Surrogacy

Emmerdale fans have been left even more worried about Jacob Sugden after his latest run-in with Doctor Todd on the ITV soap as his former boss issued another threat

Emmerdale fans have been left even more worried about Jacob Sugden after his latest run-in with Doctor Todd on the ITV soap. The medical student, played by Joe-Warren Plant, has been terrorised by his superior at Hotten General for months now, originally masking her bullying as tough love as he began his journey in the profession.

On Monday’s edition of the Yorkshire-based soap, Jacob called round to see Doctor Todd, also known as Cailtin, on the day of her father’s funeral. He took with him some flowers as a gesture of condolence and explained that he hoped to put the past behind them, especially now that she has decided to retire.

Caitlin (Caroline Harker) thanked him for the flowers and seemingly agreed they could draw a line on it, but as soon as Jacob was out the door, she dismissed his gesture by tossing the flowers onto the sofa.

READ MORE: Emmerdale Dr Todd’s cruel next move ‘seals’ fate – and it’s bad news for JacobREAD MORE: Emmerdale fans ‘work out’ who brings Dr Todd down and it’s not Jacob

Later on, Caitlin bumped into Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) in the shop, where Jacob was working on the till amid his paternity leave, and arranged to go on a date with her. Vanessa then got a phone call and had to leave immediately to deal with a family emergency, with Caitlin swooping in to offer to pay for her shopping so she could leave quickly.

She took the basket to the till and instantly used this as an opportunity to lay out her plans for Jacob. She said: “Thanks again for the flowers. I was a bit blindsided by you showing up, to be honest.

“But you said something about us going our separate ways and moving on. That’s gonna be a bit difficult, that first bit, isn’t it? Because we both live here.

“But I’m gonna have a lot more time on my hands, as you know, what with no job, and no dad to worry about. I wonder what I’m gonna do with it. Hopefully, it won’t involve finding new ways to make your life as hellish as when you worked with me…especially with what I know. Cheery-bye!”

Jacob was left looking confused to say the least as Caitlin walked out of the shop, but the knowledge that she has is that baby Leyla isn’t actually his daughter, nor is she his wife Sarah’s.

The retired doctor has worked out that Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins), who is Sarah’s grandmother and had claimed to be acting as surrogate, is the child’s biological mother, having conceived the baby during a one-night stand with Ross Barton.

Reacting to the shock threat, one fan wrote on Reddit: “Todd is seriously scary now she’s in full psycho mode.” Another said: “Is Todd that sad that she’s retiring to make his life a misery?”

A third wrote: “Jacob – ‘this woman is bullying me and making my life hell every time I see her, so I know what I’ll do, I’ll go round to her house’”

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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Britain’s first gay surrogate parent, who co-owns Maldon and Tiptree football club, has “strenuously denied” grooming young men for sexual exploitation, a court heard

Britain’s first gay surrogate parent has “strenuously denied” grooming young men for sexual exploitation, a court heard. Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, 57, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Friday alongside his 32-year-old partner, Scott Drewitt-Barlow.

The men, both of Danbury, Essex, face multiple charges including rape, sexual assault, and modern slavery trafficking for sexual exploitation. The alleged offences, which are said to have taken place in Essex and Manchester between April 2013 and January this year, relate to four different men, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The defendants are alleged to have “recruited” young men before grooming them and subjecting them to sexual assaults including rape, the court heard.

READ MORE: Barrie Drewitt-Barlow and husband charged with human trafficking and sexual offences

Defence barrister Oliver Snodin said the allegations against Barrie and Scott Drewitt-Barlow are “strenuously denied” by them both. Flanked by custody officers, the defendants, wearing hooded sweatshirts, spoke only to confirm their personal details.

The two men were remanded into custody to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on June 5. Prosecutor Serena Berry said: “Barrie Drewitt-Barlow is in a relationship with Scott Drewitt-Barlow… they are what could be termed to be celebrities, who live multi-million [pound] lifestyles and have featured in many documentaries and reality TV shows.

“They own the Maldon and Tiptree football club, and they have other businesses in the Essex area and also abroad in other countries.

“It is alleged they have both targeted young males, they have recruited them, they have befriended them, they have groomed them. They have invited them to their home and other premises.”

Barrie Drewitt-Barlow became Britain’s first gay surrogate parent in 1999 and made a name for himself in the media. He was due to be in ITV reality show Up The Jammers.

The charges follow co-ordinated searches at premises in Danbury, Maldon and Braintree on Wednesday, Essex Police previously said.

He is charged with three counts of sexual assault on a male, four counts of rape of a man 16 or over, and two counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

Scott Drewitt-Barlow is charged with one count of sexual assault on a male, one count of rape of a man 16 or over, and two counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

Essex Police are appealing for information on the case and ask witnesses to contact them using the major incident public portal (MIPP) on their website, or by calling 0800 051 4526, or 0207 126 7612 internationally.

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EasyJet’s general manager in Portugal has issued a warning over new government proposals the carrier says will artificially inflate prices

easyJet is weighing up plans to cut back operations in Portugal, according to reports emerging from the country. The airline’s general manager there has issued the warning amid a dispute over government proposals which easyJet claims will drive up costs for passengers.

José Lopes, easyJet’s general manager in Portugal, announced on Monday that the carrier may cut back its domestic services following the scrapping of caps on something called the social mobility allowance for air travel. This caps maximum fares for some local passengers – but the changes are set to affect the airline more widely.

“Removing the upper limit will artificially inflate prices,” José Lopes said. He argued that the measure will deliver “zero benefits” for island residents while helping to deter tourists, who makeup the bulk of passengers on domestic routes.

The airline says it will not return to operate Azores routes due to the changes. It had already confirmed its departure from the region from March 29, 2026, blaming a 35 per cent increase in airport fees and what it describes as government inaction.

The easyJet representative was addressing journalists at a press conference in Funchal, held in partnership with the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, to outline the company’s operations and long-term pledges in the Madeira archipelago, SIC Noticias reports. Portuguese media outlets report that at Porto Santo airport, the two existing routes to Lisbon and Porto will be retained, albeit with a reduction to Lisbon owing to constraints at that airport, he indicated.

He warned that if the measure to alter the social mobility subsidy regime – which would remove the maximum limits for air travel for residents of Madeira and the Azores – is implemented, there will be implications for Easyjet’s operations. “I hope that an analysis will be carried out and a way will be found to be more rational and less emotional in dealing with the matter,” he said.

When asked about the possibility of abandoning the route to Madeira, the official ruled out this scenario. Yet reports say he highlighted the possibility of “a reduction in market capacity.”

The changes were given the green light on Friday in the Assembly of the Republic, but have yet to come into force. The amendments stem from two initiatives to revise the legislation put forward by the Socialist Party and Chega.

What is the social mobility subsidy?

The social mobility subsidy set a maximum fare of €79 for residents and €59 for students travelling between Madeira and the mainland (round trip), with an overall cap of €400. In the Azores, residents travelling to the mainland pay no more than €119, while students are capped at €89, with a recently introduced maximum ceiling of €600.

The Portugal Post reports that Portugal Parliament’s recent decision to abolish price caps has placed island connectivity under serious threat, with easyJet warning of capacity reductions to Madeira and confirming it will not operate Azores routes under the new framework.

Ryanair has also revealed plans to cease all operations in the Azores on March 29, 2026, citing cost pressures.