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Emmerdale: Woman's joy at TV soap appearance for bucket list blanket

BBC Alison Davey and Julie CassBBC
Alison Davey (left) revealed the news to her "brilliant friend" Julie Cass (right) during an interview on BBC Essex

A woman who dreamed of making a blanket for her favourite TV soap has finally seen her crocheted creation appear on screen.

Emmerdale fan Julie Cass, from Earls Colne, Essex, created a bucket list of goals when she became seriously ill.

Her friend Alison Davey - and BBC Essex - joined forces to make it happen.

"I was proud that it actually got there and so many people were looking out for it as well. It was a brilliant, brilliant moment," Ms Cass said.

The 64-year-old started knitting cat blankets for an animal sanctuary, but decided to challenge herself to crochet a patchwork throw in the style of others used on the long-running ITV soap.

Her bucket list project started after Ms Cass, who has chronic pulmonary disease and a heart disease, became ill.

Julie Cass Crochet blanket on sofa behind Emmerdale actress Eden Taylor-DraperJulie Cass
Julie Cass spent a week sat on her coffee table to capture a picture of her blanket on set with actress Eden Taylor-Draper who plays Belle Dingle

After starting the crochet craft at the beginning of the year, Ms Cass finally got to see her handiwork on the Dingle family sofa.

Teaming up with BBC Essex, it was her friend Alison Davey who helped get the blanket to the producers of the show.

Ms Davey said: "I just couldn't be happier that everyone pulling together has made it happen.

"I got quite tearful when I saw it appear on the television.

"Luckily I recorded it so I could pause it, rewind, pause it again and then take a photo," she said.

Julie Cass Julie Cass's blanket crocheted for EmmerdaleJulie Cass
Gillian Slight, head of design at Emmerdale, said the team were delighted to have "Julie's beautiful crocheted blanket on Emmerdale's iconic and much-loved Dingle set"

Ms Cass and her husband Gordon said they had never missed an episode of the soap and enjoyed it for its "realistic storylines".

She said: "It's normal. It's normal everyday stuff as well. There's a little boy with Down's Syndrome, there's teenage pregnancy, things like that happen in real life so why not in a TV programme?"

Ms Cass said she hoped one day to visit the Yorkshire set herself.

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