A LANCASHIRE lass is stealing the show in Yorkshire soap Emmerdale as fiesty district nurse Siobhan Marsden.

Abigail Fisher made her first appearance in the ITV soap in March this year when the Marsden family arrived in the imaginary village.

Abigail, 28, of New Lane, Penwortham, plays the brash, outspoken wife of Paul.

"There are some really juicy story lines coming up and I should be on television a lot in June," she said.

The former Penwortham Girls High School pupil has worked hard to get to the top, but fame isn't going to her head.

"The cast are all really down to earth," she said. "They have some good anecdotes and it's a great experience. We spent a week doing workshops together before filming and I got to know my on-screen husband.

"It's a bit strange, as I'm single at the moment, but we spend so much time together it's like having a surrogate family."

Abigail studied at Webber Douglas Drama School, London, but found it hard to find acting work after finishing her course.

She has held down jobs at Booths in Penwortham and Longton where she worked as a Saturday girl and last year she was working for the county council in the Lifelong Learning Department.

"I really believe that you should make sure you enjoy your life even when you can't get the work you want," she said.

"I had fun doing those jobs and made the most of it."

Abigail said Siobhan takes no prisoners and doesn't always think before she speaks. She said she has played fiery characters before and viewers may remember her from the spin off of Channel 4's Hollyoaks -- Moving-On, playing shop girl Louise Bridges.

Now she is looking forward to moving to Leeds, where filming takes place, and getting stuck in to Yorkshire life.

"I keep making jokes about the War of the Roses, but there aren't that many differences really," she said.