Unsuspecting Mary Goskirk is about to be scammed by her girlfriend in a heart-breaking storyline in Emmerdale.
And for veteran actress Louise Jameson, it’s a scenario she’s become familiar with in real life.
Louise has revealed that since she turned 70 she has been swamped with scam emails and texts on a weekly basis.
But, unlike her on-screen character, she’s aware of the dangers and takes great care with transactions.
Even her old employer, the BBC, faced tough questioning when it requested her bank details to forward on royalties from repeat showings of some of her previous dramas including Dr Who.
“I will get an email, phone call or text at least once a week trying to tempt me into some scam,” reveals Louise.
“They could well be algorithms but there are ones that will say things like ‘I’ve got loads of money, can you give me your bank details so I can put it in there.’
“Then there are others like ‘Can you move all your money into this account so we can save your current account’.
“I am suspicious of everything. I even had this thing with the BBC recently.
“The BBC have changed their method of paying you royalties and they required me to give my bank details even though they already had them on another form.
“I absolutely refused to do it. They had to jump through hoops to persuade me it was the correct way to get royalties. I won’t give away anything unless I am face-to-face in the actual building.”
Louise, now 72, says it is terrifying so many people – particularly the older generation are targeted regularly.
She describes how a friend fell victim to a terrible scam recently.
“Her bank account was being emptied and a bank sent her a text saying: ‘Is this you? If we don’t hear from you, we will assume it is,’” says Louise.
“She was in the Outer Hebrides and didn’t have a signal. She lost nearly £20,000 and is now fighting the case.”
The trailblazing actress, whose stellar career began with roles during the late 1970s and 80s in Tenko, Bergerac and The Omega Factor, helped pave the way for stronger female parts across the industry.
In her big new Emmerdale storyline, her character, Mary, who recently came out, she falls head over heels in love with Faye and is soon persuaded to help fundraise for a “charity project abroad”.
Her new girlfriend seems genuine until Mary donates £20,000 of her own money and Faye scarpers with it.
Louise explains: “She has only recently come out and she is like a 14-year-old teenager when she falls for Faye.
“She thinks she has finally found her forever partner but then Faye turns into Cruella de Vil and takes everything!
“Soap is a great place to debate dangerous issues. Just as we have had Paddy’s recent suicide story, the soap is now looking at scamming.”
Admitting she is having a blast playing Mary and is thrilled the writers have made her character so vibrant.
“I’ve done several jobs recently where they throw a Zimmer frame at you,” she chuckles. “But with Mary, the fact she does come out at a later age has been really interesting to play.
“I’ve had lots of complementary letters and whilst I’ve not been asked out on a date, I have had a letter from a woman my age thanking me."
She told me: ‘I’ve lived with this all my life; you’ve given me the courage to come out.’ It’s the writers to thank, not me though.”
More than 40 years since she played Leela in Dr Who, Louise says is still “hardly a day goes by” when the hit BBC sci-fi drama isn’t mentioned to her.
“It was way ahead of its time dealing with inclusivity and dangerous issues like bullying,” she says as she reflects on why the long-running series is so special.
“If you analyse any one of those scripts, it is about stopping bullying. Everyone feels different or excluded at some point and Dr Who puts its arms around you and holds you.”
A very likeable, fun and sociable person, Louise is also incredibly loyal.
She remains close friends with her fellow actresses from ground-breaking Tenko, and recently had lunch with three of the actors who played the children of her character, Rosa Di Marco, in EastEnders.
Says Louise: “It was lovely to see Michael [Greco], Carly [Hillman] and Leila [Birch] recently for a meal in London. Carly was 16 when we all left and is now nearly 40, so it was her idea to gather us all together. We had the perfect Sunday afternoon.”
She is also incredibly proud of her two sons, who work in the health and lifestyle industry, and four grandchildren. “I’ve actually just moved to be nearer to one of my sons in Kent,” she says, beaming with pride.
“We are very close and I love being a granny more than anything else in the world.”
Louise, who is divorced and has had several long-term relationships, leads a very active life and does yoga daily. “I am very supple,” she says, smiling.
“We recently had to do a stunt and I was able to do the run up and aftermath myself. I was rather pleased!”
She is also very health conscious and reveals she decided to give up alcohol three years ago after realising it had become an almost daily habit.
“I was feeling a bit sluggish and it had become expensive,” she explains.
“I stopped for a month, then six months, then a year and that was it. I only miss it when there is a social gathering where I don’t know anyone but after 15 minutes, it doesn’t matter.”
Proud of everything she has achieved, she says, like many actors, she won’t be retiring. “I won’t ever retire,” she declares.
“It sounds cliched and a bit actor-y but when you get it right, you sometimes touch the divine.
“I do think the industry does embrace women of all ages nowadays. I think the ‘woke’ movement is doing an enormous amount of good. Our industry reflects every walk of life.”
She admits age and experience has also brought a very philosophical approach to any role she now takes on.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to receive approval from the world,” she admits. “It’s about doing the best you can and being content with that.”
As for whether she thinks Mary should find her “happy ever after” and it’s a big fat no.
“If everything is all tied up, you negate lots of other stories,” she says. “They come up with some gorgeous storylines and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.”
- Emmerdale is on weekdays at 7.30pm on ITV and the ITV Hub.
