her, she's made her condition far worse." When Grayson believes that Perdy has killed her missing kitten and buried the body in their garden, he calls a doctor who suggests that Perdy should be hospitalised, which plays into Rosemary's hands. Grayson is hesitant until a "vicious row" breaks out between the women. Villiers explained that Perdy finds the loft has been filled with children's toys and nursery furniture and blames Rosemary, whom she locks in the loft with her. Villiers continued: "Grayson arrives home during this huge argument, and even though Rosemary admits to Perdy that she's to blame for her downward spiral, no one else hears, and an ambulance is called." In dramatic scenes, Perdy is dragged from her house "kicking and screaming" and admitted to a psychiatric unit. She later accuses Grayson of being in on Rosemary's scheme. Villiers said the situation was a severe test for the couple and assured fans that Grayson would discover what his mother had done, describing the fallout as "biblical".
Matthew visits Perdy in the psychiatric unit and offers her his assistance. Healy explained that his character had an ulterior motive, saying "The fact that Matthew and Perdy once had a one-night stand doesn't cross his mind – he's helping her in order to annoy Rosemary. He is sympathetic towards Perdy, which is pretty unusual for Matthew, but basically he'll help anyone who opposes Rosemary." Matthew immediately suspects Rosemary' involvement in Perdy's hospitalisation. Healy said that Matthew does not trust Rosemary and he thinks the worst of her, especially as it is "too convenient" for Rosemary that Perdy has gone "a bit doolally" and has been locked up. He also said "Perdy tells Matthew her side of the story and he believes her. At the moment, he's the only one who does." Healy told Maund that Matthew's advise to Perdy is to fake acceptance of her illness and agree to take the medication to get better. This leads to Perdy realising that she is on her own and Matthew is the only person who appears to trust what she is saying. Healy said Matthew knows that this is the fastest way for her to get out of the hospital, adding "Matthew's goal is to get Perdy home. He knows that's the last thing Rosemary wants, and he'd love to put her nose out of joint." When asked whether the new bond forming between Matthew and Perdy would turn romantic, Healy replied that it could, as it was rare for his character to show emotion.