Emmerdale rang in the New Year with two huge escapes as April Windsor and Kev Townsend both slipped free from terrifying situations. But don’t be fooled into thinking the danger has passed. Far from it.
With secrets piling up, loyalties tested and revenge still very much on the table, New Year’s Day in the village is shaping up to be anything but peaceful.
Ray lets April go in Emmerdale
After being ordered by Celia to kill April, Ray appeared to accept that his future was no longer his own. He even told a devastated Laurel that he was leaving the next day and that their relationship was over. It left her reeling after believing they were building a life together.
Things took a much darker turn when Ray led April into the woods under the pretence of burying evidence connected to Callum. It quickly became horrifyingly clear the grave was meant for her. Panicked, April fought back, injured Ray and fled, losing her phone in the chaos.
Ray caught up with her after she fell, but when April begged for her dad, he couldn’t go through with it. Instead, Ray told her to run and never come back, insisting she had to appear dead while he dealt with Celia himself.
But is that really the end of April’s ordeal?
Kev also breaks free
Elsewhere, Kev was fighting for his life as John waited for the perfect moment to kill Robert. Desperate, Kev tried one last time to reason with him – and when the explosive failed to detonate, John finally listened.
Kev promised that if John let him go, he’d take Robert abroad and remove him from the equation entirely. No bloodshed, no witnesses, and John could still convince Aaron they belonged together.
John agreed. But it was a fatal mistake.
Once free, Kev refused to be part of John’s plan, attacked him and left him writhing in pain. The big question now is whether Kev will warn Robert and Aaron – or whether he has his own agenda.
What happens next for April and Kev?
By New Year’s Day, Ray has chosen to stay with Laurel and is pointedly ignoring Celia’s calls. Across the village, Marlon, Rhona and Dylan are frantic when April fails to come home and can’t be reached. Where is she – and is she really safe?
Next week, April does return, but she’s clearly hiding something huge. Ross becomes involved, while Marlon and Rhona also start keeping secrets. When Rhona asks whether there could be repercussions from Ray and Celia, April insists there won’t be – but she’s adamant the police must be told. What really happened in those woods, and are Ray and Celia finally finished?
Meanwhile, Kev reappears in the village on New Year’s Day, where Nicola wastes no time issuing an ultimatum: tell Lewis the truth about being his dad, or leave the Dales for good.
And as for John Sugden? By next week, he’s bound and gagged in Robert and Aaron’s flat. Kev’s involvement seems almost certain – because there’s no way he’s letting John get another chance to try and kill the man he loves.
One thing’s for sure: 2026 is starting in Emmerdale exactly as it means to go on – explosive, emotional and packed with consequences.
Read more: Emmerdale fans divided over ‘too dark’ storyline – but poll reveals surprise verdict
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
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