Francis "Frank" Clayton is Vanessa Woodfield and Tracy Shankley's father. He was initially in prison for fraud but has now vowed never return to his old ways, although he has been tempted once or twice.
Backstory
Born on the 9th April 1954. In 1957 aged 3, Frank won a painting competition at school. As an adult, Frank initially was with Vanessa 's mother before leaving her when their daughter was 10. He later went on to have Tracy with another woman before walking out on Tracy two days after returning from a holiday in Skegness in July 1998.
Storylines
Vanessa and Tracy
In August 2016, Tracy's boyfriend David Metcalfe visited Frank in prison in the hope of reuniting Frank and Tracy, so that Frank could attend his wedding to Tracy. During the visit, Frank revealed he was being released early and had written to 'Teeny' about this, which David was unaware of. He also lied to David, telling him that he was incarcerated for defending a lady from a drunk man. Later when David returned home, he told Tracy about his visit with her dad, but Tracy denied receiving any letter, and insists her womanizing dad ruined her mum's life. Frank later contacted his daughter Vanessa, mistaking her for Tracy. Frank confused Vanessa when he asked about her impending marriage and Vanessa asked him to stop calling her 'Teeny' as he lost the right to call her that over thirty years ago, when she stopped calling him dad.
Vanessa and Tracy then receive phone calls disclosing that Frank is in hospital. While Leyla and Rhona tried to convince Vanessa to go and visit her father, David convinced Tracy to do the same. Vanessa visited Frank and they discussed Johnny and Frank saw pictures of his grandson. However, when Frank reminisced about a holiday in Skegness, this angered Vanessa, as she was not the child in Frank's story. As Vanessa went to leave, Frank's condition rapidly deteriorated. Meanwhile Tracy arrived and asked a nurse about Frank, but backs out when she tells Tracy that she is the second lady to visit Frank today. Vanessa then tells Leyla about Frank's seizure, and tells her she is glad she went to visit her father, as he is dead to her now.
Tracy later admits to David that someone else going to see her dad didn't bother her, imagining him lying there broken did. She then visited while he was unconscious and talked to him, going through Franks photos of him with a blonde haired little girl. When Tracy returned home, she told David she found pictures of them together when she was little. She asked David if Frank can stay with them until he's got back on his feet, and David agreed although he later backed out over concerns about Jacob.
Meanwhile, Vanessa reveals to Leyla that the hospital called to say they hope to bring her dad out of his coma the next day. In the Café, Vanessa overhears Tracy talking and immediately assumes she is cheating on David. Vanessa suggests to Leyla that Tracy was trying to get her to move out so she wouldn't cotton on to her seeing Alex . Vanessa headed to the hospital to see Frank but meanwhile, David was also at the hospital and agreed to allow Frank to stay with them once he is released, and agreed to ask Leyla to move out. Leyla told David about Vanessa's suspicions about Tracy having an affair but David explains Tracy was rushing off to see she her dad.
Vanessa and Tracy visit Frank in the hospital
Vanessa was confused when a nurse explained a woman named Tracy was also there to see Frank. Her confusion turned to shock when she spotted Tracy sitting at her father's bedside. Vanessa confronted Tracy, asking what she was doing at Frank's bedside, demanding to know why Tracy was there. At that moment, Frank woke up and Vanessa could not believe it when Tracy called Frank 'dad'.
David and Leyla later arrived at the hospital, after figuring out how Vanessa and Tracy are related. Vanessa and Tracy argued after Vanessa referred to Tracy's mum a skank. Leyla apologised to David when they learned the nurse looking after Frank was called Alex. Tracy questioned how Frank could allow her to grow up without telling her about her sister, as she'd always dreamed of having one. Vanessa admits she would've loved a little sister she could've looked after. Frank insists he would have loved them to know each other, but Vanessa's mother would never have allowed her near Tracy's mother. Tracy tells Frank that she and David were thinking of allowing him to stay with them, but not anymore.
Vanessa and Tracy then have a slanging match in the pub. After Vanessa throws a pint over her new found sister's head, they pair end up scrapping before being broken apart by Carly .Vanessa later offered to cover the cost of any damage that her fight with Tracy caused and insisted she and Tracy have lived different lives, and they are different people. Vanessa brings Tracy some coffee and cake, and apologises for fighting and suggests Frank has played them both but Tracy orders her to go away.
When David calls round to Tug Ghyll to talk to Vanessa about her and Tracy, he reveals it's Tracy's birthday tomorrow, and suggests it's a perfect time for them to make up, but Vanessa tells David that Tracy means nothing her and asks him to drop it, as neither she nor Tracy will appreciate his meddling. Later, Vanessa overhears Tracy telling Bernice about a present her dad got her for her birthday, and how stole it back a few days later. Vanessa then approaches David and tells him she's changed her mind, and wants to give Tracy the best party ever. Tracy's 90s themed 27th birthday party gets underway in The Woolpack, and Vanessa wishes her new-found sister happy birthday, before the pair hug. At the party, David, Vanessa, Tracy and Carly discuss the best and worst presents they have received, and Tracy comments how her best was a barbie car that was stolen. Vanessa admits she knew about the car, as Frank took it from Tracy and gave it to her, so Vanessa presents Tracy with a new barbie car.
Tracy then gets drunk in the shop and admits to David she's jealous of Vanessa and opens up to him about her childhood, and how she wants Frank to love her, although admits she doesn't need her dad anymore, as she has him. When Vanessa phones Frank, she informs him he can stay at Tug Ghyll with her upon his release, on the condition that he sorts things out with Tracy, and that he treat both of his daughters equally. Tracy later calls to apologise to Vanessa and Vanessa says sorry to Tracy for them not having the same opportunities growing up. Tracy decides to throw Johnny a birthday party, insisting no member of her family will feel the way she did on her birthdays.
Vanessa is interrupted while she informs Tracy that their dad is being released tomorrow, and misses the chance to tell her about him moving to Tug Ghyll. She later tried again to tell her sister about their dad moving to the village but ends up agreeing try to make up for lost time with her sister by forgetting Frank's existence. When Vanessa returns to Emmerdale with Frank in tow, and reminds her father of her rules, they head to The Woolpack but meet Tracy who is speechless when she comes face to face with dad. Tracy can't believe Vanessa has kept Frank staying with her a secret, and insists Frank can drop dead, just as Frank collapses. Tracy insists she won't fall for Frank's act, she hates him. As Frank asked Tracy to forgive him, she walked out.
Later, Tracy overhears Frank telling Vanessa she's all that matters to him. Tracy could not believe how easily Frank has won everyone round, but David encouraged her to give her father a chance. While Frank decides to spend the day getting to know his daughters and grandson, Tracy frames Frank for stealing Eric ’s bankcard. With the help of Tracy, Eric came to the conclusion that Frank had taken it and phoned the police. Tracy later discloses the truth to Eric who tells the police he made a mistake. When Frank learned of this, he could not believe his own daughter hated him enough to send him back to prison and insisted despite him not being around for her much, he didn't do anything to deserve that. Tracy then tells Frank that the times he did bother to see her, she'd wished he didn't come and Frank insisted he wanted to see more of her, but realised she'd be better off without him. Tracy explained that he only gave her the belief that she didn't matter, now he's the one that doesn't matter to her.
Later, the two made up and became close, alongside Vanessa. Tracy eventually moved into Tug Ghyll with Vanessa and Johnny.
Fraud
Although he denied it initially, Frank was imprisoned for fraud. He vowed since coming to Emmerdale not to return to his old ways however has been tempted on a number of occasssions. He was involved in a scam with Charity Dingle to steal diamonds from someone at Home Farm and also took part in a failed plot to sell fraudulent art with Leyla 's then-boyfriend Clive . Clive knew Frank from prison and Frank agreed to the plot in order to bail out his girlfriend Megan 's business Take A Vow , who's reputation had been tarnished by Leyla in Greece. When Megan discovered this, she broke up with Frank.
Behind the scenes
It was actually Michelle Hardwick (Vanessa) andAmy Walsh (Tracy)'s idea for them to be sisters as they discussed in their dressing room that they looked similar and both had an unknown father in prison. They presented this to the producers who decided to act on the idea.
Other information
- Frank's favourite film is The Girl on a Motorcycle.
Quotes
"Are you David? Then I'm Frank. Obviously I'd still be Frank even if you weren't David, but you get the idea." - First line.
"Half-witted and ignorant, but I can add to that, how about knuckle-dragging, neanderthalic, humanous waste of organs - oh, oh, oh, and a question - were your mother and father twins?" - to thugs Matty and Darryl right before Matty punches him in the face.