Beyond Bartek & Emily

Meet the characters.

Two lives, and the people around them. Meet the family, friends and colleagues of Worth the Risk.

Bartek & Emily

The Polish half

Bartek Nowak

A quiet, independent Pole who has lived in the UK for years. By day, he works in a warehouse; after hours, he makes games and activity books, hoping to build something of his own. Technology, Linux and classic RPGs are firmly his territory. New people take a little more courage. Around those he trusts, though, his unpredictable humour comes out — and Emily learns that drinking tea near him can be a risky business. He cooks, too. His pancakes have occasionally aimed higher than intended.

The British half

Emily Shaw

Warm, independent and from the North East of England, Emily has a mind of her own and a wonderfully dry sense of humour. She coordinates tech support and has ambitions beyond her current role. Off duty, expect band T-shirts, rock and metal, horror films and a game when the mood takes her. She notices more than she lets on, enjoys affectionate teasing, and gives as good as she gets. A kind gesture might come with a sharp remark. The good mug is still a good sign.

Friends & their loved ones

Emily’s closest friend

Rachel Foster

An A&E nurse in Newcastle and Emily’s closest friend since their late school years. Observant, straight-talking and armed with an even sharper sense of humour, Rachel has a life of her own — and is learning to protect her time away from work.

Bartek’s warehouse colleague

Tomek Zieliński

A Polish colleague who brings practical advice and a teasing sense of humour to warehouse breaks. Tomek can give Bartek a nudge without prying into his private life. Their conversations mostly happen at work, where he has his own frustrations too.

Tomek’s wife

Nina Zielińska

Tomek’s wife, who works in a small Polish grocery shop. Calm, practical and quietly funny. Between customers, deliveries and everyday responsibilities, Nina has a mind of her own — and doesn’t need to raise her voice to make it heard.

Emily’s family

Emily & Callum’s mum

Helen Shaw

Emily and Callum’s mum, who lives in Gateshead and works in GP practice administration. Practical, caring and refreshingly direct, Helen looks out for her family — sometimes offering the advice before anyone has asked for it.

Emily’s younger brother

Callum Shaw

Emily’s younger brother, an electrician building his skills and qualifications. Sociable, loyal and always ready with a joke — occasionally one too many. Callum has ambitions of his own, and he and his sister can switch from banter to an argument in no time.

Bartek’s family & loved ones

Bartek’s sister

Izabela “Iza” Nowak

Quiet, observant, and more stubborn than her gentle manner suggests. Based in Łódź, Iza is finishing technical school and working at a travel agency. Curious about the world and good at finding her own way, she has plans of her own — even if she doesn’t always say them out loud.

Bartek & Iza’s father

Jakub Nowak

An electrician from Łódź who values hard work, responsibility, and clear rules. Reserved by nature, Jakub prefers order and stability. He says little about his feelings, and changing his mind comes less easily than fixing a fault.

Iza’s fiancé

Piotrek Majewski

Working in his family’s construction business while studying architecture part-time, Piotrek is calm, hardworking, and practical. He likes to know the facts before making up his mind. With a dry sense of humour and a fondness for having a plan, he supports Iza in finding her own path.

Working lives

Emily’s colleague

Owen Price

Friendly, chatty, and good at putting customers at ease. Owen works on the support desk, although his notes don’t always keep up with the conversation. He enjoys football, true-crime podcasts, and teasing Emily about her taste in music.

Emily’s manager

Dan Mercer

An energetic, persuasive support team manager with an eye on results and his next career move. Dan can stand up for his staff, but under pressure he sometimes promises more than the team can deliver. Balancing customer expectations with what his people can realistically do doesn’t always come easily.

Senior technical specialist

Priya Nair

Calm, precise, and quietly dry-witted. Priya helps solve difficult technical problems, but expects people to come prepared and think for themselves. She would rather design good solutions than keep fixing other people’s oversights, and takes her time outside work as seriously as her responsibilities in it.

Polish shop owner

Andrzej Kaczmarek

The owner of the Polish shop where Nina works. Andrzej keeps a close eye on takings, costs, and keeping the business running. His employees’ needs can easily take a back seat — especially when they clash with what he considers necessary for the shop.

Fictional characters. AI-generated visuals and voices. Promotional sketches may reimagine moments from the story.

Back to the story