Laurel Potts

Laurel Dingle (previously Potts and Thomas) is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Charlotte Bellamy. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 3 September 2002. Laurel has been off-screen at various times while Bellamy has taken maternity leave. Laurel is perhaps best known for her thoughtful and caring attitude towards other characters, however, this changed dramatically in 2015 when she slips into alcoholism, leading to a character transformation.

Her storylines include her marriage to Ashley Thomas (John Middleton), the highly-publicised cot death storyline in which Laurel and Ashley's baby son dies but is transpires that their biological baby is still alive as the babies were accidentally swapped at birth, mentally unstable Sally Spode (Siân Reeves) trying to murder Laurel on numerous occasions, discovering Ashley's abuse of his elderly father Sandy (Freddie Jones), her relationship and marriage to Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock), being carjacked by Ross Barton (Michael Parr) and becoming obsessed with getting her revenge on him, sliding into alcoholism when she begins to struggle with life, a reunion with Ashley and coping with his dementia.