Siobhan Marsden


Siobhan Marsden is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Emmerdale, played by Abigail Fisher. She made her first appearance on 10 March 2003, before departing the following year on 7 September 2004.

Development

Siobhan was introduced in March 2003 alongside the Marsden family. In September 2003, the serial's producer Steve Frost announced that he would be writing out the majority of the family. However, he said that Siobhan and her on-screen husband Paul Marsden remain in the series. Frost told a reporter from Inside Soap that "Paul and Siobhan Marsden will be staying and facing some trying times".

Storylines

After arriving in town, Siobhan soon found a job as a nurse, although she repeatedly clashed with locals, most notably when Victoria Sugden faked an illness. When Victoria actually became sick, Siobhan didn't believe her, causing a clash with Jack Sugden. When Paul's family left the village in December 2003, the couple moved into Victoria Cottage.
In July 2004, married life ended in a horrific manner. Siobhan's husband, Paul went to fix the gutters on a roof with Carl King. Carl playfully tossed him some tools, but when Paul tried to catch them, he fell to his death. Carl and Paul had only recently made up after a fight, and Carl was terrified people would think he'd deliberately killed Paul. Carl called his brothers Jimmy King and Matthew King and they moved Paul's body to his garden. After returning home from the pub with best mate Chloe Atkinson, Siobhan found Paul's body, cradling him in her arms. Siobhan had no desire to stay in the village, and Matthew, happy to get rid of her as soon as possible, bought Victoria Cottage. Days before her departure, Siobhan learned she was pregnant—a bittersweet irony, as Paul had wanted nothing more than to be a father. Siobhan considered staying in the village, but Matthew refused to let her rent. She left a few days later, never knowing the true circumstances of her husband's death.

Reception

Lorna Cooper of MSN TV listed Siobhan of one of Soap Opera's "forgotten characters" and noted that during her time in the serial she managed to clash with all of the locals.