Tracy's Jealousy

After all the trouble with Simon, Robert offers Leanne a shoulder to cry on. We spoke to Kate Ford about how jealous Tracy handles this new friendship and whether or not she'll push Robert away for good.

Has Tracy had any idea about what Leanne’s been dealing with in Simon?

No she’s not got a clue. Tracy isn’t privy to anything Leanne has been going through, they hardly see eye to eye so Tracy’s probably the last person Leanne would confide in! And Tracy’s too wrapped up in her own business to notice the problems other people might have. When she finds out Simon’s moved in, Tracy’s not bothered as to why, she’s just annoyed that he’ll be there all the time!

How does she react when she and Ken arrive to see him attacking Amy?

Tracy’s absolutely furious when Amy tells her that Simon hit her. Tracy will never believe Amy has done anything wrong. I think Amy does wind him up a bit about not being wanted anywhere and he really doesn’t like it. But on this occasion Simon has actually been quite menacing towards Amy and Tracy wants to blame someone.

Why does she go looking for Leanne straight away?

Tracy knows she can’t retaliate towards Simon because he’s only a child, so the only person she can think to blame is Leanne and she’ll make sure she knows it. I think it’s also that Tracy feels she can now take the moral high ground and point the finger at Leanne and maybe accuse her of bad parenting or something. That sounds like something Tracy would do!

What happens next?

Leanne and Tracy go back to talk to Simon. Leanne wants Simon to apologise but that isn’t enough for Tracy, she wants him to go back to Leanne so she can deal with the problem. She doesn’t think that it should be her or Ken’s problem to look after him.

Is Tracy touched when Leanne breaks down?

I think she’s definitely shocked when Leanne breaks down and tells Tracy and Ken that Simon’s been hitting her. She never expected that. She was happy to tarnish Simon as well as Leanne with the same brush and blame Leanne for Simon’s actions, so she is definitely taken aback when Leanne breaks down and explains the reality of the situation. It doesn’t stop her from making the odd snipe at Leanne though and even after the shock has settled returns to blaming Leanne for Simon’s behaviour! Any sympathy she might have at first quickly evaporates when everyone else starts comforting Leanne.

Why does Robert and Leanne’s friendship bother Tracy so much?

Tracy is a very jealous person anyway, and with someone like Leanne who she doesn’t like and who doesn’t like her back, then Leanne is the last person she wants Robert falling into a friendship with. She wants Robert all to herself and the thought of Leanne being friendly with him annoys her. She can’t help it - that’s just Tracy all over. She’s insanely jealous and feeling insecure that Robert is paying attention and care to Leanne over her.

What does Robert make of the way she’s behaving?

I think he’s quite disgusted by how cold she is being towards Leanne. Tracy is completely uninterested in the situation and is unsympathetic towards Leanne for the way Simon has treated her.

He goes round to see Simon and Leanne and this gets her back right up. She tells him he’s betrayed her but Robert stands up for himself and says he doesn’t need permission from her and that his opinion about Leanne and Simon is different to hers and that he’s not going to change that.

She hates it when they fall out and when she doesn’t get her own way - I think she knows deep down that she’s gone one step too far and she’s been playing this badly. She decides to get all dressed up and go to the Bistro in an attempt to get Robert to talk to her again. He’s not making it easy for her but she decides to sit it out and wait...

Why does she fly off the handle again?

Robert isn’t giving in to Tracy at all and is making her work hard for forgiveness. Tracy is intending to sit in the Bistro until he talks to her again but Leanne comes in and Robert is all concerned for her and chatting things over with her and Tracy is overcome with jealousy, especially when Leanne hugs Robert and thanks him for his support.

It kills Tracy because she just can’t find it in her to be nice or supportive. She can’t help but fire insults at Leanne and she really goes to town on her. She just can’t help it.

Can she win him back?

She’d be absolutely devastated if they were over. Robert really does get Tracy and I think deep down she knows she’s landed on her feet given the year she’s had and everything she’s done.

She can be very persuasive and manipulative and she won’t stop until she gets what she wants. She knows Robert loves her deeply as well, so she hopes she can work her way round him.