Amanda Donohoe on Maceys, Home Farm and more!

With Amanda Donohoe's Emmerdale storyline reaching its climax this week, I recently chatted to the actress to hear how she found her two-year stint playing troubled Natasha Wylde.

Click here to read the main portion of the interview, but if you've already done so, read on for Amanda's thoughts on Home Farm's future, her screen family and more.

We now know that the Maceys will be taking over at Home Farm after the Wyldes are gone - what are your thoughts on the new family?
"I'm so excited to see what happens! We all know what happens when you move into Home Farm! It's the curse of Home Farm! If there isn't a lot of drama surrounding the new family, I will be sadly disappointed."

What are your thoughts on the state of Emmerdale as a whole at the moment?
"I'm delighted to have left the show in great health and looking good. I've always said that good drama will bring in audiences, and it does - and they love it! There's some absolutely wonderful actors on that show, and when given the right material, they absolutely shine. That's been proved over and over. I hope that Emmerdale goes from strength to strength. It's no mean feat producing 300-odd episodes a year continuously. I think it's the most hours of drama made in Europe - more than any other show. When the other shows only have to do five episodes a week, we do six! It's a huge testament to the producers, the crew and the actors."

Do you think your screen children Alice Coulthard and Lyndon Ogbourne will have bright futures outside of Emmerdale?
"They're two little stars in the making. I think they're both extraordinary and they've both been a pleasure to work with. They're only just starting in the industry, so God knows what's going to happen! It's a crazy world out there! But they're well-equipped to do anything now, they really are."

And let's not forget Oscar Lloyd, who plays Will…
"Oh, little Oscar! It's been so bizarre to watch him grow up. When we first started, he was an 11-year-old boy, and when I left, he was a 13-year-old teenager and about twice the height he was when we joined! He just looks so handsome and so I thought, 'Oh, bless!' Emmerdale is a great training ground for young actors - it's great for discipline. Once you've done something like a soap opera and the gruelling demands it puts on you, you can cope with anything. So those young actors are in good hands."

Can you name any particular highlights from your time at Emmerdale?
"There are so many! The great thing about working on that show is that the crew and the cast have such a great sense of humour. So even when you're knee-deep in snow trying to shoot a scene when your face is frozen off, you're still laughing! We tease each other - we get the work done but with a great deal of humour."

Finally, how would you sum up your time on the show?
"It's gone so fast. When you're in the middle of it, it doesn't go fast, but once you look back on it, you realise that it does go so quickly. I've learned an enormous amount from Emmerdale and made some great friends. It's been more of an experience than I expected, really, and that's all you can ask for!"

Will you miss Natasha? How will you remember the character? Let me know your thoughts using the usual form below!