They may be celebrating their 50th anniversary but those behind-the-scenes at Emmerdale won't simply be bringing cake and balloons for the occasion as the lives of its much-loved characters hang in the balance when a huge windstorm hits the Yorkshire Dales.
As fans of the ITV soap are already aware, on Sunday, October 16, Emmerdale celebrates five decades on-screen and it was revealed a few months ago that to mark the very special occasion, the fictional Yorkshire village of Emmerdale will never be the same again when a wind storm hits and shakes up life in the Dales for every single resident.
Kim Tate and Will Taylor's wedding will kickstart all the drama that's to come not just in the next week, but also for months after as Jane Hudson, the soap's executive producer, told the Manchester Evening News and other press: "And then when you just think things can't get any worse for our Emmerdale characters, they really, really do and we end the month on a really big bang that propels us well into the new year."
Jane also teased about the 50th extravaganza: "There's death, there's destruction but also real moments of intimacy, heartbreak and love. We're gonna see our characters tested not just by their physical strength, but their emotional strength as well. There’s gonna be a lot of tears, I must warn you about that, and we're gonna see our community have to deal with the aftermath of this horrific storm."
And while fans will be left on the edge of their seats wondering who is next to say a final farewell to the village following Faith Dingle's tragic exit last week, Jane has confirmed it will include some fan favourites. "Some of the soap’s much-loved characters will sadly lose their lives," she said.
She added: "It's always hard to kill a character as someone is losing their job. You don’t want somebody to lose their job. But the nature of soaps means if you want to introduce new characters, then you need to lose old ones. If you are going to do a death in the soap, it can’t be the postman who has had three lines because it doesn’t matter. A death has got to have an impact not just on the characters but also on the viewers watching. Each of our deaths will bring a different emotion."
Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw also teased: "There is going to be a lot of heartache involved in October and the rivalry between Cain and Al is really going to step up a gear. Al and Chas have grown a lot closer now but will their affair finally be exposed? Viewers will have to wait and see!
"The stunts will also be amazing. We do a big super stunt week every October but with 2022 being our 50th birthday, we wanted to top the big week. Spreading the stories across the month gives us the chance to celebrate all our characters.It means everyone in the show gets to be part of our 50th and have a story to celebrate."
But who could it be that loses their life in the latest event to rock the village? On Sunday (October 16) It's the calm before the storm, with nods to the first-ever episode as Kim rides her horse in the beautiful surroundings of the village while up at Home Farm a brooding Will looks pensive ahead of his wedding day.
Whilst Priya hurriedly dashes about preparing the wedding, above her, we see that the sky darkens ominously. Soon, stressed vicar Charles is surprised to spot bride-to-be Kim out riding ahead of her wedding day and when Kim eyes Harriet from her horse, it’s clear there’s unfinished business and the pair enter a face-off.
After the ceremony, on leaving the church, the wedding party are shocked by the intensity of the wind. Elsewhere, .Amelia prepares for her picnic date with Noah. Later, the wind is really picking up as heavily pregnant Amelia makes her way through the countryside for her date with Noah. With the force of the wind Amelia is blown about and with her contractions having started she desperately calls her dad for help.
After watching Noah and Amelia share a happy exchange out on Main Street, Sam is resentful and soon argues with his son Samson over his recent behaviour towards Amelia. And Chas is angry at, blaming him for her not being there for her mum. But when Al speaks to Chas, he states if he can’t have her, he’s leaving town today. But is that truly the end of it? And it’s still a war between Nicola and Charles.
On Monday (October 17), the storm continues to rage on leaving lives at risk, only worsened when the cows at Moira's farm escape and cause a stampede. Amelia takes shelter in a barn and prays for her baby's safety, as her contractions continue. Nicola puts her life at risk to find missing Jimmy, and the wedding party guests who are nowhere to be found.
Elsewhere, Liv clashes with brother Aaron leading to her storming off, and Al is forced to choose between Kerry and Chas when both are injured in the storm by flying debris.
On Tuesday (October 18), Aaron and Liv reconcile and Mandy, Vinny, Liv and Aaron share a special family moment as they hanker away from the storm. But they’re soon left shaken when a disheveled Paddy arrives with news Chas is in hospital. Aaron and Paddy set off to see Chas, quickly followed by Liv and Vinny who head to mind Eve at the Woolpack. Vinny and Liv struggle against the violent storm but are determined to press on.
Meanwhile, Charles and Nicola are still antagonistic with each other as they search in the storm for the wedding party. Spotting a derelict shelter, they head towards it. Charles ends up pushing Nicola to's safety when a tree crashes to the ground but her hostility remains.
Elsewhere, Marlon and Mary's fear for Rhona rises when she doesn’t return home. Seriously worried for Rhona's safety, Mary and Marlon exchange a fearful glance. But by midweek, on Wednesday (October 19), viewers will see a beloved character trapped. And while safety is reached for someone, Lydia gets the terrible news.
As we head towards the end of the week, on Thursday (October 20), the sun rises over Emmerdale in the aftermath of the storm. As Diane reassures Pollard they’ll be able to rebuild. But will everyone feel that way? It won't be until Friday (October 21), that the true extent of the damage, both to the village and its residents, will be revealed.
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