As the Emmerdale 50th anniversary arrives, Entertainment Daily has asked devoted soap fans to vote for the best storylines ever.
Here’s the rundown of the top 50 storylines the show has ever produced.
The top 15 were voted for by the public – and Meena Jutla‘s killing spree came in at number one.
As we celebrate the Emmerdale 50th anniversary, read on the see what else has been named.
Emmerdale 50th anniversary: Best ever storylines
50. The first Emmerdale murder 1973
The residents of Beckindale – as the village was called then – were horrified when teenager Sharon Crossthwaite was raped and murdered by oddball Jim Latimer.
He took Sharon to a quiet part of the village where he made a pass at her. A local man called Trash saw them together and threw stones at Jim to give Sharon a chance to hide.
In tense scenes, Jim tracked Sharon down in the dark of night, and killed her. Trash was suspected of the crime and died in the police chase that followed.
Jim was eventually arrested and sent to prison for Sharon’s murder.
49. Nate and Moira’s fiery affair 2019
Farmhand Nate seduced Moira Dingle and when husband Cain got suspicious he took the pair out for a boat trip and confronted them.
There was a big old barney and Nate revealed that he was Cain’s son!
WHAT?
The argument got physical and Moira was knocked into the water. Cain dived in to save her and the boat exploded. Moira forced Cain to rescue the son he’d only known about for five minutes.
Though Coira separated after the reveal, they eventually got back together, and Cain has built a relationship with Nate.
48. Tragedy for Matt Skilbeck 1976
After the death of his wife Peggy, Matt struggled to look after his young twins Sam and Sally. So he sent them off to live with his Aunt Beattie and Uncle Ben.
But one day as Matt went for a trip with his new girfriend, Beth, he was pulled over by the police who broke the news that Beattie and the babies had been killed when a train hit their car on a level crossing.
Awful stuff.
Matt eventually found happiness again with Woolpack barmaid Dolly Acaster. Thank goodness!
47. Robron’s wedding 2018
Was there ever a soap couple more beloved by fans than Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle – or Robron as the viewers called them?
Their wedding – just like their relationship – hit a lot of obstacles, not least the death of Aaron’s baby sister Grace just days before.
But Chas, Aaron’s mum, was determined that her boy would make it down the aisle and he did – though Chas struggled to get through the ceremony.
Of course, like many soap romances, there was disaster waiting in the wings for Robron and they split when Robert killed his sister Victoria’s rapist, Lee Posner.
46. Graham Clark murders Rachel Hughes 1998-1999
After her marriage to Chris Tate fell apart, leaving her a single parent to son Joseph, Rachel Hughes thought she’d struck gold when she met teacher Graham Clark.
He was the ideal man – until he became controlling and sinister.
He slowly began changing Rachel’s appearance so she’d look more like his dead wife and kept Rachel under his control.
When she told him she wanted to end things, just as he planned to propose, he snapped and pushed Rachel off a cliff. Graham played the grieving boyfriend to a tee, and then set about seducing Rachel’s best friend…
45. David Metcalfe’s testicular cancer 2016
Serial monogamist David was shocked when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but he got through his treatment with the help of his dad Eric Pollard and his adopted son Jacob.
At first David didn’t want to tell Jacob the truth but when he eventually revealed his diagnosis, teenager Jacob was right there by his side.
He even shaved his head with David when his dad started to lose his hair thanks to his treatment. What a sweetie!
44. Bernice, Nicola and Carlos 2001
Bernice Thomas was having a tricky time in her marriage due, in no small part, to her romance with Woolpack chef, Carlos.
When her sister Nicola came to Emmerdale, she fell for Carlos too and unaware of his feelings for Bernice, Nicola set about making sure he was hers.
The pair started a relationship and when Nicola announced she was pregnant, they got engaged.
Meanwhile, Bernice was expecting too but was her baby husband Ashley’s or was it Carlos who was the daddy?
When Bernice caught Nicola drinking, she rumbled that her sister was making up her pregnancy – and she spilled the beans to Carlos. And when Carlos revealed he was in love with Bernice, Nicola announced the news to the shocked wedding guests.
Later, baby Gabby was revealed to be Ashley’s daughter.
43. Belle born in a pigsty 1998
On Christmas Day in 1998, Lisa Dingle was a newly wed looking forward to her first Christmas with husband Zak.
When one of the family’s pigs was taken ill, they called for new vet Paddy Kirk to come and check them out.
But the family were all bickering and Lisa sent them inside, leaving her alone with Paddy and the pigs. It wasn’t long before she was feeling strange, too. She begged Paddy to help and he was surprised to discover Lisa was having a baby!
Though he wasn’t nearly as surprised as Lisa was because she’d not known she was expecting!
Paddy went to fetch Zak but by the time he arrived at the sty, her baby girl had been born safely. Zak fainted, the rest of the Dingles were speechless (that’s not something that happens often) and Lisa named her baby, Belle. Aww.
With a new baby also on the way for the Emmerdale 50th anniversary, Amelia Spencer is set to give birth in a barn too! Will she be so lucky as Lisa?
42. Who killed Tom King? 2006
Tom King wasn’t a nice person but it was still a shock when he was shoved through a window on his Christmas wedding day in 2006. He crashed to his death in front of the crowds who had gathered to watch the celebratory fireworks (while a tiny, angel-voiced Belle Dingle sang a Christmas song!).
There was a whole line up of suspects who wanted Mr King dead.
From Bob Hope and his son Jamie, who wanted revenge for the house collapse that killed Bob’s daughter, Dawn, to Dawn’s heartbroken husband Terry Woods and all three of Tom’s sons – Matthew, Jimmy and Carl, his new stepson Grayson, and Tom’s bride Rosemary.
That’s a lot of enemies for one man!
Chas Dingle was in the line up too, and even Len Reynolds.
In the end, the killer was revealed to be Carl King, who got his comeuppance when he died at the hands of Emmerdale serial killer Cameron Murray during the Emmerdale 40th anniversary episode.
But now we’re at the Emmerdale 50th anniversary and the villagers STILL don’t know who killed Mr King – it’s only viewers – and Chas Dingle – who found out the truth!
41. Alice Dingle’s death 2006
Alice Wilson and Sam Dingle were the cutest couple.
They moved away for a while but returned to Emmerdale when Alice found out she was pregnant. However, the happy news was tinged with sadness when Alice was diagnosed with non-Hodkins lymphoma.
She continued with the pregnancy and gave birth to Samson, but when she began treatment it was revealed she was too late – her cancer had spread.
She and Sam tied the knot in a sweet ceremony, did a wing walk to raise money, and eventually she begged Sam to help her end her life.
Sam agreed and Alice slipped away in the arms of her son and her husband. So sad!
Alice’s story has been remembered as part of the Emmerdale 50th anniversary celebrations as Faith talked to Sam before she took her own life.
Emmerdale 50th anniversary: the Top 40
40. The Kings River explosion 2006
The King family liked to splash their cash and never more so than when Tom King planned a new housing development called Kings River.
On the day the show-home was unveiled, Tom announced that his son Matthew was engaged to Sadie King – ex-wife of his other son, Jimmy, who’d been in the dark about their romance.
As Jimmy confronted Sadie about her engagement and her affair with Cain Dingle, an explosion ripped through the house. Sadie refused to help a trapped Jimmy and even whacked him with a brick, trying to kill him – though he survived.
The explosion killed three characters – the estate agent showing the house, a pensioner called Noreen who’d befriended Val Lambert, and Dawn Woods – Bob Hope’s daughter.
Though Matthew and Sadie had caused the explosion – paying Cain to damage the house in an attempt to stop the launch – Jimmy still blames himself. He’d had the damage assessed and decided to repair it on the cheap, causing the gas leak that led to the explosion.
39. Zak attacks Cain 2011-2012
Cain Dingle isn’t short of enemies so when he was battered with a crowbar and left for dead, the culprit really could have been anyone!
Though John Barton was arrested, and Cain himself blamed Jai Sharma for his injuries, it was eventually revealed that Cain’s dad, Zak, was the attacker.
Zak’s guilt led to a breakdown but when Cain rescued him, the father and son were reunited.
38. Andy Sugden abuses his wife Jo 2007-2008
Farmer Andy tied the knot with Jo Stiles and promptly went to prison.
When he got out to start a new life with Jo and daughter Sarah, he discovered that Jo had been allowing Sarah’s mum, Debbie, to visit his little girl. Furious, he took his anger out on Jo.
The abuse continued and no one believed Jo when she tried to get help.
Eventually the desperate stepmum took Sarah and planned to leave, though at the last minute she left Sarah with Debbie and left alone.
37. Who shot Robert? 2015
Robert Sugden’s return to Emmerdale turned him into the village villain!
He racked up enemies left, right and centre and as he and Chas Dingle argued, one of those enemies took a gun and shot him!
Aaron Dingle and Robert’s brother Andy were on the list of suspects along with Rob’s ex-wife Chrissie and her dad Lawrence.
Eventually it was revealed that the true culprit was Ross Barton. He’d done a Hitchcock-style deal with Andy for them to kill each other’s brother. Except Andy never quite got round to killing Pete Barton.
After the truth came out the Sugden brothers faced off in a dramatic game of chicken in their cars. But Robert saved Andy’s life and a truce was reached. For a while, at least…
36. Laurel’s alcoholism 2013-2015
Laurel‘s marriage to Marlon Dingle was beset with problems from the start from her carjacking at the hands of Ross Barton, to Marlon discovering his ex-wife Donna had his child, April, and was dying.
As Laurel struggled to cope with the stress, she turned to the bottle and descended slowly into alcoholism.
When drunk Laurel ran over Marlon’s beloved dog Daisy – the mutt who’d belonged to his first wife, Tricia – viewers were horrified. And when she slept with a random bloke for booze, passing on an STI to poor Marlon, it seemed she’d crossed a line.
She and Marlon broke up for good and Laurel – thankfully – kicked the habit.
35. Tragedy for the Sugdens 2000
Back in the first year of the new millennium, the Sugden family were struggling. Dad Jack was worried about finances and how to keep the farm running, while mum Sarah had found an outlet for her stresses in the shape of hunky farmhand Richie.
Adopted son Andy had settled in with the family but he was desperate to prove he was worthy of being a Sugden. So he hatched a plan to burn down the barn thinking Jack would get an insurance payout and their financial worries would be over.
But what actually happened was Sarah sneaked into the barn with Richie – ironically because she’d called off their affair and he wanted to talk.
The flames went up and Sarah was killed. Jack was suspected of being the culprit for a while, but eventually Andy confessed.
34. Lachlan terrorises Emmerdale 2018
Oddball teen tearaway Lachlan White wasn’t impressed when his mum Chrissie and grandfather Lawrence decided to emigrate.
He told his ex-stepdad Robert and in the car chase that followed, as Robert tried to stop them leaving, Lachlan grabbed the wheel, crashing the car and killing both his mum and his grandad.
His aunt, Rebecca, was seriously injured.
Lachlan went on to murder his friend Gerry, tried to kill Liv, held Rebecca hostage and attempted to run away with Belle Dingle. Eventually he was sent to prison. Thank goodness!
33. Meena’s trial 2022
After murdering Leanna, Andrea and Ben in the village, and kidnapping Manpreet and Vinny, Meena finally faced justice.
But there was another twist coming!
Carol, the sister of her earlier victim Nadine, had a shard of glass hidden and as the verdict was given, she rushed at Meena and stabbed her.
Manpreet rushed to help her sister but the sneaky murderess jumped up, grabbed the glass and declared herself the new judge of the courtroom.
A tense stand off followed but Meena’s safely behind bars now. At least, we think she is… Could she return for the Emmerdale 50th anniversary?
32. Cain Dingle’s affair with Angie Reynolds 2000-2002
After the bus crash that killed his brother Butch, Cain and the rest of the Dingles had something of a feud with the Reynolds family.
Sean Reynolds was a part owner of Tate Haulage, which owned the lorry that caused the crash, while Angie Reynolds was a police officer and that never sits well with the Dingles.
Despite that, though, or maybe because of it, Cain and Angie embarked on a steamy affair.
After all sorts of dramas, including Cain seducing Angie’s teenage daughter Ollie, the romance was made public. Wanting revenge, Angie set Cain up for a robbery.
There was a terrifying car chase and Angie drove off the road. Cain dragged her from the wreckage but it was too late. Angie died in his arms, after telling him to let her children know she loved them. Sob!
31. Who killed Graham? 2020
Everyone loved Joe Tate’s sidekick Graham Foster until it was revealed he was secretly married to Kim Tate, and had slept with Andrea Tate, and it all got a bit… messy.
Graham and Rhona had got together and were planning to move to France, adding Marlon Dingle to the list of Graham’s enemies.
So when Mr Foster was found dead in the woods, Marlon was banged up for the crime.
As it happened, the real culprit was Pierce Harris – Rhona’s abusive ex.
He ended up kidnapping Vanessa Woodfield. But Rhona managed to live stream his confession and knock him out with some bull tranquiliser. Phew.
Emmerdale 50th anniversary: Top 30
30. Jasmine Thomas and Shane Doyle 2007-2008
Jasmine Thomas was Ashley’s niece. She wanted to be a journalist and she made the foolish decision to write about Emmerdale’s local crime dynasty, the MacFarlanes.
She got help from dodgy copper Shane Doyle and started a romance with him.
But Shane turned nasty and when he tried to rape Jasmine, Debbie Dingle arrived in the nick of time and whacked him over the head with a chair leg.
When Shane came round, Jasmine beat him again and killed him.
She and Debbie – with some help from Eli Dingle – covered up the crime, dumping his body in the lake.
Of course they were found out, Debbie and Jasmine – by now a couple – went on the run and Debbie was arrested.
Jasmine turned up at court, confessed to everything and went to prison. And she and Debbie vowed to love each other for ever. Not sure Debbie’s remembered that bit…
29. Joe Tate’s arrival and death 2017-2018
When Debbie met a gorgeous, rich boyfriend called Tom Waterhouse, she thought he was too good to be true.
And he totally was.
Tom was actually Joe Tate – the son of Charity’s ex-husband Chris Tate. He blamed Charity for his dad’s death and he wanted revenge on the Dingles.
And if that wasn’t complicated enough, Debbie then arranged for Joe to be attacked only Simon McManus, who she’d paid to ‘mess Joe up’ took it too far and used acid. And also, he attacked the wrong person – Ross Barton.
Despite all this, Debbie and Joe fell in love for real, but it turned out Joe was just a puppet being used by his step-gran Kim Tate. She arrived in the village, Joe jilted Debbie at the altar and when Cain found out, he threw a punch that floored Joe.
Was he dead? Cain cartainly thought so – but a twitch of his finger suggested to viewers that Joe was alive.
Later it was confirmed he’d survived and we’re all waiting patiently for his return. Come on, Joe. Whenever you’re ready.
28. Butch Dingle’s death 2000
As the new millennium began, Tate Transport decided to run a bus service to Hotten for shoppers.
But one day, as the packed minibus set off, the driver of another Tate vehicle – this time a Tate Haulage lorry – lost control when the brakes failed.
The truck smashed into the minibus, causing carnage. Butch Dingle was dragged from the wreckage but his injuries were so bad that it was clear he wouldn’t survive.
In tearjerking scenes, Butch tied the knot with fiancée Emily from his hospital bed. And his funeral brought Cain, Charity and Shadrach to the village.
27. Helicopter crash and Val Pollard’s death 2015
Debbie Dingle and Pete Barton tied the knot in a gorgeous rural wedding. The sun shone on the pretty setting and things were pretty perfect.
Except, at the scrapyard Chrissie White was arguing with husband Robert Sugden and in revenge, she set fire to his car. The flames reached a gas canister, which exploded.
Meanwhile, at the wedding, Pete’s brother Finn had a recording of his future sister-in-law talking to the third Barton brother, Ross, about their affair.
Though Finn decided not to reveal all before the ceremony, Aaron Dingle played the recording and the beans were well and truly spilled.
As the gas canisters exploded, a helicopter swooped over the village to whisk away the ‘happy’ couple. And BOOM! the helicopter was hit, plunging into the wedding celebrations.
Debbie was seriously injured and Ruby Haswell and Emmerdale icon Val Pollard were killed.
26. Laurel’s abortion 2020
Laurel Thomas and Jai Sharma were dealt a blow when they discovered the baby Laurel was unexpectedly expecting had Down’s Syndrome.
The pair made the difficult decision not to go through with the pregnancy and Laurel had a termination.
Since then the couple have split and reconciled and are now keeping their blended family together.
25. The Hotten Bypass Crash 2016
There’s nothing better in soap than when several stories come together in one dramatic conclusion and that’s exactly what happened when unhinged Emma Barton and her ex-husband James Barton had a dramatic row on the footbridge over the road.
Emma pushed John into the traffic below where Ashley Thomas, who was in the grip of his dementia, was driving.
Meanwhile Pierce Harris was being pursued by Paddy and Rhona. Their car was hit and as Pierce got out of his vehicle to see what happened, he was hit too.
And that wasn’t even all!
Enter Robert and Aaron who swerved to avoid the crash and ended up in a lake – oh, and they just happened to have Lachlan White tied up in the boot, too. Brilliant, soapy stuff!
24. Lisa’s rape 2011
Friendly Lisa was kind to everyone so it was no surprise when she struck up a friendship with her colleague Derek Benrose.
But Derek wasn’t the nice guy Lisa thought he was.
When they were working overtime together at the Sharmas’ factory, he made a pass at her.
Lisa turned him down, but Derek locked them in and raped her.
Brave Lisa faced her attacker in court but while he was convicted of raping another woman, he was acquitted of raping Lisa.
23. Moira kills Emma 2017
A dramatic episode saw Emma Barton confess to Moira that she’d killed her husband, James.
Horrified Moira lashed out and the barn the women were in ended up in flames.
Meanwhile, Moira – who hadn’t known she was pregnant – went into labour. What a shock!
Nurse Emma helped deliver baby Isaac, then ran when Adam Barton arrived – taking Adam’s gun with her. She shot her own son Finn and climbed up to Hotten Viaduct where she was pushed to her death.
There was a long list of suspects but eventually the killer was revealed to be Moira. Her son Adam took the blame and he’s still on the run.
22. Victoria’s rape 2019
One big night out in Hotten affected the lives of several characters back in 2019, including Victoria Sugden.
She met a man called Lee but when they went back to her cottage, he raped her.
Victoria was devastated and locked herself away for a while, before she told stepmum Diane the truth and revealed she was pregnant. She decided to keep her baby and later gave birth to Harry.
When Lee tormented Victoria, her brother Robert hit him and he died. Robert was sent to prison though we later discovered his brother Luke was the real culprit.
21. Jackson Walsh’s assisted suicide 2011
Aaron Dingle’s first love was Jackson Walsh, a sweet-natured builder.
After a row, the pair stormed off. Jackson drove away in his van and crashed on a railway line where he was hit by a train.
Jackson survived but was left quadriplegic and struggled to cope with his new life, despite the care and attention of Aaron and his mum Hazel.
He convinced the pair to help him die and Aaron gave him the drugs he’d asked for to end his life.
Jackson left a video spelling out his intentions but Aaron was still tried for the murder. However he was found not guilty.
Emmerdale 50th anniversary: Top 20
20. Batley’s death 2002
Edna Birch wasn’t an easy person to like but she was a firm fixture in the village with her trademark hat and with her beloved pooch Batley.
When Batley was taken ill, poor Edna was shocked.
Vet Paddy broke the news that Batley needed to be put to sleep and though Edna wouldn’t agree at first, she came round.
Viewers sobbed as Batley passed away – and so did Edna. Heartbreaking!
19. The plane crash 1993
Between Christmas and New Year 1993 a passenger jet exploded and fell from the sky in a fireball, as a horrified Frank Tate watched.
He ran from his car to help estranged wife Kim and Vic and Vic Windsor, who were at the horse stables.
At the pub, the windows blew in with the explosion, and Archie Brooks was killed.
Joe Sugden was driving his mum Annie and her new hubby Leonard to the airport and their car was hit by a burning wing from the aeroplane. Leonard was killed and Annie was in a coma until the spring when the cries of her newborn granddaughter, Victoria, revived her.
Altogether four characters – Leonard, Archie, Mark Hughes and Elizabeth Pollard – were killed and lots of the village was destroyed.
Chris Tate was badly injured and had to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. And Seth’s dog Smokey died, too.
Later the village, which had been called Beckindale, was renamed Emmerdale.
The plane crash established Emmerdale as one of the main TV soaps and attracted 8 million viewers.
But the storyline was controversial, as it aired very close to the fifth anniversary of the Lockerbie bombing, which many people thought was insensitive.
18. Chris Tate’s death
Chris Tate’s marriage to Charity was rocky. Partly due to Charity’s affair with his sister Zoe. Partly because it was revealed Charity had a daughter with her cousin Cain. And mostly because Charity had cheated on him by getting back together with Cain.
So when Chris discovered he was suffering from a terminal brain tumour he decided to take the ultimate revenge on his wife.
He planned to take his own life – and make it look like Charity had killed him.
And he did it brilliantly, even phoning the police in distress. His last word was ‘whore’.
Charity, though, had the last laugh. She discovered she was pregnant and ‘sold’ baby Noah to Zoe for £10,000 and a statement saying Chris killed himself. Charity was freed and ultimately won custody of Noah anyway.
17. Carl King’s murder 2012
In 2012, 10 years before Emmerdale celebrated its 50th anniversary, the soap turned 40 and Carl King was becoming obsessed with his ex, Chas Dingle – who was – strange as it seems now – getting ready to tie the knot with Dan Spencer.
Carl was blackmailing Chas over her affair with Cameron Murray.
Got it? Good.
That’s just for starters. Before the wedding, Carl asked Chas to run away with him and she agreed, though she didn’t mean it.
When Carl realised – during the anniversary live episode – that she’d lied, he cornered her. He blurted out that he killed his dad for her, then tried to rape her. Chas tried to get away and hit Carl over the head with a brick.
She was convinced she’d killed him but actually serial killer Cameron was the real culprit. He finished Carl off, after Chas had run away.
16. Sandy’s abuse at the hands of Ashley Thomas 2012
Emmerdale vicar Ashley Thomas had a controlling side to his generally good nature, and that took a dark turn when he was caring for his dad, Sandy.
Sandy and Ashley had often clashed over the older man’s behaviour and Ashley wasn’t always happy with Sandy’s tales of his misdeeds when he was in the Navy!
When Sandy needed looking after, Ashley found it difficult and he eventually took his frustration out on his father in a shocking physical way.
The abuse finally ended when Laurel discovered what was going on – and it led to the end of Ashley and Laurel’s first marriage, too.
Emmerdale 50th anniversary: Top 15 storylines
15. Zoe Tate’s psychosis 2002
Zoe Tate had always been the most reliable member of the Tate family so when she started acting oddly, her friend Ashley Thomas was convinced she was struggling with her mental health.
Poor Zoe’s behaviour became more erratic – though she was gay she slept with Scott Windsor and got pregnant, though that wasn’t revealed until later.
She also tried to baptise herself in the river and burned the church down, almost killing herself in the process.
Zoe was sectioned and diagnosed with schizophrenia.
14. Charity’s childhood abuse 2017-2019
Tracy Metcalfe’s brave pursuit of the man who sexually exploited her brought DI Bails to Emmerdale – much to Charity’s horror.
She eventually revealed to girlfriend Vanessa that Bails had sexually abused her when she was just 14.
She later confided that she’d had a baby who’d died. And then she discovered the baby had in fact survived and her son Ryan Stocks became part of the family.
Thanks to Ryan providing a DNA sample, Charity could prove Bails abused her and he was convicted. The story won praise for the flashback episodes featuring a young Charity.
13. Pierce’s abuse of Rhona 2016-17
Pierce Harris and Rhona Goskirk got together after their spouses, Tess and Paddy, had an affair and after Tess was tragially killed.
At first it seemed like the silver lining to a dark cloud – a happy ending for the two cheated partners. But Pierce was controlling and manipulative.
He made sure to keep Rhona away from her friends and even filmed them having sex without Rhona’s consent.
On their wedding day, Pierce raped Rhona. She fled to the police and reported the crime, still in her wedding dress.
Later she’d face Pierce in court and he went to jail. Though that wasn’t the end of Pierce’s time in the village.
12. Maya and Jacob 2018-2019
David Metcalfe has had some terrible girlfriends in the past but one of the worst has to be teacher Maya Stepney.
She moved in with David and son Jacob and it seemed to be happy families. But sick Maya was grooming teenager Jacob and eventually seduced the lad and convinced him they were in love and having a genuine, romantic relationship.
Grim.
Maya was found out when Priya spotted her and Jacob kissing.
Maya went to jail but when she was released, it was revealed she was pregnant with a baby boy – who she left on David’s doorstep. For a while David and Jacob didn’t know who was the dad of the little Theo, but they discovered he was David’s son.
Maya’s not been seen since.
11. The Woolpack siege 2013
Serial killer Cameron Murray escaped from prison, leaving ex-girlfriend Debbie Dingle terrified.
He managed to avoid the police guarding Debbie’s house, get his mitts on a shotgun and kidnap a young Sarah Sugden.
He made his way to The Woolpack and, just like in the Emmerdale 50th anniversary, a storm raged around the pub. Cameron threatened the frightened customers and accidentally shot Alicia Metcalfe.
After Cameron let the hostages go, Chas and Debbie – along with Marlon who’d been knocked out earlier and come round – fled to the flooded cellar of the pub but he followed them.
A tense stand-off followed as the water levels rose and the power flickered on and off in scenes more similar to a horror film than a soap! Eventually Cameron was electrocuted and the others escaped.
10. Moira Dingle’s grief after Holly Barton’s OD death 2016
Sometimes the most dramatic episodes of a soap are the quiet ones and that was never more true than with Holly‘s sad death.
Addict Holly seemed to have got her life back on track, going to therapy, learning photography and starting a romance with Jai Sharma.
But when Moira went to wake up her daughter one morning, she found Holly dead having overdosed.
The episode only featured a few characters – Moira, Diane Sugden and Chas Dingle, as well as Moira’s at-the-time estranged husband, Cain.
Emotionally gripping and the repercussions of Holly’s death are still being felt with the arrival of Suzy to the village.
9. Kim kills Frank 1997
Kim Tate had a very turbulent marriage to Frank Tate.
The pair were always at loggerheads, but never more than after the death of Kim’s lover, Dave Glover in a fire. Kim was heartbroken and she and Frank ramped up their fighting, despite Frank having discovered that he was the dad of Kim’s baby boy, James as he’d hoped.
Kim disappeared and when her car was found with a woman at the wheel, Frank identified the body as Kim.
But his scheming wife had paid a lookalike prostitute to drive around the village to fool everyone into thinking she was still there instead of sunning herself in the Caribbean as she was. The other woman died accidentally and Kim took full advantage!
She let Frank take the blame for her death and even go to prison for a while. When he was released, Kim returned and the shock gave her hubby another heart attack!
Kim calmly stood by and watched him die. Cold!
The Emmerdale 50th anniversary celebrations focus on Kim’s wedding to Will Taylor – will he go the same way of her first husband?
8. Baby Grace 2018
Chas Dingle was surprised and delighted when she discovered she was unexpectedly expecting!
Chas and her partner – now husband – Paddy, started planning for their daughter’s arrival. But they were devastated when they found out their little girl had a serious health issue that meant she wouldn’t survive after she was born.
Chas and Paddy went through with the pregnancy and spent some time with their daughter, Grace, when she was born.
In heartbreaking scenes they imagined the life their little girl might have had if she’d survived.
Actors Lucy Pargeter and Dominic Brunt won praise from viewers for the thoughtful way they portrayed the tragic story and Lucy bagged a British Soap Award too.
7. Aaron Dingle’s childhood abuse revealed 2016
When Aaron’s dad Gordon Livesy came back into his life, he wasn’t happy.
His mum, Chas, though was delighted. She and Gordon rekindled their romance and Aaron freaked out.
Eventually he revealed – first to his boyfriend Robert and then to his horrified mum – that Gordon had raped him.
It was a long and difficult journey for Aaron, but with the support of the Dingles – which led him to change his name from Livesy – and Robert, he found the courage to report Gordon.
He also met his half-sister, Liv, for the first time since she was little.
Gordon was sent to prison, and later hanged himself.
6. Cain Dingle learns Zak is his dad 2000
In one of the very first parental revelation plots, Cain Dingle, who has been voted the best ever Emmerdale character to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary, discovered his uncle Zak was in fact his real father.
Cain had grown up believing Shadrach was his dad. The truth came out during an argument and when things got physical Cain told Zak he couldn’t tell him what to do. Zak retaliated that he was Cain’s dad.
Cain struggled to process the revelation, but the pair developed a father-son bond after a while.
It was severely tested, however, in 2012 when it was revealed Zak had attacked Cain the previous December and left him for dead. Zak had felt Cain needed to be taught a lesson for his wong doings, but things went too far.
Emmerdale 50th anniversary: Top 5
5. Ashley’s dementia 2015-2017
When Victoria Sugden knocked over Ashley Thomas in her car, things took a turn.
Ashley was initially diagnosed with epilepsy, then with vascular dementia. And so began his slow decline though it wasn’t without its joyful moments – especially when he reunited with ex-wife Laurel and the pair remarried and had baby Dotty.
One groundbreaking episode followed Ashley as he wandered away from hospital, with the audience seeing the action through his eyes.
Ashley died at home, surrounded by his family.
4. Marlon’s stroke 2022
Marlon Dingle has found happiness with his now-wife Rhona Goskirk, but when he suffered a stroke back in March this year, his life changed forever.
He is recovering well and even managed to walk down the aisle to tie the knot with Rhona.
But the storyline’s been a hard watch and has won praise from experts and viewers alike.
Actor Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon, bagged both a British Soap Award and a National Television Award for his portrayal of Marlon.
3. Tricia’s death 2003-2004
Marlon and Tricia Dingle were the cutest couple – until their marriage hit difficulties when Tricia got a big break on a Bollywood movie and spent some time away from the village.
She was devastated when she returned and discovered that Marlon had a one-night stand with his cousin, Charity.
The pair split for a while and Tricia was planning to leave Emmerdale for good, but Marlon was determined to win Tricia back.
So he wrote a list of 101 reasons why he loved his wife. Aww.
But just like for the Emmerdale 50th anniversary a storm hit and Tricia read the note during it.
Though she changed her mind about leaving, as she went to the Woolpack to find her husband, lightning struck a tree which knocked down the pub chimney and Tricia was killed. SOB!
2. Faith’s cancer 2022
Faith Dingle tried to keep it secret when her cancer returned. But it wasn’t long until daughter-in-law Moira found out, and soon after that, her kids Cain and Chas found out.
Though the villagers were sad, Faith was determined to go out in style.
She spent her final days ticking off her to-do list and living her best life.
As the Emmerdale 50th anniversary celebrations began this month, Faith died on Thursday October 13, leaving her family and the viewers alike heartbroken.
Emmerdale 50th anniversary: No.1
1. Meena’s killing spree 2021-2022 voted best storyline for the Emmerdale 50th anniversary
As far as soap serial killers go, Meena Jutla’s one of the most entertaining!
Yes, she was cold-blooded, sinister, scary and downright nasty. But she was so much fun to watch.
Meena managed to do away with Leanna Cavanagh, Andrea Tate, and Ben Tucker – as well as admitting to killing her former best friend Nadine and her own dad.
She also kidnapped sister Manpreet and Vinny Dingle, counting down to the day she was going to kill them.
Meena had a habit of taking a keepsake from each of her victims and stashing them in her first aid box – which eventually proved to be the evidence that was needed to put her inside.
Will she ever come back?
Maybe for the Emmerdale 50th anniversary? We hope so!
Read more: Complete Emmerdale cast list 2022 – meet them all here!
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an hour episode on Thursdays.
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