She’s right inside the studio door now, just behind all the steps where the audience are already seated and having a good laugh at the warm-up act. Then a make-up girl who I know well comes over to touch her up, before she goes on camera.

‘No powder, Cheryl,’ Emma orders her curtly. ‘You know how powder ages me.’

‘Oh, not this again,’ says Cheryl in exasperation. ‘Come on, you know perfectly well that you can’t go on camera without powder…’ And that’s when she spots me. Lurking in the background like the ghost of TV shows past. Just waiting to pick my moment. ‘Oh my GOD, Jessie Woods…it isyou! I hardly recognised you! Oh it’s such a treat to see you.’ She instinctively comes over to hug me but Emma stops her in her tracks.

‘Cheryl, there’s plenty of time for small talk later. Can I remind you that I’ve a show to do? Jessie, I’m sure, understands. Jessie, in fact, shouldn’t by rights even be here.’

The next few moments all seem to blur into one. I’m shaking, actually trembling with rage now, at her daring to be so dismissive when she’s the one who…

Next thing I know, I’ve stormed up to her, trying my best to keep my voice down, but not really succeeding. ‘Emma Sheridan, it’s time you listened to me. You can act the diva around here all you like and you can swan off to do your new TV show and the best of luck to you. But there’s something you should know: I found out the truth. You didn’t mean for me to, but guess what? I did.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Emma is looking at me now, utterly nonplussed.

‘THIS,’ I almost snarl, shoving my hand down my jumper and praying to Jaysus that I didn’t manage to lose the email on my way here.

Mercifully I didn’t, so I grab it and shove it in her face. ‘ Thisis what I’m talking about, Emma. Read it and weep. Because this is your worst nightmare. The night I got fired? I was set up for a fall. By you. My friend. My best friend, who I trusted.’ My voice breaks a bit now. Can’t help it. Extreme emotion does that to me. But at least now, I have Emma’s full attention.

‘That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,’ she laughs. Actually laughs. ‘Me? Set you up for a fall?’ she snorts incredulously. ‘You know, maybe it’s time you and your friend thought about leaving the building. I’m happy to get security down here although I’m sure you’d rather avoid the embarrassment of being escorted off the premises…’

‘I suggest you have a look at this!’ I’m half yelling now, as I clutch on to the email with shaky hands and start reading the most damning bits, line by line.

‘“Dear Joe…

About my other idea, I forgot to mention that Jessie’s car was repossessed only a few weeks back and I’ve no doubt that, if faced with a brand, spanking new Mercedes SLK in showroom condition, will be only too delighted to accept. Who wouldn’t be? The main thing to remember is not to take no for an answer.”’

‘OK, you know what, Jessie? I think we’ve all heard enough,’ says Emma, astonishingly, still smiling.

‘Did I say I was finished?’ I snap back at her. Then I go back to reading.

Except what I haven’t realised is that by now, I’ve got a bit of an audience. Puzzled by all the bickering from the side of the set, some of the studio audience have turned to look downwards from the seating rig to see for themselves what the cat fight brewing at the side of the stage is all about.

Maybe even wondering whether it’s part of the gig.

‘“She’s proud,”’ I read on, louder now, my voice growing in confidence, ‘“and will really need this forced on her! I’m thinking, maybe personalised number plates might be an idea? However, I’ll leave the details in your more than capable hands. Many thanks again for all your kindness and generosity in this matter, I couldn’t be more grateful and I’m certain that Jessie will feel the same. Best wishes, Emma.”’

I break off and look Emma right in the whites of her eyes. Just waiting for a reaction. She’s staring at me now and I honestly think in all the years I’ve known her that it’s the first time I’ve seen her break a sweat.

‘This is so absurd,’ she eventually says, though her voice is icy. ‘I can assure you that I had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with your being fired. As you yourself admitted, it was entirely your own fault.’

‘You were the only person who knew that my own car had been repossessed…’

‘Another lie. My God, Jessie, don’t you know when to stop?’

‘…so you arranged everything to make sure that I was for the chop…’

‘YOU took the free car, dearest. Not me. End of story.’

‘I’m not even beginning to deny that. And God knows, I’ve paid the highest possible price for it. But look me in the eye and tell me that you didn’t set the whole thing up, knowing full well I hadn’t a clue that what I did was a sackable offence…’

‘And frankly, to come here and start flinging around wild accusations when I’m just about to do a dry run is really beyond the beyond. Can we get security in here, please?’

She’s striding away from me now, heading towards the warmth of the lights, so not quite knowing what I’m at, not even pausing to think, I follow her.

There’s a round of applause as we appear together at the side of the set, then a ripple effect.

‘Can that be Jessie Woods?’

‘No, sure that one has red hair…’

‘Sounds like her…’

‘Having a cat fight with Emma Sheridan? Doubt it…’ Is all I’m dimly aware of in the background, but I blank it out. Plenty of time for mortification later.

‘Emma, BIG mistake to turn your back on me, I’m not finished!’ I say to her, calmer now.

‘I’m afraid finished is exactly what you are,’ Emma smiles. ‘And if you think you can stride in here waving some email which I never even wrote and ruin my show, I’m afraid you’re quite mistaken.’

‘That’s the best defence you can come up with? So you claim you never wrote this in the first place?’ I take a deep breath before playing my trump card.

‘Then would you mind telling me how come it’s got your personal email address on the top of it? The ultra private one?’

She ignores me.

Big mistake.

‘Can you please deal with this?’ she appeals to the floor manager, who strides over to separate us.

‘Jessie, come on, leave her alone, will you?’ he says firmly, steering me back the way I came. Next thing I’m aware of, Stasi security guy is at my shoulder, telling me in no uncertain terms that it’s time for me to leave and that he’ll be happy to escort me off the premises. There’s a rough tug at my arms and a half second later, he’s propelled me right back to the studio door.

Then, something weird. Someone, I’m in such a state I couldn’t even tell you who, whips the email out of my hands. My only piece of evidence.

But I just keep on yelling back at Emma, who’s now in situ on set at her desk, for once without her standard ladylike composure. ‘You knew my weak spot and you took full advantage of it!’ I shout back at her, halfway out the door now.

I’m making a holy show of myself and I don’t even care.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ says Emma, addressing the audience and trying to reassert control. ‘I’m so sorry that you all had to witness that…’

No one’s listening to her though; they’re all too busy focusing on the yelling from offstage. ‘You wanted me out, you wanted me fired, you wanted to ruin me and you did!’

Knowing she’s virtually lost her entire audience now, Emma redoubles her efforts to win them back. ‘LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Please let me assure you that this is just a temporary blip in what will be a fantastic night’s entertainment…’

‘…then, worst of all, you were hypocritical enough to pretend to be my friend! Phoning me all the time, acting like you were devastated for me. You even called over to my house just to check up on me!’

‘…and so without further ado…if I can just have your attention, ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce my first guest…’