Emmerdale star Claire King wants to return to ITV soap after coronavirus shielding

Because King has arthritis, she had been shielding due to her low immune system leaving her susceptible to catching the virus. But now she can go back, she has revealed that it is just a waiting game to see when Kim will make her return to the Dales.

Talking to OK! Magazine, King said: "I had to get a doctor to say I was fit for work, so it's just a case of waiting to be written back in at this stage."

King also opened up on what it is like living with the condition and how many do not understand the seriousness of it as it isn't an illness visible to others. "When I get a flare-up it's not nice, and it does make you feel very tired. If I am on location in winter, the cold feels like it gets into my bones."

"People don't see it as an issue because you aren't in a wheelchair or limping, but they do look after me on the show and they give me more indoor scenes during the winter. I have to have my buttons done up for me by the costume people now and I can't wear killer heels anymore. You'll notice Kim mostly wears riding boots now".

When we last saw Kim, she was caught up in the drama surrounding Jamie and Andrea (Andrew Lincoln and Anna Nightingale). Latest developments have seen her blackmailed by Andrea in exchange for keeping the secret that Jamie was the culprit in Moira's hit and run. With Jamie currently stuck with Andrea under threat of her revealing his secret to the police, he could certainly do with Kim right now and we imagine things will get very difficult for Andrea when Kim does make her return.

Elsewhere in Emmerdale, Harriet Finch (Katherine Dow Blyton) continues to find herself being drawn into Di Malone's (Mark Womack) world with recent scenes showing her taking in and looking after the injured detective. But with her wedding to Will Taylor (Dean Andrews) still on the cards, this is another explosive secret that is set to go off.

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