Ella Forster is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Paula Lane. The character and casting was announced in November 2023, with Lane beginning filming later that month. Lane made her first appearance as Ella on 16 January 2024. Lane did not need to audition for the role and she felt like she fit in Emmerdale due to being from Yorkshire herself. Lane wanted Ella to be seen as different from Kylie Platt, a character that Lane had portrayed on rival soap opera Coronation Street. Ella is introduced at a vet gala and immediately loses her job when she stands up for Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley), who she becomes friends with. Lane was happy that Mandy and Ella develop a friendship and believed that Ella is a good friend to have. Ella then is offered a job at the new doctors surgery, where she develops a romance with her colleague, Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson). This later develops into a love triangle involving Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter). Since the announcement of the character, some critics and fans have felt that Ella is too nice and is hiding something, with Lane revealing that the character does have a secret that will be revealed. Some fans and critics have shared theories that Ella is connected to another character in the soap. However, Ella has also gained positive reception, with critics praising the character's personality and her introduction scenes.
