Emmerdale fans were left horrified on Monday (September 21) as Ruby Miligan was buried alive in a terrifying revenge attack – and now she is fighting for her life underground.
Ruby and Caleb are both on Joe Tate’s hit list after he blamed them for Dawn’s death. But Joe’s revenge has gone further than anyone could have expected, with Ruby trapped in a coffin and seemingly running out of air.
Joe tasked Graham with burying Ruby in Emmerdale
Last week Joe told Graham he wanted everyone involved in the accident that led to Dawn’s death to “suffer like I have suffered”. He vowed “retribution” and asked Graham to help him.
Tonight, Graham arrived late to Dawn’s funeral, leaving Kim furious. However, he cryptically assured her that he always had Joe’s best interests at heart.
Joe struggled to get through the service, which was held by the stables at Home Farm. Kim ended up delivering the eulogy on his behalf and vowed to keep the family together. She made it clear that Baby Tate was included in that, despite the fact that Joe is putting him up for adoption.
Unable to take the pain any more, Joe simply walked away.
But then we saw him standing at a filled-in grave. It appeared to be Dawn’s as he spoke to her and promised to avenge her death. Then the camera panned deep beneath the ground and revealed the horrifying truth – Ruby was the one trapped inside.
She was unconscious, but presumably still alive.
What happens next?
Quite why Graham agreed to such an extreme plan remains a mystery. But tomorrow night (Tuesday September 22), Joe also has Caleb knocked out.
Groggy Caleb comes round and is warned by Joe about what’s coming. Joe is relishing having the power over his nemesis.
Meanwhile, Ruby wakes up inside the coffin, terrified and unable to escape. She starts to lose strength and it appears she is running out of air…
When Joe tells Caleb exactly what he has done to Ruby, Caleb is thrown into a panic. He begs Joe to let his wife go, but Joe appears too far gone to care about what he is doing.
Things are looking very bleak for Ruby…
Does Ruby die in Emmerdale?
There has been no official confirmation about whether Ruby will die in Emmerdale.
Beth Cordingly, who plays Ruby, has made no mention of leaving and Emmerdale has not put out an official release about an exit. There have also been no rumours about Ruby leaving. This is usually a good sign!
Beth also posted a snippet of herself in her Emmerdale dressing room on social media four weeks ago. As the soap usually films six weeks in advance, hopefully this means she is still there.
But if Ruby does get out, how will she manage it? Will Joe have a change of heart? Could Graham realise this has gone too far? Or will Caleb somehow manage to find a way to free his wife himself?
And how far will Caleb then go to get revenge on Joe? Will this feud ever end?
Read more: Emmerdale cast shake-up 2026 as exits confirmed and big returns teased – so who’s leaving?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 8pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
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