Emmerdale’s Charity Dingle has confessed all about her baby lie, Dr Todd’s blackmail and sexual assault to partner Mackenzie Boyd in dramatic scenes on the ITV soap
20:59, 25 Jun 2026Updated 21:00, 25 Jun 2026
Charity Dingle has spoken out about her baby lie and sexual assault on Emmerdale
Emmerdale’s Charity Dingle confessed all to Mackenzie Boyd in the latest episode of the ITV soap. The Woolpack landlady, who has been played by Emma Atkins, certainly has had a lot to deal with in recent weeks and finally told her partner everything after weeks of hiding away and suffering a breakdown.
Unfortunately, Dr Caitlin Todd, who had relentlessly bullied Sarah’s partner Jacob when she was in charge of him at the hospital, found out the truth and used it to blackmail Charity into handing over money. This all culminated in harrowing scenes where she sexually assaulted a drunken Charity.
Earlier this week, newcomer Serena Sugden, played by former Wicked star Casey Al-Shaqsy, made Charity see that she needed to expose Todd, even if that meant revealing everything to her family and on Thursday night’s episode, Charity bravely faced the music.
Having candidly informed Mack that Sarah’s baby was the product of a one night stand she had with Ross, Mack stormed out and looked set to tell all to Charity’s granddaughter. But when he returned home, he told Charity that he couldn’t do it.
It was then that Charity told Mack about Dr Todd’s blackmail against her after she discovered the truth about the child in question, and then disclosed that she had been the victim of rape at the hands of the retired medic.
Clearly taken aback by the shock revelation, on top of everything else he had heard that day, Mack (Lawrence Robb) calmly told Charity that the only thing they could do now was to go to the police – even after it seemed that Todd had got away with it all when she previously claimed that everything was consensual.
Charity told Mack: “The only way through this is telling the truth and facing the consequences of what I have done. No matter what.”
“I tell Sarah. And then I go back to the police. If I tell the police about the blackmail, it’s going to open a can of worms and that’s gonna drag Sarah into it. I think that girl Serena was right. I have to see this through.”
However, Mack told Charity that telling Sarah that she is not the mother of her baby might not be the best idea just yet, meaning that the secret could stay secret a little while longer – but he was absolutely convinced that she had to “fight” for justice above all else.
He said: “It’s gonna be a lot for everyone to deal with it, so maybe we cross that bridge when we come to it. What matters right now is that you go to the police.”
“I can be angry with you and still be there for you when you need me the most. Charity, I need you to listen to me for a second here because – Dr Todd is not karma. She’s a rapist who took advantage of you when you were vulnerable. So I need you to get out of that way of thinking because it lets her off the hook.
“You’re gonna fight back, you’re gonna go to the police, you’re gonna get them down here and you’re going to tell them absolutely everything.”
Emmerdale’s Charity Dingle made the brave decision to report her abuser to the police in powerful scenes, after Dr Todd’s disgusting assault left fans sickened on Sunday
15:19, 08 Jun 2026Updated 15:25, 08 Jun 2026
Charity Dingle vowed to stop Emmerdale villain Dr Todd in powerful and moving scenes on Monday(Image: ITV)
Charity Dingle vowed to stop Emmerdale villain Dr Todd in powerful and moving scenes on Monday.
This article contains details from the latest episode now available on ITVX, while it airs on ITV1 on Monday at 8PM. The character had been subjected to a horrific sexual assault moments earlier by the former doctor. After Todd continued to blackmail Charity for money over her baby lie, Charity spiralled.
After getting drunk she confronted Todd, and was cruelly made to believe they had come to a truce. Todd had comemnted on why she was really targeting Charity, while Charity passed out on the sofa.
It’s then that in dark scenes, Todd took advantage of Charity while she was out of it, and after hurling insults at her she sexually assauted her. Charity realised what was happening and woke up, left numb as Todd smirked before leaving the room.
During Monday’s episode, Charity was visibly distraught by her ordeal, and sat in silence. As her family and friends continued celebrating her granddaughter Sarah’s birthday at the pub, Charity soon decided to join them.
Saying nothing about what had happened, she put on a brave face and joined her loved ones. She made her excuses and left, and we saw her approaching the outside of Vanessa Woodfield’s house, where Todd is staying.
But Charity didn’t enter the house, and instead she made the brave decision to report Todd to the police. A shaken Charity confirmed she was there to report a crime, before she was led into a room by a detective.
As Charity relived the horrifying assault that had just happened, she was told she would need to give full details and a statement, as well as undergo a full medical examination. The detective said they believed her, and they needed to gather as much evidence as possible.
They also revealed they would need to arrest and question Dr Todd about Charity’s accusations, and it would later be determined if there was enough evidence for Todd to be charged. As Charity returned home alone, she broke down in tears.
Emotional viewers praised Charity’s bravery, and shared they were glad the soap had taken this route. One fan said on social media: “Very glad #emmerdale went in the direction they did with Charity immediately going to the police.”
Another fan posted: “Charity went to the police that was unexpected,” as a third added: “I did a little cheer when Charity went to the police station, and when they said they believed her.” A fan then replied: “Yeah I did a little cheer as well!”
A final comment read: “I was surprised Charity went to the Police at this stage but definitely the correct way for the show to go.”
* If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
Emmerdale has had plenty of dark moments, but fans have now called the most latest storyline involving Charity and Dr Todd ‘abhorrent’ and have said the soap has gone too far
13:17, 08 Jun 2026Updated 13:18, 08 Jun 2026
Emmerdale’s darkest moments
Emmerdale has aired some shocking storylines since it first began in 1972, but perhaps none so dark as its most recent, which fans have said went too far.
In Sunday night’s episode, airing on 7 June, longtime favourite Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) became the victim of a “horrendous” sexual assault at the hands of Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker). Dr Todd had been blackmailing Charity over the true parentage of the baby she gave her granddaughter but after Charity fought back, the villainous doctor tried to kiss her. Though she was rejected, when a drunk Charity fell asleep, Dr Todd assaulted her.
Fans were furious with the storyline. One called it “disturbing”: “The SA scene in #Emmerdale is horrendous, please take care of yourselves, very difficult watch. Charity [crying emoji].I can’t post the clip its so disturbing.”
Another added that they felt “physically sick” and hoped that the soap would be fined for the latest storyline: “I hope #Emmerdale gets a fine and or massive warning, there’s doing a storyline and there is a storyline that makes many women feel physically sick and shaking, disgusting behaviour from TV.”
Finally, another implied that the actors should be “ashamed” for agreeing to film the scenes and said they would not be watching. But this is not the first time Emmerdale has aired a deeply dark storyline. From serial killers to a modern slavery plot, here are the darkest storylines on Emmerdale.
Serial killer Meena
Nurse Meena Jutla (Paige Sandhu) arrived in Emmerdale in 2020. Meena did many villainous things whilst on Emmerdale, inclduing pretending to be Ethan Anderson’s (Emile John) estranged mum and taking Rishi Sharma’s (Bhasker Patel) medication so that she could later save him.
But things soon got worse for the Emmerdale residents, when Meena started killing. Offscreen, she murdered both her own father and her former best friend Nadine, while onscreen, she killed Leanna Cavanagh (Mimi Slinger), Andrea Tate (Anna Nightingale) and Ben Tucker (Simon Lennon). She seemed completely unaffected by her crimes, often singing and dancing to pop music before committing them and involving herself in the lives of those mourning her victims afterwards.
Several of Meena’s scenes were brutal and vicious. Some fans said they were left “traumatised” and “horrified” by the violent way she murdered Andrea and Ofcom received several complaints about Ben’s death.
Cameron killing Gennie
Cameron Murray (Dominic Power) was another Emmerdale killer. He killed three people – Carl King (Tom Lister), ALex Moss (Kurtis Stacey) and Gennie Walker (Sian Reese-Williams) – between 2012 and 2013.
Cameron was later sent to prison after his girlfriend Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb) turned on him. But, still believing that Debbie loved him, he escaped prison and took the patrons in The Woolpack hostage. Everyone managed to escape except Cameron, who was electrocuted in the cellar.
Though he killed several people, the way he killed Gennie was deeply disturbing. After seeing Gennie leave their house, Cameron and Debbie realised she must have overheard Cameron confess to killing Carl and chased her down in their car. Gennie’s car spun out of control and crashed – while Debbie called the police, hoping someone could save Gennie, Cameron got her out of the car and suffocated her without Debbie seeing.
Bear’s modern slavery story
At the end of last year, Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) faced a modern slavery ordeal. The character had disappeared earlier that year and was believed to be in Ireland, but it was later revealed that he was living in a barn and being controlled by the barn’s owners, who forced him to work their farm.
Those captors were Ray and Celia (Joe Absolom and Jaye Griffiths), who also manipulated April and Dylan (Amelia Flanagan and Fred Kettle) into working for them too and transporting drugs across county lines.
Fans said the storyline was “too dark” but Joshua Richards said before the storyline aired: “It may surprise many people, but slavery is alive and well, indeed prospering in the modern world. Not only in obscure countries and cultures that we know little about, and not just the exploitation of migrants by criminal gangs of which some of us are aware. It is happening under our very own noses.”
He continued: “The disadvantaged, dispossessed, those with mental health issues or disabilities, the old, lonely and vulnerable people that our society neglect are the perfect prey for grooming by unscrupulous criminal agencies. I’m very excited and honoured to be taking part in this to hopefully educate and highlight this abominable trade of human bondage.”
John Sugden’s hero syndrome
John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) appeared to suffer from hero syndrome in 2024. The paramedic would put people in danger and then use his skills to save them.
He injected Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter) with an unknown substance and planned to save him but was too late and Nate died. He also swapped Jacob Gallagher’s (Joe Warren Plant) coffee with an almond milk latte, knowing Jacob was allergic, swapped Chas Dingle’s (Lucy Pargeter) pain killers with a stringer dose so that she would overdose, whacked Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson)over the head and did much more to others, all so that he could later save them.
Jackson’s assisted suicide
In controversial scenes in 2011, Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) helped his partner Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock) die. Jackson was tetraplegic, which is where someone is unable to move the upper and lower parts of their body.
Viewers watched in shock as Aaron helped to end Jackson’s life by helping him drink a lethal cocktail of drugs. Emmerdale was criticised for the story line and an Ofcom investigation was launched after several complaints were made.
Pierce assaults Rhona
In 2017, viewers watched as Pierce Harris (Jonathan Wrather) assaulted and manipulated his partner Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry). Fans were terrified for Rhona when she agreed to marry Pierce, and rightly so, as he raped her on their wedding day.
Emmerdale again received complaints for the graphic nature of the scenes that were broadcast, but ultimately stood by its decision for airing the episode, claiming it complied with Ofcom’s vigorous guidelines.
If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
One Emmerdale theory suggested a shock death could be looming for Laurel Thomas as her secret fling faces being exposed on the ITV soap, but not all fans are convinced
14:16, 03 Jun 2026Updated 14:19, 03 Jun 2026
One Emmerdale theory suggested a shock death could be looming for Laurel Thomas(Image: ITV)
One new Emmerdale theory has teased a shock death for a long-serving character.
Laurel Thomas is currently at the centre of a new romance plot with Ross Barton, with a secret fling underway. Laurel’s stepdaughter Gabby Thomas was rejected by Ross who instead wants to be with Laurel.
Amid this storyline ongoing, it’s been teased Laurel is just having a bit of fun. But with recent reports suggesting that three different characters have been axed from the show, some fans wondered what the future might hold for other village residents.
There’s rumours Jimmy King will be killed off later this year, and now a new theory suggests Laurel could meet a grim fate. While the fan who started off the theory claimed they were initially joking, they admitted they could not help but wonder if there was truth to it given the soap’s history.
They wondered how the storyline with Ross and Laurel may end, even predicting a twist involving Gabby. They predicted that Laurel would become hated by villagers, and might end up being killed off.
Hilariously, fans shared their thoughts on the theory, admitting that with it being soap land, anything was possible. The original post read: “I thought of this as a joke at first, but knowing the writers, maybe it will end up being true.
“Who wants to bet that Ross will end up dating Gabby and then secretly have an affair with Laurel. Bonus points if they get engaged/married and the affair is found out at the wedding and/or Gabby has a child to him during the relationship (or she goes Eva from Corrie style and fakes a pregnancy).
“And since it’s Emmerdale, let’s also predict that Jai will start seeing Laurel behind Kerry’s back and both affair reveals will happen in the same week. Leading to Laurel becoming the most hated person in the village and then mysteriously dying, prompting a months-long whodunnit.”
The idea wasn’t completely shut down by fans, as some joked along with it while others questioned how likely it was given recent storylines. A fan replied: “You are HIRED!!!!! That storyline I would watch!”
Another said: “You’ve given the scriptwriters much food for thought if they read your post but you and I know that anything is possible in soap land. And I mean anything.”
A final comment read: “I mean if there’s already rumours around about other long-term characters being killed off then Laurel could be just as at risk surely. As people have said it’s soap after all.”
As it stands there has been nothing to suggest Laurel is leaving the show, let alone that she will be killed off. It’s not currently the way the plot is going, but fans are not wrong by saying anything can happen.
Former Emmerdale star Anthony Quinlan played Pete Barton for seven years and has opened up about how he adapted his accent to secure the role
Emmerdale bosses told one star to tone down their accent before offering them a role(Image: ITV)
A former Emmerdale star has revealed the surprising adjustment he had to make before landing his role on the ITV soap.
Anthony Quinlan is best known for portraying Pete Barton in the beloved drama for seven years between 2013 and 2020, before his character departed the Dales for a fresh start in Liverpool.
The fan-favourite was at the heart of numerous dramatic storylines, and Anthony has now shared insights into his audition experience and what it was like working alongside his on-screen relatives.
Chatting on behalf of Freebets.com, the home of the best slot sites, the Manchester-born actor explained: “A friend of mine was actually auditioning for the character of Pete at the time and I wasn’t even aware the audition process was happening.
“I later had an audition in London, then a second round in Yorkshire and then a screen test. I think there were five of us left for the first screen test and I got a call later that afternoon and they said ‘we really like you but we need to tone down the ‘Mancness’, you’re far too ‘Manc’ for a Yorkshire TV show.”, reports the Daily Star.
“They called me back to audition again over the weekend with another actor so I had the weekend to work on being a bit less ‘Manc’, which I think I managed, although it did creep back in once I was on screen and I auditioned again on the Monday and a couple of days later I heard I’d got the role. I was over the moon. What a great show to be a part of.” Anthony recalled his debut on set, expressing how “so privileged” he feels to belong to one of Emmerdale’s most legendary families across the soap’s 50-year run.
He explained: “We were actually on location on the first day. Kate Oates was the producer at the time and she was absolutely outstanding. Her ideas were so original and she really brought authenticity to the show, using real locations.
“So on the first day it was myself and Joe Gill [who played Finn Barton], working on the farm with Bill Ward [who played our dad James Barton] and a director called Duncan Foster, who was brilliant at easing us in.
“Then Natalie Robb arrived as Moira. I’d watched Bill Ward on Coronation Street for years and what a lovely man and an outstanding actor. Joe, I think that was his first job, what a great talent he is and Natalie Robb is part of the furniture at Emmerdale. It was great to watch how she operates on set and take some mental notes from that.
“We were so privileged. There was so much drama surrounding that family and the audience invested in us, which prompted the writers to invest in us more too. The whole Debbie [Dingle, played by Charley Webb] and Ross [Barton, played by Michael Parr] storyline early on, where Pete marries Debbie and Ross has been sleeping with her behind his back and the whole fight kicking off, that whole drama was unbelievable.
“Over the years I was really fortunate. We did some beautiful stuff with Zoe Henry [who plays Rhona Goskirk], that was a real standout moment and then the whole storyline about their mum Emma Barton [played by Gillian Kearney], coming into the show.
“There were stunts too and I remember Mike Parr hanging me upside down off a viaduct in Harrogate, about 120 feet in the air, which was absolutely terrifying. I did the stunt myself and I remember chasing Kelvin Fletcher [who played Andy Sugden] around Tholthorpe racetrack on a motorbike. Lots of high octane stuff as well as high drama. No day was the same. What a great experience.”
Pete was mentioned in an Emmerdale storyline last year, though Anthony has made it clear a comeback isn’t imminent. He said: “Never say never. but i’s not on the cards at present and nothing has formally been approached.
“A return to Emmerdale is definitely something worth seriously considering if it was ever properly presented but right now I want to keep building on the momentum of the last year or so as things are picking up and in the right direction.”
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 at 8pm and available to stream from 7am on ITVX
