SHE is currently blowing viewers away with her portrayal of terrifying Emmerdale serial killer Meena Jutla.

And this week her gripping story line in the ITV soap reaches fever pitch when Meena finally ends up in court.

But while Paige Sandhu, 24, is winning plaudits for her role – including Best Villain at last year’s Inside Soap Awards – life has not always been so easy for the Kent-born actress. 

Towards the end of her studies at London’s Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Paige became so crippled by anxiety that she was barely able to leave home. 

“I felt unsafe a lot. Not like someone was going to attack me – I just didn’t feel comfortable, especially around people that I didn’t know.

"It was probably social anxiety, fear of judgement and fear about the future,” explains Paige.

“When I left drama school, I moved back with my family and I became quite reclusive.

"I didn’t leave the house a lot, I had terrible insomnia and suffered from food allergies and intolerances.”

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Despite her struggles, Paige was still able to work, and swiftly landed some small TV roles, including on medical soap Doctors and detective drama series Endeavour, while trying to conquer her anxiety.

“I read self-help books, had therapy and went to a nutritionist,” says Paige, who also became a fan of journalling, meditation, yoga and EFT (emotional freedom technique), which uses tapping to help balance the body’s energy system.

“I found it really helpful, especially when I was in the thick of anxiety,” she explains.

“I’m so grateful for that time now, because I taught myself how to really take care of my emotions and my mental health.”

Paige joined the cast of Emmerdale in September 2020 as evil Meena, and for a fortnight before recording her first scenes on set in Leeds, she studied how to play the ultimate psychopath.

“I learned about the genetic make-up of psychopaths and their behaviours, I listened and read books by psychoanalysts and I looked at other actors who had played psychopaths, including Jodie Comer in Killing Eve, Christian Bale in American Psycho and Jamie Dornan in The Fall.”

Now, with Meena’s murdering spree reaching its gripping conclusion, what does the future hold for Paige?

We sat down to talk life after Emmerdale and why she feels fortunate to be working in TV at a time when diversity is key.

Paige, has your role on Emmerdale been a dream come true?

Yeah! It was a shock to the system! Hearing I’d got the part, I was screaming and had so much adrenalin in my body, I couldn’t stop shaking.

Then reality kicked in. I thought: “This is going to change a lot of things.”

I felt unsafe a lot. Not like someone was going to attack me – I just didn’t feel comfortable, especially around people that I didn’t know.

Did you ever worry that your anxiety would stop you achieving your dreams? 

No. I’ve trained myself to think: “No matter the circumstances, I believe that I can thrive.”

I feel like I have [developed] a really healthy mindset. That’s perhaps what helped me to get the Emmerdale role. I was ready emotionally and physically.

What was it like joining in a pandemic?

A lot of the cast were saying: “It’s sad now, because we don't have a green room,” and in the canteen we weren’t allowed to sit next to each other.

But I'd never experienced otherwise, so I was just having a great time!

But you couldn’t go for after-work bonding drinks…

Rebecca [Sarker, who plays Meena’s sister Manpreet] and I are constantly WhatsApping each other, and the same with Fiona Wade [who plays Priya Sharma].

When you’re spending 11 hours on set together, you form a bond.

A lot of the time, you’re so tired, you don’t want to go for a drink unless you’re in a more relaxed story line – but I haven’t ever been!

Has playing such an evil character invited any negativity?

One person was upset and contacted me on social media,  because some horrible stuff had happened in her village.

As much as we see Meena as an entertaining, larger-than-life and fictional personality, there are real murders happening.

If I’d lived in a village where something horrible had happened, it would trigger me, too!

Were your acting dreams supported in school? 

I went to a girls’ school that was very academic. You were considered an oddball if you wanted to do something in the arts.

When I said I wanted to be an actress, the careers adviser said: “Well, what’s your plan B?”

When I was 16 I moved to a school that was very good for drama and that really nurtured me.

I read self-help books, had therapy and went to a nutritionist.

Were you bullied at the first school?

I was never bullied, but you know what girls are like. I was just ousted.

I really wanted to be liked by other people, so to have friends I [believed I] had to be whatever they wanted me to be.

It wasn’t until after drama school when I started doing a lot of work on my mental health that I decided to be me – to accept and love myself.

That’s also when I started to form really good friendships. 

You have a long-term boyfriend – what can you tell us about him?

I have got a long-term partner, but I’m not going to talk about him because I just want to protect our relationship. Sorry about that! 

Your dentist dad Jaspal is Punjabi and your Pilates instructor mum Denise is white British. How do you feel about the drive to better represent Britain’s diverse audience?

I’ve always felt like there’s been a space for me.

I’ve never felt like I haven’t got jobs or auditions because of the colour of my skin, but we’re in a modern time where we want to see diversity on screen and for people to enjoy it. I’ve been lucky with that.

Did you experience any racism growing up?

I encountered a bit of racism, but the school I went to was very diverse, so I grew up with all colours of the spectrum in my classroom.

I’d never experienced seeing someone differently because of the colour of their skin. 

• Watch Emmerdale, weeknights, 7.30pm, ITV.  

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