List of Emmerdale characters introduced in 2007
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera Emmerdale in 2007, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the soap's executive producer, Keith Richardson.
Charlotte Beecham
Charlotte Beecham is a new police recruit who joins up alongside Donna Windsor-Dingle and they receive their warrant cards at the same time. Charlotte has a casual relationship with Emmerdale resident and colleague Ross Kirk. Another officer, Shane Doyle, makes a pass at her. In December 2008, Shane goes missing and Donna, who Shane knew was having an affair with Ross, convinces Charlotte to go to Shane's flat with her to investigate. They find evidence which suggests he is in Malta, and take it to Sgt. Andrew Drake. Charlotte believes that Donna knows more than she is saying, but Donna keeps quiet.In January 2009, Charlotte and a colleague search Ross's bedroom, shortly before he is arrested for Shane's murder. Later that month, she searches the Dingles' house after Donna tells her superiors that she believes Eli Dingle may have been involved with the murder. On 27 January 2009, PC Beecham is one of the police officers who find Jasmine Thomas and Debbie Dingle, who Eli has admitted were involved in Shane's murder. In March, she and a colleague visit after a supplier alleges Bob Hope stole his money. In May, Charlotte investigates a burglary at Holdgate Farm and arrests Cain Dingle.
Charlotte returns in November 2015, investigating Diane Sugden's stabbing. She goes to Wishing Well Cottage, looking for Chas Dingle but she isn't there so Charlotte tells Aaron Livesy to inform her if Chas shows up and leaves. She later returns to tell the Dingles that Chas has been arrested after confessing to stabbing Diane.
Cathy Hope
Catherine "Cathy" Hope is the daughter of Bob and Viv Hope. She first appeared in February 2007.Since Bob and Viv's remarriage in 2006 they had both wanted a child together. However, plans changed when Bob's daughter Dawn Woods died in a show home explosion in July 2006. On the day of Dawn's funeral, Viv collapses and was found by her daughter Donna Windsor. At the hospital, doctors revealed that Viv was pregnant. News spread quickly as Donna tells her brother and Viv's son Scott Windsor and her husband Marlon Dingle and Scott tells Dawn's ex-husband Terry Woods. Both Terry and Scott told Bob while his ex-wife Jean Hope with Terry and Dawn's son T.J. Woods was inside. In August 2006, Viv was ready to have an abortion when Bob, Jean, Scott and Donna stopped her.
In February 2007, Viv went into labour, and gave birth to twins. Bob helps deliver a daughter while her twin brother is delivered by Paddy Kirk. Having been born in a shed on the moors, Viv and Bob decide to name the children Cathy and Heath, with their actual names being Catherine and Heathcliff.
Cathy and Heath are baptised in May 2007, with nine godparents; Terry, Donna, Marlon, Paddy, Paddy's ex-wife Emily Kirk, Bob's two children Jamie Hope and Roxy Lockhart, Bob's brother Eddie Hope and Viv's stepdaughter Kelly Windsor. In July 2007, they are entered in a "Cute Kids" competition, which Heath wins.
In 2008, Viv begins raising money for children's charities, however, the man she entrusts with the charity money takes it and vanishes. By a series of mishaps, Viv implicates herself and is charged with conspiracy to defraud. With the help of a private investigator, she finds the man, but he threatens Cathy and Heath and gets away. In August 2008, Viv pleads guilty in court and is later sentenced to three years imprisonment. Her voice is later heard on a recording she makes of a bedtime story for Bob, Cathy and Heath.
In July 2009, Viv is released but is heartbroken when Cathy and Heath don't recognise her. Viv soon reveals that she had not been in touch with Bob, Cathy and Heath because she had been appealing against the length of her sentence. In January 2011, Viv, Cathy and Heath are inside the Post Office when it is set on fire by Nick Henshall. Bob rescues Cathy and Heath and makes it out alive and Terry attempts to rescue Viv. The Post Office explodes and Viv and Terry are killed.
In late 2012, Bob starts dating Brenda Walker, who buys a part of the café and later moves in with them. Cathy and Heath develop a bond to her and the whole family struggles when in March 2013, she is diagnosed with a brain tumour. In March 2015, Bob's daughter Carly Hope arrives in the village. In August 2015, Cathy and Heath stay with Brenda when Bob is sent to prison for fraud. However, he is released in September 2015, when Carly admits the truth about how she was fully involved in the fraud crime.
In December 2017, Brenda is devastated to find out Bob has been cheating on her with another woman. However, she decides to put it aside during Christmas for Cathy and Heath's sake. After Christmas Brenda tells Cathy and Heath that she and Bob are splitting up but decides to leave out the reason behind it so they won't hate their father. However, they overhear that he cheated on her and refuses to speak to him.
Despite the affair, Bob and Brenda reconcile and Brenda accepts when Bob proposes to her. After the wedding ceremony in May 2018, Brenda leaves Bob realising she won't settle for second best and Bob moves out of their home whilst Cathy and Heath stay with Brenda. However, Cathy is convinced they'll make up and questions Bob about returning home. Bob explains he isn't as he has done a selfish thing and Brenda deserves better. When Brenda realises Bob is still with Laurel Thomas, she informs Cathy and Heath of her and Bob's relationship. Bob tries to explain himself to Cathy and Heath and says he is sorry. The next day, a furious Cathy insults Laurel.
In May 2018, Cathy and Heath set fire to a pile of Bob's belongings. When Bob confronts Brenda, thinking she was responsible, Cathy admits she and Heath did it. Bob sits them down and reminds Cathy and Heath that he loves them but states if they ever do anything like that again, they will be in a whole heap of trouble but Cathy and Heath walk out. Brenda finds them at the playground and Cathy expresses that she believes Bob no longer loves her and Heath. Brenda promises them that he does and assures them it is okay to be angry and upset but states it is never okay to start fires. Bob soon suggests it is better Cathy and Heath stay with him and Laurel. Despite Cathy and Heath's refusal to leave Brenda, Bob insists they'll just have to get used to it. In June 2018, Cathy and Heath continue to act up as they adjust to the new living arrangements and miss Brenda.
In November 2018, Cathy and Heath move back in with Brenda as Bob and Laurel's relationship starts to break down. Approaching Christmas 2018, Bob struggles to get enough money to buy Cathy and Heath their Christmas presents, disappointing them when he buys the wrong video games. In late January 2019, Bob's financial troubles gets so bad that he has to spend the night outside on a bench. He is found the next day and taken to hospital, suffering from severe hypothermia. He soon gets discharged and moves back in with Brenda, Cathy and Heath.
In March 2020, Cathy and Heath make a vegan cake in school which Brenda decides to give out to customers in the cafe in an attempt to stay on top of trends and not lose customers to the outdoor pursuits. However, she is horrified when the cake gives Dan Spencer an allergic reaction as he is allergic to almonds and Cathy and Heath reveal they used almond flour. They manage to sort things out but afterwards when Brenda tries the cake she is impressed by how good it is.
Over summer 2021, Cathy gets jealous of all the attention her niece April Windsor is receiving on her memorial page for Donna. Cathy trolls April on a social media account about Donna and spreads her phone number all while pretending to be on April's side by giving her support. In September 2021, Cathy starts to regret her actions, but it's too late as other children have also started to troll April. Cathy confesses what she has done to April, and after a frosty reception from April, Cathy spends the night in the Cricket Pavilion. The next day Cathy is found by Rhona Goskirk, who has found out about the bullying, Rhona forces Cathy to confess to Bob and Brenda, which leads to a scuffle between Rhona and Brenda, in which Brenda is pushed to the ground.
For her role as Cathy, Dowling was longlisted for "Best Young Performer" at the 2024 Inside Soap Awards.
Heath Hope
Heathcliff "Heath" Hope is the son of Bob and Viv Hope. He first appeared in February 2007. Dowling made an unannounced departure when his character was killed off in a car accident on 1 January 2024.Since Bob and Viv's remarriage in August 2006, they had wanted a child. When Viv finally found out she was pregnant, Bob did not want another child because of the death of his daughter Dawn Woods. She was ready to have an abortion when Bob stopped her. Heath and twin sister Cathy Hope are born in February 2007 in a shed on the moors, hence their names, delivered by Paddy Kirk. Heath is the younger of the twins. They are baptised in May 2007, with nine godparents; Paddy, Dawn's estranged husband Terry Woods, Marlon Dingle, Marlon's wife and Viv's daughter Donna Windsor-Dingle, Bob's two children Jamie Hope and Roxy Lockhart, Paddy's ex-wife Emily Kirk, Bob's brother Eddie Hope and Kelly Windsor. In July 2007, Cathy and Heath are entered in a "Cute Kids" competition, which Heath wins.
Sharon Lambert
Sharon Lambert is the daughter of Val Lambert and her former partner Jimmy Pepper, and sister of Paul Lambert. She appeared in 2007 and 2008.Sharon arrives in the village in February 2007. With her upcoming wedding to footballer Dan McHerron, she sends invitations to her brother Paul and her aunt Diane Sugden but not her mother. Paul and Diane wonder whether to accept the invitations, partly as Paul also has issues with Sharon. Val sees in a magazine that Sharon is getting married and goes to meet Sharon at Skipdale Hall, the venue chosen for the wedding. Val gets drunk with Dan and she has an argument with Sharon after it is revealed that Val had slept with Sharon's first boyfriend when she was 15 and the boyfriend 17. Val is thrown out and goes for drinks with local journalist John McNally. The following morning, the whole story is in the Hotton Courier. Sharon and Dan's wedding day does not go well and they do not marry as Sharon is revealed as a gold digger.
Sharon returns to the village on 2 June 2008 for Val's wedding to Eric Pollard and seems a reformed character. After the ceremony, she ends up kissing Eric's son, David Metcalfe, and while she only sees it as bit of fun, he seems to take things more seriously. David and Nicola De Souza, who is close to him, overhear Sharon telling a friend that she does not really care about David and is only staying until she has another celebrity party to go to. Nicola and Sharon later get into a fight in the Woolpack when Nicola tells her that David is leaving her. Val is furious that Sharon has gone back on her offer to take her to her next big party and washes her hands of Sharon, who then leaves Emmerdale, saying she wants nothing to do with any of them.
In September 2015, Sharon is unable to attend her mother's funeral as she is looking after her young daughter, Alice. She rings Paul after the service to ask how it went.