Emmerdale fans were left full of questions tonight after a mystery woman arrived in the back of a van — leaving Caleb Miligan in a complete panic and Joe Tate scrambling to cover things up.
The tense scenes saw Joe manage to turn the situation to his advantage, keeping the police at bay while Caleb and Ruby tried to deal with the unexpected intruder.
But who is this mysterious woman, why has she arrived in the village, and what could she be involved in?
Caleb and Joe made a shocking discovery in Emmerdale tonight
On Wednesday, October 22, Joe headed back to the depot to try and convince his uncle Caleb not to go to the police after witnessing him run down Jimmy King. Nicola King is convinced Joe hit Jimmy on purpose — and she’s determined to make sure he pays.
Caleb, however, is holding all the cards. He knows what he saw and isn’t afraid to use it against Joe. But just as the pair clashed over what to do next, they were distracted by a strange noise coming from one of the vans.
When Caleb opened the doors, they got the shock of their lives – a woman was inside.
Ruby arrived just in time and managed to coax the frightened woman out of hiding. Sensing an opportunity, Joe pointed out that if the police found out about the stowaway, Caleb would be in serious trouble.
Joe quickly stalled the officers, giving Caleb and Ruby time to get the woman away from the scene – earning himself a huge favour in the process. Crisis averted for Joe… but the mystery of the stowaway has only just begun.
Who is the woman in the van in Emmerdale?
The woman has been identified by Emmerdale as Anya. Joe noted that the van had been travelling abroad, suggesting she might be an illegal immigrant.
Ruby noticed that Anya was clearly unwell and offered to get her medical help – but Anya refused. Instead, Ruby took her home, gave her food, and let her rest.
When Caleb found out, he was furious. He warned Ruby that harbouring Anya could link them to human trafficking and land them both in serious legal trouble.
Ruby refused to back down and tomorrow night will even call Liam to check Anya over. But Liam makes it clear that she needs to contact the authorities immediately.
Next week, the situation only gets more intense as Ruby and Caleb go head-to-head. Caleb wants Anya gone, but Ruby insists she should stay. When Anya overhears their argument, she decides to leave, disappearing before anyone can stop her.
Ruby is furious, but Caleb insists it’s for the best. However, it’s clear Ruby isn’t ready to let it go — will she track Anya down and bring her back? And if she does, what will that mean for Caleb?
Is Anya connected to Bear Wolf’s upcoming storyline?
Fans are already theorising that Anya could be tied to Bear Wolf‘s mysterious upcoming standalone episode, which will explore what happened during the 100 missing days after Bear supposedly left for a new life in Ireland.
The episode will see Bear “trapped in an all-too-common situation for a forgotten generation.”
Joe Absolom (who plays Ray Walters) recently hinted that Ray and Bear are connected, revealing: “We see in episodes later on when I talk to Bear, little hints of what his life has been like.”
Some fans think Anya could be part of that link. One viewer wrote on social media: “The human trafficking story that Bear is involved in has begun.”
Another added: “It looks like Caleb finds a woman stashed in one of his trucks, implying she was trafficked. This storyline definitely has legs.”
Actor Joshua Richards, who plays Bear, also shared an intriguing connection — he previously starred in Sold, a 2007 play about human trafficking, which he described as “profound, upsetting, and full of alarming facts.”
Could Emmerdale be about to tackle this powerful and emotional topic on-screen? Fans certainly think so.
Read more: Emmerdale fans all asking the same question about Dawn Fletcher
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
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