The last 12 months of Emmerdale has made for fascinating television. But while the soap made sure to tackle some hard hitting storylines, it also gave us a few OMG moments.
Some good, some totally bizarre, Emmerdale really kept us on the edge of our seats. And as 2026 seems to be just as chaotic already, we want to take a moment to appreciate what 2025 gave us.
So, from John Sugden wielding a bow and arrow, to Joe Tate literally stealing a kidney, here are the craziest Emmerdale storylines of 2025. Strap in, there are a few…
Charity offering to be a surrogate for her grand-daughter – then sleeping with Ross!
Believe it or not, things continued to get even crazier in Emmerdale during the course of 2025. Sarah realised she had one thing she wanted to achieve more than anything – to be a mum.
But because of her illness, and her cancer diagnosis which forced her to get a hysterectomy, this dream became harder to achieve.
And when Charity realised no surrogates would risk carrying a baby for Sarah, she offered to go through it herself.
The whole situation caused issues between her and Mack. And after an argument, she got drunk and slept with Ross. It wasn’t long before her pregnancy test came back positive and she was left wondering if it was really Sarah’s baby she was carrying.
And just a few weeks later, it was confirmed the baby is actually hers and Ross’. But currently, Chas is the only one to know the truth. It’s just a matter of how long can Charity actually keep this a secret? As we know nothing ever stays hidden in SoapLand.
Joe Tate stole a kidney
When 2025 began, Joe Tate had just returned to Emmerdale. And we had quite a lot of hope and expectations for his character.
But suddenly, he was thrown into a ridiculous plot that had everyone confused. Joe needed a new kidney. And instead of just saying pretty please, and asking family members, he went on a huge quest to steal one.
After unsuccessfully getting Noah’s, his attention was turned to his uncle Caleb. And in a very elaborate scheme, Joe successfully got Caleb stabbed and brought to a private hospital where Dr Crowley was ready and waiting to take the kidney.
And it worked! Joe managed to steal a kidney and get it transplanted into his body, before Caleb could even realise.
But of course, the truth came out and began a feud between the Tate’s. However, they have since ironed out their differences…
The deadly limo crash
But another knock-on effect from Joe’s kidney plot was the huge deaths of Leyla, Amy and Suzie during the Emmerdale limo crash of 2025.
At this point, Joe was convinced Noah was going to be the best option for him to get a kidney. So, he drugged him. However, once he realised Noah wasn’t a match, Joe let him go.
What he didn’t plan for, was Noah stumbling onto the road where Charity was driving a limo full of Emmerdale girls. And when she saw her son, she had to quickly serve.
But things got worse as she swerved onto ice. Ultimately three people died in heartbreaking scenes. And no, Joe never went to prison for his connection in their deaths.
John trying to be Robin Hood
Jumping to this summer when John Sugden was finally beginning to be caught out over his lies and murder.
But unfortunately for Mack, he ended up paying quite the price for his discoveries. When John realised that Mack was onto him, he chased him through the forest.
However, he was armed. Not with a gun. Instead with a bow and arrow he had in the back of his van. He sinisterly chased Mack through the forest, and ultimately shot his shoulder.
This led to a few weeks of Mackenzie being held hostage in John’s underground bunker, where John threatened to kill him quite a few times.
In the end, John was actually the one to save Mack, in his last ditch attempt at being the hero of the story. And while he is currently still out in the wind, something tells us that’s all going to change soon.
The John Sugden saga
But the Mack situation was only a small part of John’s reign of terror on the village. For months and months, his lies and murderous secret went unnoticed.
John needed to be the hero. So, he spent his time in Emmerdale 2025, making people sick, or injuring them, just so he could turn it around and save the day.
He murdered Nate (accidentally) and then left his body in the lake. And right before Amy died in the limo crash, the reveal was made to the viewers.
But John wasn’t only going after people he didn’t like, but he was also targeting his own husband, Aaron. And when the truth eventually came out it led to a cliff-top showdown.
Robert appeared, trying to save the day, but John decided if he couldn’t have Aaron then nobody could, and jumped off the cliff, while holding Aaron.
Thankfully, Aaron survived. But so did John. And when Aaron woke up, John knew his time was up and blackmailed Caleb into helping him escape. Now though, he seems to be on his way back to the village… Watch out everyone.
Robert Sugden’s return – a welcome unexpected wild storyline
However, a wild Emmerdale 2025 storyline that had us extremely happy, was the unexpected return of the iconic Robert Sugden.
Six years ago, Robert said goodbye to the village, as he was sent down for the murder of Lee. But 2025 welcomed him back, as he appealed his sentence and was determined to win the love of his life back.
While Aaron was secretly happy to see him, he still went ahead and married John. But now, months later, Robron are finally back together and trying to enjoy their life. Especially as they also had the drama of Kev Townsend.
Robert’s secret prison husband
That brings us onto another unexpectedly crazy Emmerdale storyline of 2025. Alongside his return, Robert brought some secrets. And it was soon revealed that he had gotten married while he was in prison.
While it was clear he did have love for Kev, we quickly learned that he wasn’t in love with him. And instead, felt like he owed Kev for saving his life a number of times.
However, what he didn’t know, was that Kev had secrets of his own. For one, he told Robert that he was dying when he wasn’t, just so Robert felt like he had to stay with him. And secondly, he has a secret son – the one and only Lewis Barton.
Kev’s final scenes came when he held Robert, Aaron and Dr Liam hostage in the Mill Flat, while swinging his samurai sword around. And of course, when Kev headed towards Aaron with it, Robert jumped in his way, getting sliced in the process.
The whole ordeal led to Kev leaving the village (temporarily!). Now, both halves of Robron have a psychotic husband who wants the other dead – just the typical day in Emmerdale.
But it’s safe to assume that 2026 will be just as crazy – if not even crazier. And it may be an unpopular opinion, but we hope the crazy keeps coming!
Read more: Emmerdale’s Sarah Sugden tipped to be killed off in Corriedale crossover as crash looms
What did you think of Emmerdale throughout 2025? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix. We want to know your thoughts!