Emmerdale: Carly has a big baby secret, reveals Gemma Atkinson

Later in the week, Carly explains to Tracy that the reason why she's so upset is because she had a friend who lost a baby. But is Carly being economical with the truth?

Says Gemma Atkinson of the upcoming storyline: "Carly's going through a lot of grief. The situation with Johnny is bringing up bad memories and there's more to it than what people will initially think. She's got secrets and baggage that she's not even told her parents about.

"Telling Tracy in the pub would be too hard, so Carly ends up twisting the story and saying that it happened to a friend. But it's really what she's been through herself."

Last month, the actress commented to RadioTimes.com that Carly's backstory is "tragic and upsetting" and it seems that statement will be borne out in a scene that features Carly holding a photo of herself with a baby.

"It'll be a case of viewers having to wait and see whether this is Carly's baby, what has happened to him and the reasons why it's turned out this way. There's a lot to it and the reason why she's been acting this way is because she's been through so much."

And it seems that the trauma is only going to intensify in the coming weeks as more about Carly's past is revealed. Adds Atkinson: "I'm flattered that the writers have trusted me with this story and people will hopefully relate to what they see in a positive way.

"But as the layers unfold, it's only going to get worse and worse for Carly."

Watch a 60-second rundown of next week's episodes of Emmerdale below.

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