Sibling shock for 'Emmerdale's Carrie

Emmerdale's Carrie Nicholls – former Page 3 model turned actress Linda Lusardi – will get the shock of her life next month when her sister, Lexi, turns up out of the blue.

Carrie, an ex-mistress of Tom King (Ken Farrington), turned up in a shroud of mystery earlier this year when her daughter, Scarlett (Kelsey-Beth Crossley), was named as a beneficiary of Tom King's estate.

But the past which Carrie believed she could keep buried finally catches up with her when her stunning younger sister makes an unexpected appearance in the village.

Lexi – played by soap newcomer Sally Oliver – arrives in the Dales fresh from a stint in a foreign prison following her conviction for drug-related crimes. Carrie, shocked to see her younger sibling, begins to panic when the skeletons she thought she'd trapped in her closet begin to encroach on her Yorkshire life.

Of her role, Sally said: "I'm thrilled to have been offered this fantastic opportunity. I'm so excited to be joining such an established show and I can't wait for Lexi to make her mark on the village.”

Emmerdale Series Producer Kathleen Beedles added: "We're delighted to welcome Sally to the cast and viewers can look forward to some explosive storylines after Lexi's arrival. She's a loose cannon and that can only spell trouble for Carrie and the Kings."

Sally began filming today and is contracted until the end of the year.

Click here for a first-look at Sally's debut scenes in the village.