Emmerdale star Kevin Mathurin reveals Charles takes shocking action due to religion as ‘God tests him’

Recently a shocking car accident in Emmerdale left Nicky Milligan (Lewis Cope) fighting for his life. Viewers saw the driver of the car, Ethan Anderson (Emile John), running away from the scene.

In the wake of the accident Nicky’s parents were devastated to hear he may not survive his injuries. Meanwhile Ethan was wracked with guilt to know that he was the one responsible, and terrified in case his part in the accident should be discovered.

In upcoming episodes Ethan admits to his dad, Charles (Kevin Mathurin) that he was driving the car when Nicky was injured. And Charles has a huge decision to make when Ethan asks him to give him an alibi, as Kevin Mathurin explained to us.

‘There’s always that battle between Charles the vicar and Charles the man and father,’ he said.

He has a ruthless side

‘He wants to do right by his son, obviously, but righteously, to do the right thing is own up and face the consequences. Charles will support him no matter what happens. You can’t take your own wheel, sometimes you’ve got to hand God the wheel and see what happens.

‘I think every parent will understand or it’ll be a debate on “what I’d do as a parent.” I think it’ll bring up that conversation – would you want to do the right thing and live with that, or would you keep that secret and get yourself involved as well and be complicit to the wrongdoings?’

Charles makes the difficult decision to tell the police what Ethan told him – and his son is arrested.

‘That’s the cards that he’s dealt. He knew he was drinking and the accident has happened so therefore that’s the consequences he has to face,’ Kevin reasoned.

‘I think faith is really important to Charles. Yes, life is always testing him but that’s life in general, life tests everyone. Luckily he’s got his faith to rely on while some people don’t have that. But I think things do happen where he does think “why me?” He thinks “I’ll take things into my own hands and deal with it the way that I want to deal with it as a man and a father.”’

As well as driving a wedge between himself and Ethan there’s soon backlash from the village when Ruby (Beth Cordingly) realises that Ethan was the person responsible for injuring her son.

Kevin said he understood the reaction. ’I think as per usual, the village turns against him. Because at the end of the day, Nicky is the victim. It’s not about whether Charles has done the right thing of calling the police on his son or not, it’s more about Nicky and that Ethan has committed the crime. They’ll judge the family on that.’

We’ve seen in the past, for example in his treatment of his father Victor (Eddie Osei), that Charles has a ruthless side that his parishioners don’t usually see.

Is this the sort of occasion when we’ll see that side resurface again?

‘I think Charles thinks he’s on an even keel, but there’s always going to be something that’s going to push him over the edge,’ Kevin speculated.

‘I enjoyed playing that darker side, it showed that he’s got a bit of grit behind him and he’s not too much of a walkover. I think he has to be pushed right into the corner and once he’s in that corner, forget the Bible, man!’