The character was seen going on the run from the Dales on Tuesday night after Victoria (Isobel Hodgins)’s rapist Lee (Kris Mochrie) was revealed to have died, following Robert attacking him with a shovel in revenge for his sister’s assault.
With a murder charge facing him, he fled – but his husband Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) went with him, sparking speculation we might have bid farewell to both characters.
We know that Ryan is leaving, but could we be about to say goodbye to Danny too?
Here’s what you need to know…
Is Danny Miller leaving Emmerdale with Robert Sugden?
While Aaron might have fled with Robert, Danny is staying with the soap – meaning that Robron is set to be torn apart in the wake of Robert’s exit.
The pair fled after learning from Victoria that Lee had died (Picture: ITV)
‘We’ve done some of it and there’s real raw emotion there for Ryan and myself. During one of the emotional scenes, it hit me that it’s real and it’s actually happening and there are some genuine tears in there,’ he said.
‘It’s been amazing working with Ryan. It’s been full on and we sometimes get on each others nerves but we just work so well together. We have a level of trust and understanding that I will really miss. We have great chemistry on screen and right from our first scene I felt and I guess the producers must have seen it too.’
As for Aaron’s storyline, the character will be left in a very dark place as a result of what happens, leaving mum Chas (Lucy Pargeter) and sister Liv (Isobel Steele) that he might be about to tip back into aggression, depression and self-harm.
Producer Kate Brooks recently told Inside Soap: ‘Robert leaving is going to hit him hard. He is the love of Aaron’s life whom he adored, and has kept Aaron anchored and on the straight and narrow. So when the rug is pulled from underneath his feet, it really affects Aaron and it makes him behave in ways that he wouldn’t normally.’
‘I think we’re going to see the Aaron of old, before Robert came along and straightened him out. We have loads of great stuff for Danny and Isobel, as they try to navigate their world without Robert in it.’
Leah Bracknell has been remembered by Emmerdale and soap stars alike for her legacy (Picture: ITV)
Emmerdale’s cast and the stars of soapland have united to lead the tributes to Leah Bracknell, who has passed away after a three year battle with lung cancer.
Leah, 55, starred as Zoe Tate from 1989 to 2005 and was part of the legendary Tate family, breaking new ground for television by playing the first lesbian character in a British soap.
‘It is with the deepest sadness that Leah Bracknell’s family confirm that Leah passed away in September, three years after her diagnosis with stage four lung cancer,’ said her manager on 16 October.
‘They would like to thank all the public for their support and generosity which contributed to the extension and quality of her life over the past three years. Leah continued to embrace life and faced her illness with positivity. Many aspects of her journey can be found on her blog.’
As well as acting, Leah was also an accomplished yoga teacher and shamanic healer.
Lisa Riley, who has recently returned to Emmerdale as the troublesome Mandy Dingle, ws one of the first to remember her old workmate, writing: ‘GOD BLESS YOU LEAH. a true angel to work with. You lost your battle far far to young. R.I.P. heaven gains an angel of the truest form.’
‘I lost a good friend today. She was truly amazing in lots of different ways and I shall miss her,’ added Dominic Brunt, who has played Paddy Kirk on the show since 1997.
Leah has been remembered for her bright spirit and calm nature by her co-stars
Claire King, who played Kim Tate on the series, shared a photo from their early days together on Emmerdale and posted a message that read: ‘Gorgeous, beautiful, talented, lovely Leah, fly high over that rainbow my love’
Sally Ann Matthews, Sandra Briggs in Emmerdale, also sent her condolences, stating that the world has ‘lost some of its sparkle’ after Leah was laid to rest in September.
Coronation Street’s Sally Dyvenor said: ‘So sorry to hear Leah Bracknell passed away. Such a beautiful person and an inspiration to many #so shockedtooyoung’
Long-running Dales resident Mark Charnock was also devastated by the news, and said: ‘Terrible news today. We’ve lost one of the truly good humans.
‘Being around #Leah always made the day better. One of the kindest, sweetest, loveliest people you could wish to meet. There isn’t enough space here to list her qualities. She’ll be missed always.’
GOD BLESS YOU LEAH 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻a true angel to work with. You lost your battle far far to young. R.I.P. heaven gains an angel of the truest form 💛💛💛😇😇😇
Terrible news today. We’ve lost one of the truly good humans. Being around #Leah always made the day better. One of the kindest, sweetest, loveliest people you could wish to meet. There isn’t enough space here to list her qualities. She’ll be missed always. pic.twitter.com/aj7h2xu8DO
So sad to hear of Leah’s passing – she faced her cancer with courage and optimism, qualities I think are so easy to underestimate. I always enjoyed working with her. Sending love to all her family and friends. https://t.co/zwEcHczs62
Leah was known for her positive outlook in the wake of her diagnosis and gave inspirational interviews where she vowed to live her life to the full and said that she found a great deal of comfort from messages of support from fans. Leah rose to fame playing complicated vet Zoe from 1989, a role in which she stayed for 16 years.
Her storylines included her coming out as gay, battling schizophrenia, a long running war with her stepmum Kim and an affair with Charity.
Born Alison Rosalind Bracknell in 1964, Leah leaves behind two children and her partner Jez Hughes.
Non smoker Leah also penned a poem about her condition, which she posted on Facebook. It read: ‘I got me a butterfly net to catch me all the love and beauty and wishes and dreams and black cat kinda luck. ‘And fire in my belly, honey in my heart kind of memories that melt my sweet heart and take away the pain.
‘I spy me a sky full of blessings coming my way. Net at the ready, I raise my head for a kiss. And here they come.’
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The character had already been facing a GBH charge after attacking Victoria (Isobel Hodgins)’ rapist Lee (Kris Mochrie) with a shovel in revenge for his sister’s ordeal – but things stepped up a notch on Tuesday after it was revealed that Lee had died in hospital.
All of which led to Robert and husband Aaron (Danny Miller) deciding to flee before the police could catch up with Robert – with the story set to continue tonight.
But is Ryan Hawley leaving the soap for good – and could Robert succumb to a more final fate as the character makes his exit?
Here’s what you need to know…
Is Ryan Hawley leaving Emmerdale for good?
The exact details of how Robert will exit the soap have not been revealed – meaning we’ll have to keep watching to see whether Robert lives or dies as the character bids farewell to Emmerdale.
The pair had to make a rapid departure from the village (Picture: ITV)
Robert and Aaron made the decision to leave in Tuesday night’s episode – but don’t expect things to be as easy as that – as the police begin asking questions on Wednesday night.
Ryan Hawley has remained tight-lipped about exactly how Robert will depart the soap, but has spoken about the circumstances which lead to him and Aaron making a break for it.
‘The news has just been broken to them so they haven’t really got a plan, they are going to have to take it as it comes,’ he explained.
‘The police are literally on their way so they have to be fast and quickly make it out of the village. They really believe they are going to stay on the run and make it work. There were very emotional goodbyes with a real sense of urgency.’
Is Danny Miller also leaving Emmerdale as Aaron leaves with Robert?
As far as we’re aware there are no plans for Danny to leave the soap – meaning that something will happen to tear Robron apart as Robert makes his exit.
Actress Lucy Pargeter, who plays his screen mum Chas Dingle, has hinted at a devastating aftermath for Aaron, with her character fearful for his state of mind.
‘She’s worried about his state of mind, she’s worried about what could happen to Aaron, as in his self harming or his depression or going off the rails,’ she said.
‘That’s always in the background. She’s offered her help, she’s tried to be strong and said right get over him you need to move forward and try to be there for him, so she’s quite concerned about his mental state.’
A tower of strength, and an inspirational fighter to the end, there is so much we should all look up to Leah Bracknell for – and not just because she helped define Emmerdale and LGBTQ+ representation in soap as the legendary Zoe Tate.
Three years after being given the diagnosis that she was terminally ill with lung cancer, the much loved actress and epitome of positivity and bravey has died. That’s around two and a half years longer than she was expected to survive and throughout her tough and harrowing journey, she shone like a light and shared hope, faith and uplifting inspiration through her blog and her outlook.
I personally remember watching Zoe – who was often jokingly labelled as the schizophrenic, murdering, arsonist, lesbian vet of the village of Emmerdale – as a child. An engaging character and central to the definitive Emmerdale family the Tates, she was in the midst of huge story after huge story.
She practically WAS Emmerdale across the 90s and early 2000s, sleeping with her sister-in-law Charity, burning down a church, blowing up Home Farm and shooting her brother Chris’ kidnapper in some of her more subdued moments.
(Picture: ITV)
She was part of the reason I became so invested in soaps – the first copy of Inside Soap magazine I bought led with the headline ‘Tates In A State!’ and featured Zoe, Chris and his kidnapper Liam. I had watched Emmerdale for a bit and was obsessed with the who kidnapped Chris strand. And thus my introduction to spoilers was tickled as I couldn’t resist spending my money on a copy of my magazine – and to my parents’ confusion, then asking for a subscription for my birthday. Beats a bike any day.
Years later and I write about soaps for a living – and spoil them for a whole new generation of fans like me who get to enjoy the likes of Charity and Chas as modern day Emmerdale icons.
I got the chance to speak with Leah – and I don’t get starstruck very easily but I was humbled by her warmth and how down to earth she was. Still to the very end, she was top of the list for many fans to make a return nearly two decades after she was last seen, such was her impact on the show and its audience.
Not only that, but she led the way in representation. She was one of the first lesbian characters to lead a soap and yet her sexuality didn’t define her. She was moralistic yet fierce, sassy, intelligent, funny and ever so diva-ish when she needed to be.
In her feud with the iconic Kim Tate, she was the ying to Kim’s yang, making for one of the most blistering soap wars of all time. And even in her later years, her takedowns of Sadie King, her blowing up of Home Farm and her harrowing battle with Scott Windsor meant she was a huge character each year she featured.
Of course, the last three years, the way everyone thinks of Leah is with even more respect and fondness. With such a bleak prognosis, many would forgive and understand a human crumbling in the face of adversity. No doubt, Leah had many moments where it must have been terrifying.
But she never gave up fighting and she sought to spread details of her journey, her hopes and the life lessons she was still learning to many people, all of whom fell in love with her again, for even more poignant reasons than ever before.
Her uplifting blog posts, her love of nature, her peaceful messages, her admiration for the NHS, her inspirational and well written prose and her fighting spirit were utterly superhuman. We have been all left in awe of the strength she faced her biggest fight with.
And the world has lost a huge spark and force of nature with her passing. She defied the odds, she outlasted many of the initial outlooks and she did so with bravery which made everyone who knew her proud to know her.
Leah has passed away but to say she has lost her battle with cancer would be a gross disservice. Cancer threw everything it could at her and it never destroyed her spirit or her contagious sense of hope that put everything into perspective for whoever followed her journey.
Leah may now be at peace – but she won her battle and her legacy will continue to do so. In the 90s, she won by representing LGBTQ+ where previously it lacked much mainstream limelight. Later on, she won by creating a soap icon who years and years later is still remembered as one of Emmerdale’s greatest. And in her final years, she won with her courageous and inspirational accounts of a battle she fought with all of her might.
She is gone far too soon but her legacy is a mighty and superhuman one. RIP to a British TV legend and an amazing human being.
With young Max taking centre stage in more scenes to come, here’s a quick reminder of the teen’s troubled family history…
Who are Max Turner’s parents in Coronation Street?
Max’s parents are Callum Logan (Sean Ward) and Kylie Platt (Paula Lane), who are both deceased.
Kylie split up with the cruel Callum ended up finding love with David, who adopted Max and became his legal father.
Kylie and Callum (Picture: ITV)
Drug dealer and gang leader Callum was killed by Kylie in 2015 when, after Sarah (Tina O’Brien) lured him into a trap with a view to getting him to confess to his many misdeeds, he attacked her.
Kylie stepped in and defended her sister-in-law, killing the father of her eldest son in the process.
The following year, Kylie was murdered by Shona’s son Clayton Hibbs (Callum Harrison).
She’d run over to help Gemma (Dolly Rose Campbell), who was being attacked by Clayton, and the troubled youngster stabbed her in the chest.
In one of the biggest and most tragic twists in Corrie history, Kylie died in David’s arms shortly before they were due to move to Barbados and start a new life.
With David now in prison, Max has shown a violent streak, lashing out at Nick (Ben Price) and ruining his sister’s birthday party.
Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) received horrifying news in last night’s Emmerdale, as he learned that rapist Lee Posner had died. As a result, he and Aaron (Danny Miller) decided to go on the run — but matters became further complicated in tonight’s episode as Liv Flaherty (Isobel Steele) tracked them both down, before announcing that she was planning on absconding with them!
It’s been a tough couple of months for Robert as, unable to let Lee get away with what he did to Victoria, he became hellbent on revenge. His efforts eventually backfired when his anger got the better of him, and thus he left Lee in a coma, and last night, an emotional Victoria informed Robert that Lee had died as a result of his injuries.
Unable to process the news, Robert thought about how best to proceed, but failed to come up with any viable answers. However, Liv (Isobel Steele) provided him with an answer, as she suggested that both him and Aaron should on the run. After much deliberation, that’s exactly what they set about doing, and — after bidding farewell to their nearest and dearest — Robert and Aaron set off.
In tonight’s episode, Liv struggled to cope following her big brother’s departure, and matters were made worse when the police began asking questions about Robert’s disappearance. Meanwhile, Aaron thought about how best for him and Robert to get out of dodge, and thus he contacted Mandy (Lisa Dingle) in the hope that she could acquire both him and Robert fake passports.
Mandy delivered the goods to Robert and Aaron, but the married couple were perturbed by the movement in the back of the Dingle van, and thought that Mandy had grassed them up to the police.
However, it wasn’t the cops in the van, but rather Liv, who refused to say goodbye to Aaron again, claiming that she belongs with him, before revealing that she’s not going back to the village, as she’s going with Robert and Aaron when they set off.
The question is: will Liv follow through with her plan?
What’s more, will Aaron allow her to do so?
Aaron knows better than anyone how living life on the run comes at a cost, and he’s likely not going to want that for Liv, so he’ll no doubt try and talk her out of her decision. Having said that, when Liv makes up her mind, it’s very hard for anyone to try and change it!
Emmerdale continues on Thursday 17th October at 7pm on ITV.
Former Emmerdale actress Leah Bracknell has passed away after a three year battle with lung cancer. Best known for playing Zoe Tate in the long-running serial drama, Leah featured in plenty of huge storylines, and remained in the eponymous village for 16 years. As a result, she won a place in the hearts of fans of the ITV soap.
While plenty of Zoe’s biggest moments occurred during the ’90s and after, the character actually made her first appearance back 1989, while she was studying at university. After graduation, she was determined to find employment as a vet, and she wasted little time in doing so, nabbing a job at a practice up in Hotten.
Over the next 16 years, she would go on to feature in some of the show’s most iconic moments of all time. From coming out as gay — and thus making history as the first lesbian in the soap’s history — to her steamy and passionate affair with Charity Tate (Emma Atkins), Zoe was at the heart of plenty of hard-hitting narratives during her 16 years in the village.
Yes, Zoe made Emmerdale history and, for that, she’ll be forever in the minds of soap lovers all across the nation. With that in mind, let’s reflect on some her finest moments from her time in the village.
Coming out
As noted earlier, Zoe famously came out to dad Frank (Norman Bowler) back in 1993. The scene in which she did so was a game-changer for telly, as it meant that she was not only the first lesbian character in the history of Emmerdale, but rather the first lesbian character in British soap — period.
After realising she wanted more out of her friendship with Archie Brooks (Tony Pitts), Zoe decided to take their relationship further. However, it didn’t take her long to realise that this wasn’t the right direction for her. Not long afterwards, she revealed that she was gay to dad Frank — who famously struggled to process the news.
Zoe Tate was one of soap’s first LGBTQ+ icons, and that in itself is one of the reasons why the character remains so beloved.
Her affair with Charity Tate
Zoe’s brother Chris (Peter Amory) began dating Charity (Emma Atkins) in the early noughties, and it’s safe to say that Zoe wasn’t in the least bit pleased with her siblings choice of companion. Matters were made worse when he took it upon himself to move Charity into the house, so — in an attempt to get the young woman out of both their lives for good — Zoe proceeded to offer her money to finish her relationship. However, Charity refused to do so.
In typical Emmerdale fashion, hate soon turned to passion as Zoe and Charity embarked on an affair — one which remains one of the most renowned dalliances in the soap’s long history.
Charity eventually put an end to said relationship when Zoe became rather possessive. However, like all good soaps, blackmail ensued as Zoe recorded Charity discussing her extra-marital activities and threatened to let her brother hear the truth if she didn’t agree to sign a prenup.
Schizophrenia diagnosis
In 2002, Zoe was sectioned and subsequently diagnosed with schizophrenia in a storyline that was critically praised. After her diagnosis, she discovered that she was pregnant with Scott Windsor’s (Ben Freeman) baby, but had no recollection of sleeping with him.
She spent a lot of time debating over what to do for the best in regards to her pregnancy and, eventually she decided against having an abortion. Instead, she decided she would carry on with the pregnancy and then, upon the child’s birth, she would put the baby up for adoption.
However, that’s not how things transpired, as she later decided to keep her baby girl, and named her Jean.
Testifying against Charity
After discovering that he had an inoperable brain tumour back in 2003, Chris decided he would use what little time he had left to get revenge on those who’d scorned him — and Charity was without a doubt at the very top of that list, as she had not only cheated on him with Zoe, but had also been sleeping with Cain (Jeff Hordley) behind his back.
In an attempt to ensure Charity was left with nothing, Chris proceeded to waste every last penny of his fortune, before he poisoned himself and framed Charity for his murder.
However, it soon came to light that Zoe was aware of her brother’s plan. Despite Charity’s best efforts, Zoe remained shtum about the truth, and later testified in court that Charity was a murderer — an act which resulted in Charity being sent to prison!
Her iconic exit
Soap exits are usually sublime, and Zoe certainly had one of the greatest Emmerdale has ever seen, as the character exited with a bang — quite literally!
Yes, after standing trial for the attempted murder of Scott, she packed up all her belongings from Home Farm and made plans to leave with Home Farm’s estate manager Callum Rennie (Andrew Whipp).
Before departing, however, the pair decided to break a gas pipe and set it on a timer, before hightailing it out of there just as the King clan arrived. Home Farm then exploded into smithereens as Zoe and Callum watch on, before they head out of the village.
EastEnders has been awarded a coveted prize from Pink News for their LGBTQ+ representation in a drama. The soap has come on leaps and bounds of late by upping its character count of gay and lesbian characters and opening a gay bar in Walford. The episode in question which was awarded the prize was centred around Pride and included Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) embarcing her sexuality and joining the festivities, a drag act performing on stage and Callum Highway (Tony Clay) battling with his own confusion.
Accepting the award from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at the ceremony tonight, the episode’s writer Pete Lawson said: ’35 years ago, EastEnder started and I was 15. Watching TV when I was 15, there were no LGBT people on the mainstream.
‘And I would have loved to have seen the life that was out there, that I knew was waiting for me.’
Pete was joined on stage by producer Jon Sen and actresses Luisa Bradshaw White and Clair Norris. The episode at the time was widely hailed for its inclusivity and spirit of fun and laughter, while also focusing on the struggle of a character not yet out.
SInce then, the show has seen Callum stand up to his homophobic father Jonno before publicly kissing Ben Mitchell and embarking on a relationship with him. Iqra Ahmed also came out to her family and introduced her girlfriend Ash.
Katy Beale opened The Prince Albert and the show has also confirmed that there will be a bisexual character.
Considering he’s been clobbered at least a hundred times since returning to EastEnders, Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) is certainly no stranger to violence, but the young lad has something of a reprieve in the coming episodes, as his associates Martin Fowler (James Bye) and Tubbs (Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong) find themselves in a violent brawl following a pick-up gone wrong.
Since coming back to Walford, Martin has found himself at the beck-and-call of Ben, after he attempted to make the young lad hand over the wrench which Stacey used to whack Phil (Steve McFadden) over the head.
Never one to miss an opportunity, Ben used Martin to acquire him a car for Kheerat (Jaz Deol) — an act which Tubbs filmed — and Ben’s been blackmailing him ever since.
(Picture: BBC)
Earlier this week, Martin carried out a pick-up for the Mitchell lad, and in the coming episodes, he finds himself doing Ben’s dirty work once more, as he heads off for yet another pick-up.
However, Tubbs accompanies him this time, and things soon spiral out of control, as a fight breaks out — and Martin is in the middle, and seemingly takes the brunt of the violence!
What will transpire?
Will Martin find himself in serious danger?
What’s more how will Ben react when he learns what’s happened?
Or Sonia, for that matter? She’s already suspicious of what Martin’s getting up to, so he’ll have a hard time trying to explain away bruises — that is, if he returns home at all!
EastEnders airs these scenes on Thursday 17th October at 7:30pm on BBC One.
A huge and unforgettable week of drama in Emmerdale is set to kick off next week as Cain Dingle’s (Jeff Hordley) rage explodes in serious fashion after he discovers that Moira (Natalie J Robb) has been having an affair with Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter). The showdown takes them to a fishing boat, where a deadly and final showdown ends in catastrophe.
As lives are in danger out on the water, new life comes into the world – but it’s not quite as simple as Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) and Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) would hope as she ends up going into labour while locked in the Woolpack toilets – with only Marlon (Mark Charnock) for help.
10 Emmerdale spoilers
Faith tells Cain that Moira has cheated on him with Pete.
The re-opening of the Woolpack arrives and a party gets underway.
Pete is taken hostage by a bloodthirsty Cain – and he blurts out the truth about Moira and Nate.
Chas and Marlon end up trapped in the toilets due to a broken lock – and her waters break.
Swallowing his rage, Cain lures a worried Nate and Moira onto a fishing boat.
Aaron is struggling in the wake of what happened with Robert.
Marlon is forced to help Chas as she goes into labour.
Nate is boastful to Cain about sleeping with Moira – and a deadly fight breaks out.
Chas gives birth but will Paddy be there for the moment?
As Moira ends up falling into the water, an explosion rips through the boat…
Monday 21st October
Faith is in a dilemma but, after seeking guidance, she decides to tell Cain the truth – Moira has been having an affair.
Jumping to the wrong conclusion, Cain lashes out and takes Pete hostage – but Pete eventually relents and reveals that the person Moira has been cheating with is Nate, leaving Cain shell shocked.
Meanwhile, the aftermath of recent events hits Aaron.
Tuesday 22nd October
(Picture: ITV)
Hour long episode.
Hungry for revenge, Cain lures Moira and Nate onto a sailing trip. But before long, Cain gets Nate on his own and confronts him, leading to Nate declaring that he slept with Moira. A violent fight breaks out and Moira is knocked overboard. As events get out of control, a terrible explosion rips through the boat.
It’s the re-opening of the Woolpack but as Chas and Marlon check out a problem in the toilets, they become trapped. And before long, Chas’ waters break.
Wednesday 23rd October
(Picture: ITV)
As Paddy faces a race against time to get to Chas, Marlon makes a make shift bed for Chas and tries to guide her through the labour. The baby is on its way – but will Paddy be there for the birth? Meanwhile, Charity returns to utter chaos.
Back at the boat, the devastation leaves lives on the line – and not everyone may survive…
Thursday 24th October Part One
As Victoria makes a shocking discovery, things for one resident looks even more bleak than ever.
In the wake of the birth, Bear suggests a name to Chas and Paddy. Meanwhile, a plan comes to fruition.
Thursday 24th October Part Two
Faith tries to piece everything back together following the revelations and carnage in the Nate, Moira and Cain showdown. But as she faces pressure to save her family, she could be fighting a losing battle.
Lydia is suspicious of Mandy while Paddy and Chas decide on a name.
Friday 25th October
With Lydia’s suspicions mounting, Mandy gets bad news and tells Vinny it’s time that they left the village for good. Vinny warns her that her timing is bad but as they argue, a figure watches them from afar.
Elsewhere, Faith refuses to get drawn into a difficult situation.
Gail Rodwell (Helen Worth) upped sticks and left in Coronation Street several months back — much to the dismay of her family, all of whom could’ve done with her support as of late — but she’s set to make a shocking return to the cobbles in the coming episodes, but will everyone be pleased to see her?
A refreshed Gail returns from her trip to Thailand and she wastes little time in getting caught up in the signature drama of the cobbles as, upon her return, she finds both Tracy (Kate Ford) and Sally (Sally Dynevor) tearing strips off Bethany (Lucy Fallon).
Incredibly upset, Bethany makes a beeline straight for her grandmother, and Gail manages to manoeuvre Bethany back to the Platt household.
However, upon their arrival, Gail proceeds to park herself on the carpet, before assuring Bethany that yoga is what she needs in order to move forward — and that she simply needs to find herself again.
It’s safe to say that Bethany’s incredibly bewildered by her grandmother’s actions.
Oh, Gail… how we’ve missed you!
The question is: will we find out what Gail’s been up to during her time away?
Considering she left under such unusual circumstances, a bit of information about what she got up to whilst in Thailand certainly wouldn’t go amiss but, either way, it’ll be great to have the Weatherfield legend back on our screens!
One to watch: Friday 25th October at 7:30pm on ITV.
Danger and revenge are the order of the week next week in EastEnders – as a sudden death leaves Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) facing up to the death of his dad Jase, he decides that payback is on the cards. Elsewhere, Martin Fowler (James Bye) determines to hit back at Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) but ends up in serious danger when the tables are turned.
Elsewhere, Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) is also facing potential peril at the hands of manipulative newcomer Leo King (Tom Wells). But might Callun Highway (Tony Clay) figure out the risk that she is at?
Here are the latest spoilers straight from Walford:
10 EastEnders spoilers
Martin comes up with a plan to get revenge on Ben.
Chantelle returns to work at the salon but Gray isn’t happy.
Lisa reveals her plans to Louise and Keanu for them to move to Portugal.
Jean gets a video message from Daniel advising her to make the most of life.
Jay hits rock bottom when he is forced to deal with the funeral of Terry Bates.
Leo is annoyed when Callum seems to clock that he is up to no good.
Martin ends up in serious danger as his revenge plan backfires.
Billy is worried when he sees that Honey looks unwell.
Ian gets an opportunity to humiliate Stuart.
Leo searches for dirt on Callum – leading to Whitney getting a shock.
Monday 21st October
(Picture: BBC)
Chantelle is delighted to return to work at the salon but her good mood is dampened when Gray finds out what is going on. Later, Chantelle is taken aback when Gray announces their pregnancy news to everyone.
Martin confides in Kush what is going on with him and Ben and Kush insists that they fight back, prompting Martin to come up with a plan. Meanwhile, Keanu is unsure when he hears of Lisa’s plans to move to Portugal while Lisa is upset when she overhears Louise’s praise for ‘second mum’ Mel.
Jean receives a parcel from Daniel but disaster strikes when she takes his advice too literally.
Tuesday 22nd October
Jay plans to have a day out with Lola but when he gets an elaborate booking at work, he and Callum can’t believe all that is involved. Jay soon hits rock bottom when he learns that the funeral is for Terry Bates, the man who killed Jase – and Callum is taken aback by the level of his hatred.
Leo helps Whitney out when her stall is vandalised but he soon finds Callum interfering. Jack quizzes Sonia about what Martin is up to while Kush plans to fund a trip for Kat and Jean but hits a snag.
Thursday 24th October
(Picture: BBC)
Determined to put his plan into action to get close to Whitney, Leo is on a mission to muddy Callum’s name. After making a surprising discovery, Leo quizzes Callum in The Vic about his time in the army. However, when Whitney and Lola arrive, Leo insists he help Whitney find the person who vandalised her stall. Whitney spots a file on Leo’s laptop with Callum’s name on. Curious, Whitney is devastated at what she finds.
Martin heads out on a job and insists that Ben attends with him after Tubbs is arrested – but what is he planning. Lola reaches out to Billy about Jay and Billy has a heart to heart with him. Later, Honey brushes off Billy’s concerns when he notices she looks ill.
Friday 25th October
Martin thinks that his plan has worked and his feud with Ben is over but a vengeful Ben sets out to prove that he has made a huge mistake in messing with him and before long, Martin is in serious danger.
Callum warns Leo off but he steps up his campaign to charm Whitney. Stuart asks for work at Walford East and Ian relishes the opportunity to humiliate him while Chantelle and Bernie try to help Karen make things up with Bailey.
Adam buys Mariam and Arshad tickets to visit India, leaving Arshad furious.
Emmerdale boss Kate Brooks has teased some dramatic storylines, broken relationships and new romances for Christmas this year, revealing that the Dingles and Tates will be some of the characters at the centre of the action this festive season.
Last year focused on the wedding of Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) and Jessie Grant (Sandra Marvin) as well as the arrival of Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle). But with Kim Tate (Claire King) back where she belongs at Home Farm, the producer has revealed that it would be remiss of the show not to have her in the midst of the drama.
This autumn will see a new storyline unfold for Kim as she finds herself massively betrayed – but will the Tate family be ripped apart by revelations? It certainly seems like there are ructions ahead!
Kate told Inside Soap: ‘We have a few tricks up our sleeves with some twists and turns. On Christmas Day, a lot of secrets will be unpacked and families thrown into disarray. People think they get the Christmas they wanted – but it might not turn out that way.
‘It’s very family-centric, big on drama with explosive revelations, relationships unraveling, and people getting together. There is a lot going on!’
Dropping further hints on the characters involved, she teased: ‘We have a lot going on with the Dingles – and Home Farm is one that you should keep your eye on. You can’t have Kim Tate as the mother of that big house without drama!’
To be honest, we are living for the prospect of some festive Tate drama. Kate also recently revealed that there would be some special episodes to kick off the New Year so with an autumn spectacular and now all of this to look forward to, it’s going to be a busy time in the Dales.
Leah told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby during an appearance on This Morning three years ago that she was was first diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer following surgery.
During the same interview, Leah said: ‘I haven’t smoked for decades and decades and decades.’
Additionally, she wrote in her blog, Something Beginning with C: ‘I myself have smoked in the past. And no one can make me feel more guilty about that than I did, let me tell you. Even when I was told that the type of lung cancer with which I was diagnosed was not caused by smoking, it was a bitter sweet revelation, and let’s be honest, it can’t have helped.’
In addition to writing about her own experiences, Leah was very open about how she felt in regards to the lack of research that was dedicated to lung cancer, and suggested that the reason for this could possibly be attributed to the stigma attached the disease.
She said: ‘Lung cancer does not confine itself to smokers. The average age for someone to be diagnosed with Lung cancer is around 70. But every year more people are receiving diagnoses younger and younger, and often they have never smoked in their lives. 1 in 7 cases are not linked to smoking. Yet 1 in 4 people surveyed have less sympathy for lung cancer patients than any other cancer.’
Leah had several roles as an actress, but viewers fondly remember her for her iconic portrayal of Zoe Tate in Emmerdale — a part which she played for 16 years between 1989 and 2005, during which she featured in several of the soap’s biggest storylines.
Several of Leah’s Emmerdale co-stars took to social media to remember their friend with touching tributes, and John Whiston, Managing Director of Continuing Drama and Head of ITV in the North said: ‘Everyone on Emmerdale is very sad to hear of the death of Leah Bracknell. Leah was a hugely popular member of the Emmerdale cast for over 16 years.’
‘During that time she featured in some of the show’s most high profile and explosive plots and always delivered a pitch perfect performance. Zoe Tate was one of soaps first lesbian characters and Leah made sure the character was both exciting and credible. Leah herself was a very generous and caring colleague, much loved by cast and crew alike.’
Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) were forced to take drastic action in Emmerdale several nights ago, when they fled the village after learning that rapist Lee had died in hospital. However, matters were complicated further in last night’s episode when Liv (Isobel Steele) tracked her brother down, and it made it clear that she’s going with him when he sets off with Robert. Will she follow through?
Robert and Aaron’s world came crashing down during Tuesday night’s episode when Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) was forced to inform her brother that Lee had died. A devastated Robert proceeded to discuss his options with his family, but Liv wasted little time in providing him with an answer, when she suggested that he and Aaron should both go on the run together.
After some deliberation, they agreed to do just that, and — after bidding farewell to their families — the pair set off, as they left the village seemingly forever.
However, last night, viewers saw the police begin to investigate, and Liv struggled with the fact that she’d never see her brother again. Upon reflection, she realised that she couldn’t live with that, so — when she learned that Mandy (Lisa Riley) was acquiring fake passports for Robert and Aaron, she secretly hitched a ride in the iconic Dingle van and proceeded to surprise her brother and his husband by informing them that she’s going with them.
While it’s currently unknown what will transpire next, it’s likely that the realisation of such a statement will sink in for Liv. At the end of the day, she’ll be forced to give up her family and friends forever, and — considering how fond she is of several of the village’s regulars — this will undoubtedly be a tall task for her.
Even if she does manage to come to term with these factors and carry on with her plan to abscond with Aaron and Robert, it’s unlikely that Aaron — or Robert, for that matter — will want her to come along with them, as they know what she’d be giving up in order to do it.
In other words: Liv will likely be faced with a difficult dilemma.
The question is: will she stay, or will she go?
Emmerdale continues on Thursday 17th October at 7pm and 8pm on ITV
(Picture: ITV)It’s the end of an era for Emmerdale star Samantha Giles as she has confirmed that she has filmed her final scenes as Bernice Blackstock. The popular character will depart later in the year following the star’s decision to say goodbye.
At the moment, the character is engaged to Liam Cavanagh (Jonny MacPherson) and the couple have been seen competing with Sam Dingle (James Hooton) and Lydia Hart (Karen Blick) for a wedding competition.
The pair took a while to get together and Bernice almost blew it when she suspected that her doctor boyfriend was a killer. But she won him round with a Wild West event and a proposal in scenes which prove that Emmerdale is certainly going to lose a lot of sparkle when she departs.
It has not been confirmed whether Bernice will get a happy ending with Liam or whether they will have a split in store but Kate Brooks recently confirmed that there would be an emotional rollercoaster for the popular villager.
Samantha took to Twitter to share the news that she had finished with the show, saying: ‘Yesterday was my last filming day on Emmerdale. I shall miss the laughs and have made some great friends. But sometimes it’s good to leave the party when you’re having a good time…..’
Yesterday was my last filming day on Emmerdale. I shall miss the laughs and have made some great friends. But sometimes it’s good to leave the party when you’re having a good time…..
Fans have been left gutted by the news that comedy icon Bernice will be no more in the village although it is hoped that the door will be left open for a future comeback for the character.
Her exit follows other recent departures including Michael Praed as Frank Clayton, Ryan Hawley as Robert Sugden, Gaynor Faye as Megan Macey, Anthony Quinlan as Pete Barton, Asan N’Jie as Ellis Chapman and Sally Dexter as Faith Dingle.
Full details on Bernice’s exit storyline remain under wraps for now.
Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) has been falling for Leo King (Tom Wells) — the son of paedophile Tony (Chris Coghill) — in EastEnders over the past couple of weeks, but the truth could be set to out in tonight’s episode, as Whitney introduces her beau to Tiffany Butcher (Maisie Smith) — who instantly recognises him!
After discovering that fiancé Callum (Tony Clay) has cheated on her with Ben (Max Bowden), Whitney was left heartbroken and thus decided to head off on her honeymoon by herself. Upon her return to Walford, it became apparent that she’d met someone and thus had a whirlwind holiday romance. However, viewers were shocked to discover that her new fella was none other than Leo — the son of paedophile Tony who’d been blackmailing Bianca (Patsy Palmer) several weeks earlier.
Subsequent weeks have seen Whitney grow closer and closer to Leo and in the latest episode she met him for a drink. With the future looking brought for her once more, she makes plans tonight for Tiffany to meet her new man.
As Tiffany comes face-to-face with Leo, she’s left incredibly confused as she already knows him. Viewers will remember during Whitney’s wedding, the young man was seen talking to Tiff — much to Bianca’s dismay. The following day, he spoke to Tiffany once more in the market.
After his interaction with Tiff, Leo’s left incredibly frustrated as he begins to believe that his plans to get close to Whitney have well and truly been ruined.
His theory could prove to be correct, as Tiffany plants a few doubts in Whitney’s mind about Leo’s motives.
Has Tiffany inadvertently ruined Leo’s plan?
It’s going to be pretty difficult for him to try and explain why he was at the venue of Whitney’s wedding on the same day she was supposed to be getting married, that’s for sure!
As a result, could the whole truth possibly come out?
EastEnders continues on Thursday 17th October at 7:30pm on BBC One.
As far as exits go, Emmerdale is generally second to none – and the dynamite departure of the iconic Zoe Tate remains up there with one of campest and most spectacular ends for a soap legend ever.
Following the tragic death of Leah Bracknell after a three year battle with stage 4 lung cancer, fans are fondly remembering some of Zoe’s best moments – from the time she torched the church during a schizophrenic episode to the storyline which saw her embark on a passionate affair with Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).
But the stand out moment was Zoe’s last as she strolled out of Home Farm and had the last smirk as she gave the King family a house warming present to remember. With the help of her cohort Callum, Zoe left the premises for the last time with her daughter Jean and Kim’s son James in tow.
(Picture: ITV)
But as the Kings, led by Tom, looked smugly at their new estate, a deliberate gas leak caused Home Farm to explode. As it blew up, Zoe allowed herself a satisfied smile before departing he Dales for good – and in the 15 years which followed, fans wanted to see more of her and were eager for a return.
Fans have been sharing fond wishes and memories of Leah as Zoe following her passing and Head of Drama John Whiston spoke on behalf of the show with a tribute.
In a statement, he said: ‘Everyone on Emmerdale is very sad to hear of the death of Leah Bracknell. Leah was a hugely popular member of the Emmerdale cast for over 16 years. During that time she featured in some of the show’s most high profile and explosive plots and always delivered a pitch perfect performance. Zoe Tate was one of soaps first lesbian characters and Leah made sure the character was both exciting and credible. Leah herself was a very generous and caring colleague, much loved by cast and crew alike.’
Emmerdale actress Charley Webb has dismissed that internet trolls were the reason why her son Bowie had his long hair cut into a shorter style.
Taking to Instagram, Charley — who portrays Debbie Dingle in the ITV soap — discussed the matter with her followers, stating that ‘would be very worrying’ had she cut her son’s hair due to the social media trolls.
In a video which she posted on her Instagram Stories, Charley said: ‘I can’t believe how many messages I’ve had asking if I’ve cut Bowie’s hair because of negative comments on Instagram, or online.
‘No, the answer to that is no. If I was cutting my child’s hair because people were being negative, that would be very worrying.’
‘He had it cut because he saw a picture of short hair that was all different colours – red, yellow, blue, whatever – and he wanted it to look like that. He thought it would change colour, obviously it didn’t – but he still loves the hair so it’s fine.’
‘These people comment just to get a response. I find that so bizarre and I don’t respond. I don’t think anyone’s life is perfect but we’re all just doing our best as parents.’
Charley recently welcomed her third child with co-star Matthew Wolfenden — who plays David Metcalfe in the ITV soap — and is also mum to Buster, 9. The actress is currently on maternity leave, and thus Debbie has been written out of Emmerdale, with the character currently tending to a new business venture up in Scotland.
In an official statement released yesterday afternoon, Leah’s manager confirmed that the star had passed away in September.
‘It is with the deepest sadness that Leah Bracknell’s family confirm that Leah passed away in September, three years after her diagnosis with stage four lung cancer,’ said her manager.
Talking in February 2019 on Loose Women, she said she had a positive outlook on life and was not fearful despite being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Her approach to life and battling the disease won the actress legions of supporters and endless praise from inspired viewers and fans.
Was Leah Bracknell married and who is her husband?
Leah reportedly got married to her long-term partner Jez Hughes in March 2017, following the news her cancer treatment had failed. While the exact date of their wedding is unconfirmed, the pair did wed, with Leah referring to her ‘husband’ in posts on her blog.
Leah and Jez, a 44-year-old author, had been together for 13 years before they got married.
The couple kept their nuptials quiet and according to The Mirror wed in a secret, low key registry office ceremony in Horsham, Sussex two years ago.
Jez Hughes and Leah Bracknell (Picture: Facebook/Jez Hughes)
On living with lung cancer, Leah wrote in her blog in February: ‘I do not accept this is my “new normal”. I look forward to better days, and looking Jez in the eye and seeing my husband, and seeing him looking back at his wife.’
Who are Leah Bracknell’s daughters?
Leah has two grown-up daughters called Lily, who is 28 and Maya, who is 24.
Not much is known about Leah’s children as the actress chose to keep their lives very much out of the public eye.
In 2016, Leah recalled to the Daily Mail the heartbreaking moment she had to tell her daughters about her diagnosis.
‘Any mother will know how I felt,’ she said.
‘It’s the worst thing you can imagine having to tell those closest to you, something like this . . . trying to find the words. It’s the worst thing I’ve had to do…’
She added: ‘I think it’s almost worse for those close to you because they’re trying to look after and protect the person who’s poorly, not just physically, but emotionally.’
In their official statement, released through Leah’s manager, the actress’s family have asked for privacy ‘at this very sad time’.
![STRICT EMBARGO Print media - No Use Before Tuesday 23rd July 2019 Online Media - No Use Before 0700hrs Tuesday 23rd July 2019 Emmerdale - Ep 8550 Tuesday 30th July 2019 - 1st Ep Bernice Blackstock [SAMANTHA GILES] is still feeling down especially when Liam [JONNY McPHERSON] insists he???s not planning on attending the Wild West Fundraiser but Bernice manages to convince him, on admitting she???s given him the role of the sheriff! Picture contact - David.crook@itv.com Photographer - Amy Brammall This photograph is (C) ITV Plc and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or ITV plc. Once made available by ITV plc Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the transmission [TX] date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms](http://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/PRI_78728402-e1571305165358.jpg?quality=90&strip=all)
