Emmerdale’s Claire King reveals struggles of ‘invisible disease’ on ITV set in rare health update
EMMERDALE star Claire King has revealed the struggles of working on the soap with an invisible disease as she’s been at the centre of a huge storyline.
During an appearance on Lorraine this morning, Claire, 61, told host Ranvir Singh that Emmerdale producers try to “keep her out of the village” during the winter.
Claire appeared on the talk show this morning to discuss the recent revelation that her character Kim Tate killed Craig Reed (portrayed by Ben Addis).
Speaking about what will happen next, Claire confirmed “there’s going to be repercussions,” but she’s hoping Kim doesn’t go to prison. The star also teased that the blame will initially be directed toward Sam Dingle (James Hooton), but only time will tell how the storyline plays out.
While discussing specifics of the murder scene, Claire dived into what it was like shooting it on a horse and how her health was a factor while filming the soap.
The 61-year-old has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since she was diagnosed at 28 and has previously described the condition as being an “invisible disease.”
As an autoimmune disorder, it occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body’s tissues. This can be worsened by being outside filming in the village for long periods of time.
So, this may be one of the last major outdoor scenes for a while, as she revealed that Emmerdale producers are “very good” at keeping her out of the cold in the winter.
Speaking candidly, host Ranvir, 46 asked: “With rheumatoid arthritis and being outdoors doing all that filming – is it a bit arduous on you?”
“Yes, I mean they’re very good at work, the producers. And they try to keep me out of the village as much as possible in winter,” the star replied.
“I kind of say ‘October to March, keep me out the village’ but it doesn’t quite work like that,” she added.
Continuing the conversation, Ranvir asked: “But so tell us – it’s in your hands, is it mostly?”
“All my joints,” the soap star replied, revealing that she has metal joints and pins in her hands.
Claire also explained that her arthritis gets worse in the winter. “It’s the cold damp that gets me,” she said.
The ITV soap star has previously been open with her diagnosis and last year revealed to OK! that there are times where she struggles to do some of the things she loves.
“I struggled to go to work and do the things I love, like horse-riding, because of the terrible pressure it put on my knees. I can certainly relate to the ‘invisible disease’ – although my symptoms don’t always show, it doesn’t mean I’m not in pain or feeling exhausted,” she said.