Emmerdale star Gemma Oaten to join Shropshire film project Holly & Ivy
A former soap star who suffered from bulimia in her youth has signed on to a short film being made in Shropshire to raise awareness about the harrowing eating disorder.
Gemma Oaten, who rose to fame in ITV’s Emmerdale, announced her new role in Holly & Ivy in a social media video released on Christmas Day.
Produced by Oswestry-based Rocking Horse Media, Holly & Ivy will tell the story of a teenage girl battling bulimia - a struggle Gemma knows all about.
This time though she will be swapping learning a script for helping to write one by tapping into her lived experiences and working as a story consultant on the project.
In an emotional video to her 29,000+ social media followers, she said: “I also run an eating disorder charity; something massively close to my heart. The truth is bulimia nearly killed me.”
Gemma isn’t the first major soap talent involved in Holly & Ivy, with fellow former Emmerdale actress Paula Lane also on board as an executive producer.
Paula cites Gemma’s own experience of bulimia as being significantly pertinent. “I know Gemma will bring an abundance of care and passion to the project,” she said. “She has lived experience and, with her knowledge, is a perfect match to help this film continue to get the recognition it deserves.”
Holly & Ivy will star local sixteen-year-old actresses Betty Carter and Emily Stephenson in the titular roles. With Gemma’s blend of professional calibre and authentic lived experience now backing them, Rocking Horse's Gareth Thomas is more confident than ever that the film will do great work on shining a vital light on bulimia as a “severely underrepresented and serious health topic”.
