Lizzie Lakely is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Kitty McGeever. Lizzie is Emmerdale first blind character, and was played by a blind actress. She made her first on-screen appearance on 28 April 2009. Lizzie's last appearance was on 28 March 2013. McGeever had health problems, but, in June 2013, producer Kate Oates stated there had been plans for her to return. McGeever died in August 2015, however, without having returned to the series.
Character creation and casting
In January 2009, it was announced that Anita Turner had stepped down from the position of series producer and that Gavin Blyth had taken over the role. With Turner's departure Blyth began the show's rejuvenation and with that came his first signing, actress Kim Thomson as Faye Lamb. On 2 March 2009, it was announced that Emmerdale had signed comedian Kitty McGeever, the first blind actress to be cast in a British soap, as Lizzie Lakely, the cousin of Lisa Dingle (Jane Cox). Speaking of her casting, McGeever said, "I'm thrilled to be joining Emmerdale as Lizzie and delighted that the show is challenging stereotypes in this way. Lizzie spells trouble from the word go and will be causing all kinds of strife in the village." Of the casting, the show's series producer Blyth said, "Kitty is an extremely talented actress and I'm pleased that she will be joining the show, marking the arrival of such a fascinating character. Lizzie is forthright and fun and she'll soon prove that she isn’t afraid to manipulate circumstances to her advantage."
McGeever later revealed in an interview with This Morning that she helped to create her new alter ego Lizzie, of this input she explained, "The character was developed by me with the producers. So I had some input. The producers came to see my standup show and Gavin [Blyth] the producer said: 'We want that woman on stage but toned down', because I'm quite outrageous on stage!" Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Front Row about filling a disabled quota McGeever said, "I’m not representing anyone, I’m Kitty McGeever and I’m just blind."
Storylines
Lizzie is first seen in April 2009, when she meets Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) at community service. Laurel takes pity on Lizzie after realising she is blind, and buys her a meal after Lizzie claims to have left her handbag on the bus. Lizzie meets her cousin Lisa Dingle (Jane Cox) in the village shop and, whilst in the shop, puts some items in her bag that she did not intend to pay for but Lisa catches her and asks her to put them back. Consequently, Lizzie takes her purse out too, which she had told Laurel she had lost. When leaving Laurel and Ashley's (John Middleton) house, she is taken away by the police for not obeying her curfew. Lizzie moves in with the Dingles but outstays her welcome, annoying Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell) and soon makes friends in the village.
Lizzie makes friends with David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) and begins to support him in the upcoming council election, but when Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell) offers her cash, she supports him instead. She attends a council function for the disabled with him but they are removed by security when she is recognised as a thief and her tag is seen.
Lizzie attends Natasha Wylde (Amanda Donohoe) and Mark Wylde's (Maxwell Caulfield) vow renewal reception, and belittles Marlon Dingle's (Mark Charnock) catering, knowing that he would cook her another meal to change her opinion of his cooking. Lizzie and Marlon become friends and Marlon asks her to move into Tall Trees Cottage with him and she accepts, annoying his brother, Eli (Joseph Gilgun). Eli doesn't trust Lizzie and begins to follow her to find out where she makes her money. He discovers that she is working on a psychic hotline and Marlon later learns that she is the psychic that he had been ringing for romantic advice. He demands that Lizzie return that money and she does. When she wins some money on a scratch card, Eli Dingle and Jake Doland (James Baxter) trick her in order to keep the winnings but Jake feels guilty and owns up, returning the money. In his defence, Eli remarks that Lizzie is also a con-artist and she starts questioning her behaviour. She and Eli gradually become good friends.