Laurel Thomas (also Potts and Dingle) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Charlotte Bellamy.

Laurel is shown to have a thoughtful and caring attitude towards other characters, however, this changed dramatically in 2015 when she developed an addiction to alcohol which often caused her to become violent and aggressive.

She's very determined and even though a lot of bad things have happened to her she still remains a happy, positive woman who enjoys hanging out with her mates, especially Nicola.Bellamy said Laurel is not your "typical vicar's wife" because she acts "a bit daft and scatty".

Bellamy was not required to wear any padding to make the pregnancy appear legitimate, as she was pregnant in real life.

[11] Laurel arrives at Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) and Tricia Stokes's (Sheree Murphy) engagement party, dressed as a bumblebee.

Laurel moves in with pensioners Betty Eagleton (Paula Tilbrook) and Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards).

He makes advances on Laurel but she does not reciprocate and lets him down gently but Ethan tells George that they had kissed.

Laurel helps Ashley reconnect with his widower elderly father Sandy Thomas (Freddie Jones).

She sells her business to David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) but clashes with Ashley's niece, Jasmine Thomas (Jenna-Louise Coleman).

However, Laurel is upset when Jasmine's friends, Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb) and Daz Eden (Luke Tittensor), accidentally set fire to the vicarage, seeing her lose everything.

Laurel's parents, Douglas (Duncan Preston) and Hilary Potts (Paula Wilcox), visit her but are involved in a car accident on the way home.

Ashamed, she goes home but Hilary begins suspecting that Arthur Doland is Laurel's son and sets out to prove there was a mix up at the hospital.

However, Natasha Wylde (Amanda Donohoe) reveals she has bought it and donates it to the community, allowing Laurel and Ashley to stay in the village.

Ashley comes back into contact with old enemy Vincent (Antony Byrne) and Sally Spode (Siân Reeves).

She attempts to frame him in order to send him to jail, but Moira calls the police and Laurel is arrested but released without charge.

Laurel later feels uncomfortable in early 2014 when Marlon's ex-wife Donna Windsor (Verity Rushworth) returns to the village with his secret four-year-old daughter April (Amelia Flanagan).

Towards the end of 2014, Laurel slowly descends into alcoholism after she realises she cannot cope with everything that has happened to her, Marlon and Donna over the recent months.

She also makes a fool out of herself by drunkenly falling down the stairs while attending Kerry Wyatt's (Laura Norton) party.

She leaves the house, unaware that she has left the front door open, leading to Marlon's beloved dog Daisy escaping.

When Marlon is discharged from hospital following an operation on his eye, he is furious to discover that Cain has told Laurel to leave and they go and find her.

Desperate for a drink, Laurel leaves the village after Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) and Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen) refuse to serve her alcohol in The Woolpack.

She takes a sexually transmitted infection test, which shows that Laurel has contracted chlamydia from the man she slept with.

Later that day, Ashley is run over by Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) while chasing after Laurel when Marlon shouts at her over her chlamydia.

When a drunken Laurel states that Ashley was chasing after her when he was hit by the car, Harriet slaps her and orders her to leave the hospital.

She storms over to the pub and attacks Victoria, with a distraught Gabby overhearing Laurel announcing Ashley's "death".

Meanwhile, Laurel and Ashley deal with Gabby's behaviour and they feel she is spoilt by Bernice and her stepfather, Lawrence White (John Bowe) and they work things out after disputing about their parenting.

Laurel catches Gabby in a compromising position with Jacob Gallagher (Joe Warren-Plant) and finds an unused condom.

She added that an army of fans cheered when the "scatterbrain character finally tied the knot with her dream man.

"[8] Jane Simon of the Daily Mirror said Emmerdale had some "fabulously random pairings" and such as the "unlikely" love-triangle with Laurel, Kelly and Ethan could be titled "The Cleaning Lady, the Scrubber and the Dirty Little Liar.

"[15] Dek Hogan writing for Digital Spy said Emmerdale had done a good job tackling the issue of cot death.