Natalie J. Robb says soap stars "don't have much of a life" when they are heavily involved in a storyline.
Natalie J. Robb
The 'Emmerdale' actress admitted it is "nice" having a break from portraying Moira Dingle - who she has played since 2009 in the ITV soap - because the show's schedule can be really busy when a character is heavily involved in a big storyline.
When asked if it is a relief that things are a bit calmer for Moira at the moment, she replied: "I still love being involved in storylines, of course. But it is nice having some time off and getting to see your friends and family that you don't get to see when you're full-on busy."
While Natalie loves playing her character, she "doesn't stop" during busy times, which sees the former 'Dream Team' star having to learn lines at night and act them out during the day.
She added: "When you are busy like you can be you don't really have much of a life, and you have to learn your lines at night, so it doesn't stop."
The 43-year-old actress' latest storyline has seen Ash Palmisciano join the soap as Matty Barton, who was previously known as Moira's daughter Hannah Barton, and the star advised him to "stay grounded" and ignore online trolls before he made his Dales debut.
She said: "I'm very protective. I've said to him, 'This is going to change your life. Don't worry about what's on social media. Just keep a level head and stay grounded.' And he will."
When Matty turned up at Butlers Farm, Moira instantly recognised him as her daughter Hannah, and Natalie enjoyed the real-life comparisons to the plot.
She added: "He's actually been through this. That's what I love about this story - we are dealing with something that is really happening and that's wonderful.
"It's daunting, it's challenging and it's scary thinking that people have been through this."