Emmerdale boss hints there could be a ‘happy ending’ for Jai and Nell

Emmerdale producer Ian MacLeod has hinted that there could be a “happy ending” in store for troubled couple Nell Fairfax and Jai Sharmer.

Things are about to step up a few notches between the unlikely pair, played by Scarlett Archer and Chris Bisson, but the bosses of the ITV soap have hinted that things are looking bright.

A positive pregnancy test shakes their relationship this week, causing a wave of worries before viewers see Jai finally decide to go shopping for an engagement ring.

With Nell’s history of drug addiction and Jai’s bad-boy reputation, both actors hinted that starting a family could be a positive move for their characters.

After an awkward moment last week where Nell mistakenly thought Jai had planned to propose, MacLeod said: “(Having a baby) is a big, intimidating life event and Jai and Nell are still quite new; I know soap years are like dog years but it’s still quite early for them.

“It’s daunting, but he’s not dragging his heels.

“There are all kinds of reasons for Jai to be a bit anxious, but he is still seeing this as his happy ending.”

Archer said that the thought of a new arrival and potential wedding was a dream come true for her character who “feels like everything has fallen into place”.

Hinting that the pair will get eventually get to tie the knot, Bisson, continued; “I do like a soap wedding, but it’s always a disaster… so that’s always fun.”

Meanwhile, Archer, who joined the ITV soap cast earlier this year, said she was enjoying the fact that she still rarely gets recognised by fans when out in real life.

But speaking about the difficulties of earning loyal fans’ affections as a new character in a long-running show, she confessed: “I used to check Twitter and now I do not”.

Asked if viewers were going to be seeing a secret, darker side to Nell, MacLeod avoided comment.