Matthew King
Encyclopedia
Matthew Thomas King is a fictional character
from the British
soap opera
Emmerdale
played by Matt Healy
. First appearing in 2004, Matthew arrived as part of the King family, a family of successful businessmen.
During his time on the show, Matthew had relationships with several women and was engaged to Anna De Souza
when he died. Matthew's last appearance was on 16
December 2008 when his and Anna's wedding had a tragic conclusion.
, Matthew always had a much darker side than his brothers.
Matthew's heartless nature was shown when Carl
was involved in the accidental death of postman Paul Marsden. Matthew dealt with the tragic incident with bone-chilling coldness. Having moved the body and covered up Carl’s involvement, Matthew conned Paul’s widow Siobhan
into selling him the cottage at a knockdown price. She left the area with her unborn baby. The way he treated Siobhan was characteristic of Matthew.
Although his elder brother Jimmy
should have inherited their father’s business, Matthew worked tirelessly to ensure Tom left it to him. A task which, given Jimmy's skill for leaving a trail of clownish calamity in his path, was not difficult. The rivalry between them got nasty repeatedly - Matthew was never happier than when Jimmy had made yet another mistake.
In later years, family loyalties began to shift, especially after Tom's death. Matthew and Carl grew apart and Jimmy tried to make peace between them as well as being Matthew's confidant.
At the funeral of one of Tom's closest friends, Matthew bedded the deceased's daughter before using squeeze Sian to make his next conquest Louise Appleton
jealous. What Matthew wanted, he got, and it didn't take him long to convince Louise to end her relationship with Terry
and spark up a passionate affair with him.
However, as soon as Louise ditched Terry for him, Matthew began mistreating Louise. He told her that their fling was over after having allowed Louise to lose everything. Louise didn't take it well and one night, in the Woolpack, warned Jimmy to keep an eye on Sadie as Matthew seemed to only want women who were attached to other men. After that, Matthew began stalking Louise almost to make sure she kept her mouth shut but she visited him and hinted at what happened to men who mistreated her. Realising she needed to clear her head, Louise went home to Australia for a while. On her return, she kept well away from Matthew.
In 2005, Matthew began a relationship with Jimmy's estranged wife, Sadie King
. They had been together but she choose Jimmy over Matthew as she thought he would inherit the family business. Their affair brought out Matthew's more vulnerable side. Eventually he was in a position to take over his father's business empire, but Jimmy revealed the affair with Sadie. Tom forced Matthew to choose, and Matthew chose the business.
However, he couldn't live without Sadie, ruining her wedding to Alasdair Sinclair by declaring his love for her. Sadie encouraged him to deceive his family to gain a lucrative contract, which led them to disown him. After Matthew discovered Sadie was responsible for the show home collapse (which tragically claimed the lives of several Emmerdale residents and left his brother Jimmy partially paralysed), he was furious. Furthermore, Matthew discovered that in the wreckage following the disaster, Sadie had hit Jimmy over the head with a brick.
Matthew was heartbroken when he realised exactly what Sadie was capable of and told her that their relationship was over, and that he never wanted to see her again.
When Tom was murdered on Christmas Day 2006, Matthew suspected his stepmother Rosemary Sinclair of committing the crime. However, there was evidence against all three King brothers suggesting that they had killed Tom together. They were therefore charged with conspiracy to murder. However, after the trial collapsed due to lack of evidence, Matthew was shocked to discover Carl was responsible and that Jimmy knew that Carl was responsible. Matthew was devastated, making it clear once more that underneath his cruel exterior, like his brothers, he was saddened by the lack of trust and closeness in their family.
However, this didn't stop him and his brothers threatening Rosemary that they would kill her if she didn't sell Home Farm Estates back to them. Fearing for her life, Rosemary agreed and moved into Mill Cottage with her son and daughter-in-law.
The most defining relationship Matthew had was with Perdita Hyde-Sinclair
.
Matthew took a keen interest in Perdy, having had a one night stand with her in his office during the Home Farm ball. This deepened into friendship and they relied on each other for support and she gave him information about Rosemary. He wanted a more intimate relationship but she stayed with her husband, Grayson Sinclair
.
Matthew realised Rosemary was responsible for Perdy's troubles after Rosemary drugged her and had her sectioned. He supported Perdy as he felt responsible for Rosemary moving into Mill Cottage and they grew closer. Perdy, however, struggled with her feelings for him but wanted to make her marriage work, especially after she discovered Katie Sugden
, who was her surrogate, was pregnant. Matthew stunned Perdy by telling her he would wait for her and raise the baby as his own, if it meant he could be with her. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a80079/grayson-attacks-matt.html Perdy was thrilled and they carried on their affair until Grayson found out and framed Matthew for his mother's 'murder'. Perdy found out when she discovered implicating evidence and a letter from Rosemary, telling Grayson that she was living in Miami. Perdy told Grayson she knew and blackmailed him into giving the letter to the police - she kept the cardigan and used it to blackmail Grayson for sole custody of the baby. She promised, in return, she wouldn't tell the police that he had helped frame Matthew - something that would end his legal career.
She left him on Christmas Day 2007, and Matthew invited her to move in with him. However, three months later, Matthew discovered Perdy was responsible for Katie having an accident and almost losing the baby and that she knew about Grayson's attempt to frame him for Rosemary's death. Matthew was so horrified at Perdy's behaviour, he threw her out and ended their relationship. When she went to see him a few days later, he told her he'd slept with her to upset Grayson.
That summer, Matthew had alienated almost everyone and Jimmy reminded him about the way he had treated Perdy and Matthew showed signs of remorse. When Perdy's baby son was born (Perdy and Matthew delivered the baby in Matthew's car), Katie told her to take the baby and escape Grayson for ever. In a rare show of kindness, "for old time's sake", Matthew gave Perdy a cheque for £20,000, saying Katie could pay him back once she was out of hospital. Just before Perdy left, they appeared to have reached a truce after their turbulent friendship/relationship and it was noted onscreen that the pair briefly kept in touch when Perdy sent Matthew a letter with a picture of her and the baby enclosed.
In early 2008, Carl felt increasingly isolated in the King business and family. He decided to go to work for their chief rival, Donald De Souza
. Matthew was furious, especially when Carl interfered with their efforts to win a lucrative contract. One day during a golf game, Carl taunted Matthew about killing their father. In revenge, Matthew beat Carl with a golf club. Carl kept quiet about the identity of his attacker and Matthew took him home from the hospital and apologized, but Carl wasn't interested.
Matthew began to take an increasingly cold approach to business, chasing away Zak Dingle
, Rodney Blackstock
and Jasmine Thomas
for various reasons. He blackmailed Carl's ex Lexi Nicholls
into getting a job at De Souza Enterprises and working her way back into Carl's bed. Lexi reluctantly gave Matthew information about Carl's upcoming project. Matthew then created the project for King & Sons and invited Carl to the unveiling. A disgusted Jimmy pointed out to Matthew just how many people he had alienated and how lonely he'd become. Jimmy was on the verge of leaving the business and family for good. Matthew sensed some truth in Jimmy's warnings, and came to an uneasy truce with Carl.
The love of Matthew's life turned out to be fiery businesswoman Anna De Souza
, the daughter of business rival Donald De Souza. Matthew and Anna first met after Carl decided to play a trick on her, and leave her stranded in a company truck on a narrow country lane. Their first reaction was a thorny one, with Matthew annoyed that he nearly crashed into the back of the truck, and Anna warning him to back off. However, the pair bonded over their mutual dislike of Carl, and their similarly ambitious business style. They played Carl at his own game and tricked him into believing that the truck had been impounded due to it being stolen.
It soon became clear that the two were attracted to each other, becoming friends and confidantes as well as business partners. Matthew, in particular, seemed smitten with Anna. She, however, was more interested in Carl after their previously frosty relationship thawed. Carl was ready to leave Lexi for Anna when Lexi told him that her mother (Carrie Nicholls
) had confided in her that Carl had killed his father. Knowing that she knew his secret, Carl felt he had no choice but to stay with Lexi. Anna was furious.
Matthew tried to kiss Anna after the two closed a successful business deal, but she pushed him away. She told him that their relationship could only ever be a business one. When he asked her if he was supposed to hide his feelings for her, she told him he had to if he wanted their relationship to continue. Undeterred, Matthew continued to chase Anna despite being knocked back a second time.
Meanwhile, King & Sons was in financial trouble and after taking pity on his brothers, Carl told one of De Souza Enterprise's richest clients about Matthew and Jimmy. When Donald heard about this, he had a heart attack. Matthew attempted to smooth things over between them, suggesting it would be more beneficial to work together than against each other. Donald agreed in Matthew's presence, but later told Anna to use Matthew's feelings for her against him. Incredulous, Anna questioned how far she was supposed to go, and devious Donald told her to go as far as she needed to reel Matthew in so that they could "spit him back out".
Unfortunately for Donald, spending so much time with Matthew meant they bonded and she soon realised that she was falling in love with him. After spending a romantic afternoon together, the pair could no longer deny the chemistry between them and ended up in bed. Though Matthew was suspicious of Anna's true motives, they started a relationship. Unaware, Donald offered Anna's services as a consultant for the Kings' business trip to Warsaw
, thinking that it would give her an opportunity to gain valuable inside knowledge of King & Sons. He didn't count on Anna returning and finally admitting her love for his rival, destroying the information she had gathered. With a little persuasion from Katie Sugden
, Matthew admitted to a thrilled Anna that he shared her feelings, telling her he loved her more than he imagined possible. The lovers vowed to stick together and start anew, despite the wrath of their families.
A few weeks later, Matthew returned from a second trip to Warsaw when Donald confronted him and offered to save King & Sons from financial ruin if Matthew ended his relationship with Anna. Matthew refused, stating he was willing to risk everything for Anna, and Donald warned him there would be consequences. When Matthew returned to Home Farm, Anna confessed that she had been feeding information to her father, but stopped as soon as she realised her feelings for him. Matthew was furious at first, but believed Anna when she said she would turn her back on Donald, and taken aback when she asked him to marry her. He soon accepted her proposal, and proved his joy by re-proposing to her the next day with an antique engagement ring that he had picked out, also telling her he had booked a Registrar
for 16 December.
Matthew announced the engagement to a bemused Jimmy and jealous Carl, while Anna broke the news to an irate Donald and made preparations to move into Home Farm with her new fiance. Once again Donald begged Anna to end her relationship with Matthew, telling her she would be lost to him, but Anna was not to be swayed. A party was planned at Home Farm to celebrate Anna and Matthew's engagement, as well as the King's successful deal with Polek Haulage, and a seeming end to the family's financial worries. A furious Donald crashed the celebrations, soon causing a stir amongst the guests by announcing that Anna was only marrying Matthew to destroy the King family from the inside. Matthew angrily retorted that Donald had tried to buy him off, and managed to convince his family and the guests that Donald was lying to try and ruin his and Anna's relationship. Donald made a last ditch attempt to scupper the engagement by telling Anna he would disinherit her as if she never existed, and accused the King brothers of conspiring to murder their father. Anna reiterated that she choose Matthew, and furiously ordered Donald to leave. Pained to see his fiancee so upset, Matthew tried to calm Anna by telling her that all that now mattered was them, and Donald would not split them because they were too strong together. While Anna slept, Matthew planned to confront Donald.
A furious argument between Matthew and Donald at Holdgate Farm the same night, ended in tragedy when the latter suffered a fatal heart attack. When Donald began to have chest pains, Matthew withheld his heart medication, saying Donald could have them when he agreed to attend the wedding. Making one last plea, Donald crashed to the floor, dead. A panicked Matthew wiped his prints from the pill bottle and fled the scene without calling for assistance. Donald's body was discovered the next day by Betty Eagleton
& Laurel Thomas
, and a devastated Anna sobbed in Matthew's arms over the fact that her father died, believing she hated him. Matthew, consumed by guilt when the police confirmed that Donald died of natural causes, soon confessed to Carl, who told him that the guilt would eat him alive and begged him to tell Anna. Matthew refused to tell her, clearly terrified that he would lose her for good. Anna, meanwhile, insisted that their wedding plans continue, as the thought of marrying Matthew was the only thing helping her through her grief.
On the 5th August ITV confirmed that Matt would be leaving Emmerdale. The announcement of his departure came days after a newspaper reported that Producer Anita Turner
had told the cast they were all under review although Matt Healy later announced that it was his decision to quit the show.http://www.itv.com/Soaps/emmerdale/newsandgossip/Mattsleaving/default.html
In the runup to the wedding, the Kings gave up all they had due to their heavy debts. When the lawyers told Carl about Donald's involvement, Carl mistakenly believed Matthew and Anna had a secret deal to profit from the family's bankruptcy. Carl ruined Matthew and Anna's wedding by revealing Matthew's role in Donald's death, and a devastated Anna fled the scene. Back at Home Farm, Carl and Matthew erupted into a violent fist fight, barely stopped by Jimmy. Jimmy tried to keep Matthew from following Carl, but Matthew smashed out a window and got a van. He tried to run Carl down but at the last minute noticed that Anna was also in his path, swerved to avoid her, crashed into a wall and was catapulted through the windscreen. Despite Jimmy calling an ambulance Matthew died on the scene in Anna's arms, after managing to choke out how much he loved her. Tragically, Carl did not have chance to make up with Matthew: a sad end to their brotherly bonds.
Carl gave the eulogy at Matthew's memorial service, remembering the kind young man he'd been before their mother's death. Matthew's friends and family tried to reconcile the two very different sides of the man they'd lost. One of his biggest secrets was revealed after his death, when Jimmy and Carl found out what he did to Rosemary's coffin.
Matthew's final scenes were rapped by Ofcom
who felt Emmerdale broke watershed guidelines by showing his death in a graphic manner. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a155475/emmerdale-king-exit-breaches-ofcom-code.html
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
played by Matt Healy
Matt Healy
Matt Healy is a Scottish actor, who grew up in Oldham, Lancashire. He is best-known for his role as Matthew King in the television soap series Emmerdale.-Background:...
. First appearing in 2004, Matthew arrived as part of the King family, a family of successful businessmen.
During his time on the show, Matthew had relationships with several women and was engaged to Anna De Souza
Anna De Souza
Anna Catherine De Souza is a fictional character on the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Emma Davies. She made her first appearance on 8 July 2008 and left on 6 January 2009.-Character creation and development:...
when he died. Matthew's last appearance was on 16
December 2008 when his and Anna's wedding had a tragic conclusion.
2004–08
Ever since the Kings arrived in 2004, Matthew remained the most calculating and scheming of his dysfunctional clan. The second son of business supremo Tom KingTom King (Emmerdale)
Thomas "Tom" Albert King was a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He appeared in the show from February 2004 to December 2006. Ken Farrington played him during the character's run.Tom grew up in Emmerdale and was keen to return...
, Matthew always had a much darker side than his brothers.
Matthew's heartless nature was shown when Carl
Carl King (Emmerdale)
Carl Thomas King is a fictional character appearing on the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is portrayed by Tom Lister and made his first appearance on 6 February 2004....
was involved in the accidental death of postman Paul Marsden. Matthew dealt with the tragic incident with bone-chilling coldness. Having moved the body and covered up Carl’s involvement, Matthew conned Paul’s widow Siobhan
Siobhan Marsden
Siobhan Marsden is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Abigail Fisher. She made her first appearance on 10 March 2003.-Character creation and development:...
into selling him the cottage at a knockdown price. She left the area with her unborn baby. The way he treated Siobhan was characteristic of Matthew.
Although his elder brother Jimmy
Jimmy King (Emmerdale)
James Frederick "Jimmy" King is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Nick Miles. He made his first appearance on 19 February 2004 and has appeared on the show ever since.-Backstory:...
should have inherited their father’s business, Matthew worked tirelessly to ensure Tom left it to him. A task which, given Jimmy's skill for leaving a trail of clownish calamity in his path, was not difficult. The rivalry between them got nasty repeatedly - Matthew was never happier than when Jimmy had made yet another mistake.
In later years, family loyalties began to shift, especially after Tom's death. Matthew and Carl grew apart and Jimmy tried to make peace between them as well as being Matthew's confidant.
At the funeral of one of Tom's closest friends, Matthew bedded the deceased's daughter before using squeeze Sian to make his next conquest Louise Appleton
Louise Appleton
Louise Appleton is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Emily Symons. Aussie Louise arrived in the village as a temporary barmaid and ended up as co-landlady with best friend Diane Sugden, before selling to Diane's sister Val Lambert in 2006...
jealous. What Matthew wanted, he got, and it didn't take him long to convince Louise to end her relationship with Terry
Terry Woods (Emmerdale)
Terence "Terry" Woods is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Billy Hartman. He was one of the longest-serving characters in the show when he was killed off in early 2011, after 16 years.-1995–2003:...
and spark up a passionate affair with him.
However, as soon as Louise ditched Terry for him, Matthew began mistreating Louise. He told her that their fling was over after having allowed Louise to lose everything. Louise didn't take it well and one night, in the Woolpack, warned Jimmy to keep an eye on Sadie as Matthew seemed to only want women who were attached to other men. After that, Matthew began stalking Louise almost to make sure she kept her mouth shut but she visited him and hinted at what happened to men who mistreated her. Realising she needed to clear her head, Louise went home to Australia for a while. On her return, she kept well away from Matthew.
In 2005, Matthew began a relationship with Jimmy's estranged wife, Sadie King
Sadie King
Sadie Jacqueline King , was a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was played by Patsy Kensit...
. They had been together but she choose Jimmy over Matthew as she thought he would inherit the family business. Their affair brought out Matthew's more vulnerable side. Eventually he was in a position to take over his father's business empire, but Jimmy revealed the affair with Sadie. Tom forced Matthew to choose, and Matthew chose the business.
However, he couldn't live without Sadie, ruining her wedding to Alasdair Sinclair by declaring his love for her. Sadie encouraged him to deceive his family to gain a lucrative contract, which led them to disown him. After Matthew discovered Sadie was responsible for the show home collapse (which tragically claimed the lives of several Emmerdale residents and left his brother Jimmy partially paralysed), he was furious. Furthermore, Matthew discovered that in the wreckage following the disaster, Sadie had hit Jimmy over the head with a brick.
Matthew was heartbroken when he realised exactly what Sadie was capable of and told her that their relationship was over, and that he never wanted to see her again.
When Tom was murdered on Christmas Day 2006, Matthew suspected his stepmother Rosemary Sinclair of committing the crime. However, there was evidence against all three King brothers suggesting that they had killed Tom together. They were therefore charged with conspiracy to murder. However, after the trial collapsed due to lack of evidence, Matthew was shocked to discover Carl was responsible and that Jimmy knew that Carl was responsible. Matthew was devastated, making it clear once more that underneath his cruel exterior, like his brothers, he was saddened by the lack of trust and closeness in their family.
However, this didn't stop him and his brothers threatening Rosemary that they would kill her if she didn't sell Home Farm Estates back to them. Fearing for her life, Rosemary agreed and moved into Mill Cottage with her son and daughter-in-law.
The most defining relationship Matthew had was with Perdita Hyde-Sinclair
Perdita Hyde-Sinclair
Perdita "Perdy" Hyde-Sinclair is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was played by Georgia Slowe.-Character's background:...
.
Matthew took a keen interest in Perdy, having had a one night stand with her in his office during the Home Farm ball. This deepened into friendship and they relied on each other for support and she gave him information about Rosemary. He wanted a more intimate relationship but she stayed with her husband, Grayson Sinclair
Grayson Sinclair
Grayson Sinclair is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He was played by Christopher Villiers.-History:Grayson is part of the wealthy Sinclair family. He was married to Perdita Hyde-Sinclair, he is the eldest son of Rosemary King and brother of Alasdair Sinclair.He first...
.
Matthew realised Rosemary was responsible for Perdy's troubles after Rosemary drugged her and had her sectioned. He supported Perdy as he felt responsible for Rosemary moving into Mill Cottage and they grew closer. Perdy, however, struggled with her feelings for him but wanted to make her marriage work, especially after she discovered Katie Sugden
Katie Sugden
Katherine "Katie" Sugden is a fictional character in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, and is played by Sammy Winward. She originally appeared between 2001 and 2005 and returned in 2006 and has remained in the show since.-Casting:...
, who was her surrogate, was pregnant. Matthew stunned Perdy by telling her he would wait for her and raise the baby as his own, if it meant he could be with her. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a80079/grayson-attacks-matt.html Perdy was thrilled and they carried on their affair until Grayson found out and framed Matthew for his mother's 'murder'. Perdy found out when she discovered implicating evidence and a letter from Rosemary, telling Grayson that she was living in Miami. Perdy told Grayson she knew and blackmailed him into giving the letter to the police - she kept the cardigan and used it to blackmail Grayson for sole custody of the baby. She promised, in return, she wouldn't tell the police that he had helped frame Matthew - something that would end his legal career.
She left him on Christmas Day 2007, and Matthew invited her to move in with him. However, three months later, Matthew discovered Perdy was responsible for Katie having an accident and almost losing the baby and that she knew about Grayson's attempt to frame him for Rosemary's death. Matthew was so horrified at Perdy's behaviour, he threw her out and ended their relationship. When she went to see him a few days later, he told her he'd slept with her to upset Grayson.
That summer, Matthew had alienated almost everyone and Jimmy reminded him about the way he had treated Perdy and Matthew showed signs of remorse. When Perdy's baby son was born (Perdy and Matthew delivered the baby in Matthew's car), Katie told her to take the baby and escape Grayson for ever. In a rare show of kindness, "for old time's sake", Matthew gave Perdy a cheque for £20,000, saying Katie could pay him back once she was out of hospital. Just before Perdy left, they appeared to have reached a truce after their turbulent friendship/relationship and it was noted onscreen that the pair briefly kept in touch when Perdy sent Matthew a letter with a picture of her and the baby enclosed.
In early 2008, Carl felt increasingly isolated in the King business and family. He decided to go to work for their chief rival, Donald De Souza
Donald De Souza
Donald De Souza is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Michael Jayston. Appearing between 2007 and 2008, Donald De Souza arrives as the husband of Nicola Blackstock, although their marriage quickly falls apart...
. Matthew was furious, especially when Carl interfered with their efforts to win a lucrative contract. One day during a golf game, Carl taunted Matthew about killing their father. In revenge, Matthew beat Carl with a golf club. Carl kept quiet about the identity of his attacker and Matthew took him home from the hospital and apologized, but Carl wasn't interested.
Matthew began to take an increasingly cold approach to business, chasing away Zak Dingle
Zak Dingle
Zachariah Bartholomew "Zak" Dingle is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Steve Halliwell. He first appeared on 20 October 1994 and has remained since except for a brief break from 2002-2003. On his time in the show he has been involved in a testicular cancer...
, Rodney Blackstock
Rodney Blackstock
Rodney Blackstock is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Patrick Mower.-2000–:When Rodney Blackstock turned up in Emmerdale, no one was more surprised to see him than his ex-wife Diane...
and Jasmine Thomas
Jasmine Thomas
Jasmine Thomas is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was played by Jenna-Louise Coleman.-Storylines:Jasmine arrived in Emmerdale on 30 June 2005. Sent to the village by her parents during her holidays from boarding school, she stayed with her uncle Ashley Thomas, the...
for various reasons. He blackmailed Carl's ex Lexi Nicholls
Lexi Nicholls
Alexandra "Lexi" Claire King is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Sally Oliver. She appeared from 2007 to 2009.-Character's history:...
into getting a job at De Souza Enterprises and working her way back into Carl's bed. Lexi reluctantly gave Matthew information about Carl's upcoming project. Matthew then created the project for King & Sons and invited Carl to the unveiling. A disgusted Jimmy pointed out to Matthew just how many people he had alienated and how lonely he'd become. Jimmy was on the verge of leaving the business and family for good. Matthew sensed some truth in Jimmy's warnings, and came to an uneasy truce with Carl.
The love of Matthew's life turned out to be fiery businesswoman Anna De Souza
Anna De Souza
Anna Catherine De Souza is a fictional character on the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Emma Davies. She made her first appearance on 8 July 2008 and left on 6 January 2009.-Character creation and development:...
, the daughter of business rival Donald De Souza. Matthew and Anna first met after Carl decided to play a trick on her, and leave her stranded in a company truck on a narrow country lane. Their first reaction was a thorny one, with Matthew annoyed that he nearly crashed into the back of the truck, and Anna warning him to back off. However, the pair bonded over their mutual dislike of Carl, and their similarly ambitious business style. They played Carl at his own game and tricked him into believing that the truck had been impounded due to it being stolen.
It soon became clear that the two were attracted to each other, becoming friends and confidantes as well as business partners. Matthew, in particular, seemed smitten with Anna. She, however, was more interested in Carl after their previously frosty relationship thawed. Carl was ready to leave Lexi for Anna when Lexi told him that her mother (Carrie Nicholls
Carrie Nicholls
Caroline "Carrie" Nicholls is a fictional character in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Her first episode was broadcast on February 20, 2007. She was introduced as the former nurse of Tom King's wife Mary. It was subsequently revealed that she was the mother of his illegitimate daughter...
) had confided in her that Carl had killed his father. Knowing that she knew his secret, Carl felt he had no choice but to stay with Lexi. Anna was furious.
Matthew tried to kiss Anna after the two closed a successful business deal, but she pushed him away. She told him that their relationship could only ever be a business one. When he asked her if he was supposed to hide his feelings for her, she told him he had to if he wanted their relationship to continue. Undeterred, Matthew continued to chase Anna despite being knocked back a second time.
Meanwhile, King & Sons was in financial trouble and after taking pity on his brothers, Carl told one of De Souza Enterprise's richest clients about Matthew and Jimmy. When Donald heard about this, he had a heart attack. Matthew attempted to smooth things over between them, suggesting it would be more beneficial to work together than against each other. Donald agreed in Matthew's presence, but later told Anna to use Matthew's feelings for her against him. Incredulous, Anna questioned how far she was supposed to go, and devious Donald told her to go as far as she needed to reel Matthew in so that they could "spit him back out".
Unfortunately for Donald, spending so much time with Matthew meant they bonded and she soon realised that she was falling in love with him. After spending a romantic afternoon together, the pair could no longer deny the chemistry between them and ended up in bed. Though Matthew was suspicious of Anna's true motives, they started a relationship. Unaware, Donald offered Anna's services as a consultant for the Kings' business trip to Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, thinking that it would give her an opportunity to gain valuable inside knowledge of King & Sons. He didn't count on Anna returning and finally admitting her love for his rival, destroying the information she had gathered. With a little persuasion from Katie Sugden
Katie Sugden
Katherine "Katie" Sugden is a fictional character in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, and is played by Sammy Winward. She originally appeared between 2001 and 2005 and returned in 2006 and has remained in the show since.-Casting:...
, Matthew admitted to a thrilled Anna that he shared her feelings, telling her he loved her more than he imagined possible. The lovers vowed to stick together and start anew, despite the wrath of their families.
A few weeks later, Matthew returned from a second trip to Warsaw when Donald confronted him and offered to save King & Sons from financial ruin if Matthew ended his relationship with Anna. Matthew refused, stating he was willing to risk everything for Anna, and Donald warned him there would be consequences. When Matthew returned to Home Farm, Anna confessed that she had been feeding information to her father, but stopped as soon as she realised her feelings for him. Matthew was furious at first, but believed Anna when she said she would turn her back on Donald, and taken aback when she asked him to marry her. He soon accepted her proposal, and proved his joy by re-proposing to her the next day with an antique engagement ring that he had picked out, also telling her he had booked a Registrar
Registrar
A registrar is an official keeper of records made in a register. Registrar may also refer to:-Government records:* Recorder of deeds, government office which maintains public records related to real estate...
for 16 December.
Matthew announced the engagement to a bemused Jimmy and jealous Carl, while Anna broke the news to an irate Donald and made preparations to move into Home Farm with her new fiance. Once again Donald begged Anna to end her relationship with Matthew, telling her she would be lost to him, but Anna was not to be swayed. A party was planned at Home Farm to celebrate Anna and Matthew's engagement, as well as the King's successful deal with Polek Haulage, and a seeming end to the family's financial worries. A furious Donald crashed the celebrations, soon causing a stir amongst the guests by announcing that Anna was only marrying Matthew to destroy the King family from the inside. Matthew angrily retorted that Donald had tried to buy him off, and managed to convince his family and the guests that Donald was lying to try and ruin his and Anna's relationship. Donald made a last ditch attempt to scupper the engagement by telling Anna he would disinherit her as if she never existed, and accused the King brothers of conspiring to murder their father. Anna reiterated that she choose Matthew, and furiously ordered Donald to leave. Pained to see his fiancee so upset, Matthew tried to calm Anna by telling her that all that now mattered was them, and Donald would not split them because they were too strong together. While Anna slept, Matthew planned to confront Donald.
A furious argument between Matthew and Donald at Holdgate Farm the same night, ended in tragedy when the latter suffered a fatal heart attack. When Donald began to have chest pains, Matthew withheld his heart medication, saying Donald could have them when he agreed to attend the wedding. Making one last plea, Donald crashed to the floor, dead. A panicked Matthew wiped his prints from the pill bottle and fled the scene without calling for assistance. Donald's body was discovered the next day by Betty Eagleton
Betty Eagleton
Elizabeth "Betty" Eagleton is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Paula Tilbrook. She made her first on-screen appearance on 12 April 1994 and, in 2011, following the death of Viv Hope, she is the longest-serving female character.-Backstory:Betty Pendergrast and...
& Laurel Thomas
Laurel Thomas
Laurel Thomas is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Charlotte Bellamy. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 3 September 2002. Laurel has been off-screen at various times while Bellamy has taken maternity leave.-Casting:In 2004, Bellamy announced she...
, and a devastated Anna sobbed in Matthew's arms over the fact that her father died, believing she hated him. Matthew, consumed by guilt when the police confirmed that Donald died of natural causes, soon confessed to Carl, who told him that the guilt would eat him alive and begged him to tell Anna. Matthew refused to tell her, clearly terrified that he would lose her for good. Anna, meanwhile, insisted that their wedding plans continue, as the thought of marrying Matthew was the only thing helping her through her grief.
On the 5th August ITV confirmed that Matt would be leaving Emmerdale. The announcement of his departure came days after a newspaper reported that Producer Anita Turner
Anita Turner
Anita Turner is a British script editor, and television producer. From 2008 to 2009 Turner was the series producer of the British television soap opera Emmerdale.-Early career:...
had told the cast they were all under review although Matt Healy later announced that it was his decision to quit the show.http://www.itv.com/Soaps/emmerdale/newsandgossip/Mattsleaving/default.html
In the runup to the wedding, the Kings gave up all they had due to their heavy debts. When the lawyers told Carl about Donald's involvement, Carl mistakenly believed Matthew and Anna had a secret deal to profit from the family's bankruptcy. Carl ruined Matthew and Anna's wedding by revealing Matthew's role in Donald's death, and a devastated Anna fled the scene. Back at Home Farm, Carl and Matthew erupted into a violent fist fight, barely stopped by Jimmy. Jimmy tried to keep Matthew from following Carl, but Matthew smashed out a window and got a van. He tried to run Carl down but at the last minute noticed that Anna was also in his path, swerved to avoid her, crashed into a wall and was catapulted through the windscreen. Despite Jimmy calling an ambulance Matthew died on the scene in Anna's arms, after managing to choke out how much he loved her. Tragically, Carl did not have chance to make up with Matthew: a sad end to their brotherly bonds.
Carl gave the eulogy at Matthew's memorial service, remembering the kind young man he'd been before their mother's death. Matthew's friends and family tried to reconcile the two very different sides of the man they'd lost. One of his biggest secrets was revealed after his death, when Jimmy and Carl found out what he did to Rosemary's coffin.
Matthew's final scenes were rapped by Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
who felt Emmerdale broke watershed guidelines by showing his death in a graphic manner. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a155475/emmerdale-king-exit-breaches-ofcom-code.html
External links
- Matthew King at itv.comItv.comitv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...