Amy Walsh says Tracy Metcalfe will struggle with Nate Robinson going to prison.
Amy Walsh
The 'Emmerdale' actress has opened up about the couple's upcoming emotional scenes as they prepare to be apart as Jurell Carter's character looks set to go to jail after falsely taking the blame for the hit and run which nearly killed Moira Dingle (Natalie J. Robb).
While Nate is doing it to protect Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) - who was wrongly accused - he could miss out on raising his child from birth, and next week's episodes reveal his sentence looks likely to be years rather than months.
Amy told Digital Spy: "Now that Tracy sees how vulnerable and ill Belle is with her mental health, she realises Nate is doing an honourable thing.
"She has got her head around the fact that it could be six months, although she's very anxious about it.
"I think Tracy can accept that Nate might not be there for the birth and the first few months of the baby's life, but then he'll have done a really good thing and they can get on with their lives.
"It takes a bit of a turn when she realises that it could be a case of years that he's away for. It reflects what Nate went through with his abandonment from his dad, and Tracy was abandoned by her dad too."
Amy noted that her character doesn't feel betrayed by Nate, and she tries to be there for him throughout the ordeal.
She added: "I don't think Tracy sees it quite as a betrayal from Nate, it's just a really difficult situation and they have to not hate each other for it!
"She is fiercely loyal and once she gets through it, she is there for Nate every step of the way. As soon as Tracy sees that Nate is vulnerable, she rallies and becomes his protector.
"That's a nice dynamic that you don't really expect to see. The whole journey up to the sentencing is her being vulnerable and weak, and him being the brave one who wants to protect her."