Angelica King’s character has made a dramatic return to Emmerdale, but behind the role lies a heartbreaking story that viewers may not know. While Rebecca Bakes currently plays Angelica, she isn’t the only actress to have stepped into the part.
Back in 2009, a little girl named Sophie Firth appeared as Jimmy and Nicola King’s daughter Angelica for three months. Sadly, Sophie’s life was cut short in December 2012 when she was just three years old.
She had been at her grandmother’s home in South Yorkshire, proudly trying on her angel costume for an upcoming nursery nativity play. In a tragic twist, her dress caught fire from a nearby gas heater. What should have been a sweet family moment turned into horror as flames engulfed her tiny frame, reports the Mirror.
Her devastated family later explained that Sophie leaned over the fire, and the bottom of her dress ignited instantly, turning into a fireball. Her mother, Amy, desperately tried to smother the flames with a blanket, but by then Sophie had suffered burns covering 70 percent of her body.
She fought for nine days at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, but complications from a blood infection proved too much. Sophie passed away, leaving her family and friends shattered.
Her parents Neil and Amy released a statement at the time, calling her their “bright and beautiful” little girl. They said, “We will carry our little princess in our arms forever”, according the Leeds Live.
Emmerdale itself issued a statement, with a spokesperson saying: “We are devastated to hear of Sophie’s tragic death. Our sincere condolences go out to her family. Everyone at Emmerdale is thinking of them at this sad time.”
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue also released a warning alongside their condolences. A spokesperson said: “This was a tragic accident and our thoughts are with the girl’s family and friends at this extremely distressing time. Any fire can be dangerous. We would urge people to pay particular attention to the risk of fires in their home during the cold weather and as we approach the holiday season.”
In the years since, Sophie’s parents have kept her memory alive through fundraising. They set up a JustGiving page in her name and have raised nearly £23,000 for The Children’s Hospital Charity. On the page, they described Sophie as “beautiful, exceptionally bright, loving and funny.” They added that she was at “the heart of the family” and that her absence left a hole that can never be filled.
They wrote: “Anyone who ever met Sophie knows not only was she beautiful but she was exceptionally bright, loving and funny. Her family and friends miss her more than words can say; our anguish at the loss of such a young and promising life is too much to bear. Sophie was three and a half (and the half mattered). Just by being Sophie she said and did so many things that brought joy to our lives. She was at the centre of everything she did and the heart of the family.”
