FRIENDSHIP GOALS: ‘IT'S LIKE A PARTY EVERY WEEKEND WITH US!'

EMMERDALE LEGENDS EMMA ATKINS AND LUCY PARGETER OPEN UP TO OK! ABOUT THEIR ALMOST-YEAR FRIENDSHIP AS THEY LIFT THE LID ON BEING THERE FOR EACH OTHER THROUGH THICK AND THIN

- OLIVIA WHEELER

One of the first things we notice when we meet Emmerdale co-stars Emma Atkins and Lucy Pargeter at OK!’s exclusive shoot is that they couldn’t be more different to their soap characters, Charity and Chas Dingle.

The two stars are already in hair and make-up as they share in-jokes and discuss how to manage their joint childcare for their children – Lucy, 45, has daughter Lola, 16, and twins Betsy and Missy, who turn five this week, while Emma, 47, has son Albert, seven.

“We’re each other’s rock,” Emma explains of her best friend and co-star Lucy.

This is clear to see as Emma proudly watches Lucy pose for her test shots from the side of the room, shouting over how good her pal looks in the photos.

“There’s an innate trust, an authenticity there. We make each other laugh, and we’ve never not enjoyed working together,” she continues.

Emma and Lucy have played cousins in the Dales for almost 20 years and, as a sense of infectious warmth, ease and laughter erupts in the studio, it’s clear they’re like family in real life, too.

“When the cameras stop rolling our relationship is exactly the same, we know each other so well,” Lucy tells us.

“We feel exactly the same age as we were when we first joined. That’s why we’re quite juvenile!” Lucy jokes.

Recently on Emmerdale, Emma and Lucy’s characters had a huge falling out after it was revealed that Charity had bought pub The Woolpack at auction from Chas – with the pair even having a food fight using potato salad, which we learn was actually marshmallows and cream.