Christine Sharp

Christine Sharp (previously Sugden) is the first wife of Joe Sugden.
Christine arrived in the village in 1973. In early 1974 traveller Dryden Hogben began to be friendly with her and Joe mistook this as him trying to seduce her. Dry assured him that he was being friendly. Christine wanted to marry Joe on the 29th June which is the day her soldier maternal grandfather married. By chance, Joe met Christine's father Robert Sharp and he advised against them marrying as he warned that Christine was too ambitious and would not take to being a farmer's wife. Robert was thinking of Joe more than his daughter. Joe and Christine went ahead and married in September 1974. Her father did not attend the wedding. 
Christine was starting to be very fussy and controlling, and Joe's mother Annie Sugden noticed this and got concerned. Christine heard that Joe had met her father and not told her. She felt so embarrassed and confronted Joe, and walked out but they soon made up. Christine started buying things on her dad's credit card bill and was very meticulous about minor scratches in furniture, and she was not happy being a farmer's wife. This caused rows between her and Joe. Christine bought some furniture on her dad's account and Joe disapproved. When Christine was out, Joe had all the stuff taken away. Christine was livid. Joe refused to change his ways so she went upstairs to start packing. Christine left that day, showing that her father was right all along. Robert wondered where Christine was and even hounded Joe, wanting to know where Christine is. Joe went looking for her himself, and saw her with an old boyfriend Alan Baines. Christine later split from Alan. Robert paid Joe another visit and said that she should not have left Joe.
Christine returned two years later in March 1976, hoping for a new start with Joe but when he asked for a divorce, she left Beckindale for good. Her father Robert was annoyed, and said that when she divorces Joe, she will be entitled to half of his share in Emmerdale Farm. However, Henry Wilks went to Bradford to do legal research and found that Joe could also be entitled to half of Christine's share in her father's dairy farm, and her share is quite a lot. And as Christine is more well off than Joe, he could sue for maintenance of Christine's share. Henry suggested no claims be made on either side, and Robert reluctantly agreed to this. Joe never saw Christine or her father again. They divorced in 1977. 
Over the next 19 years, Joe mentioned Christine a few times, such as in 1988 and 1991. He even wished he had stayed with her. In October 1993, Annie said the hat she wore at her wedding to Leonard Kempinski was the same hat she wore at Joe's wedding to Christine in 1974.
In 1995, Christine sent flowers to Joe's funeral.
==Quotes==
"Good afternoon." (first line)
----
"Say goodbye to the family for me." (final line to Joe Sugden)
==See also==
*Full list of appearances
Category:Emmerdale Farm characters
Category:1973 debuts
Category:1976 departures
Category:Sugden family
Category:1949 births
Category:Residents of Hawthorn Cottage
Category:1974 marriages