Five shock ITV Emmerdale theories: fan favourite suffers breakdown, revenge plot and murder ahead
Things are coming to a head in the Dales this week.
RUBY Fox-Miligan has reached out to Kim Tate in the hopes of making her husband Caleb Miligan pay for his affair with Tracy Robinson.
Meanwhile, another Emmerdale newcomer has raised suspicions she may be too good to be true.
1. Revenge target revealed
All hell broke loose during Belle and Tom King’s recent wedding reception as Ruby Fox-Miligan (portrayed by Beth Cordingly) exposed Caleb’s affair with Tracy.
A punch was thrown by a furious Nate who’d had suspicions about his wife’s infidelity.
This week, tensions are nowhere near over as another brawl breaks out in The Woolpack between Ruby… and her brother-in-law Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley).
Coming up on ITV, Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) returns to the eponymous village and shares news about her recent health ordeal.
Chas reveals to her family the cause of her cancer is the faulty BRCA2 gene.
Her brothers Cain, Caleb and her son Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) are blindsided to learn there’s a high likelihood they could have it too.
They are further rocked with the realisation they could pass it on to their children.
As Chas prepares to go see Mandy (Lisa Riley) for her birthday, she pushes Aaron to make an appointment for his gene test referral.
He’s evasive and left uneasy at her unrelenting pressure.
Once she overhears conversations about the faulty BRCA2 gene from gossiping Dingles in The Woolpack, Ruby is insistent Caleb tells her what it’s all about.
The Dingles look over as an argument brews and Chas wishes the ground would open up.
Ruby and Caleb’s row soon takes a nasty turn, and the commotion spurs Cain to intervene.
Caleb tries to comply and move the argument outside, but Ruby is steadfast.
The confrontation ends with a knee to the groin for Cain and shocked Dingles all round.
How will Cain, reputed for his short-tempered nature, react?
While this remains to be seen, Ruby may be making other enemies in the village.
Recent scenes of the Yorkshire-based program have shown her heading to Home Farm to consult Kim Tate (Claire King), one of Caleb’s main foes in the village.
Ruby suggested to Kim they team up to take Caleb down but, over on social media, some viewers of the long-running show are sceptical she has shared her true intentions.
According to some soap fans, Ruby may be looking to dupe Kim, much like Caleb tried to do before her.
“Kim and Ruby would make a good friendship but I’m wondering if she’s playing Kim and trying to get home farm off her?”, one fan penned on X.
“Kim and Ruby I’m here for that kinda s***e, but is Ruby to be trusted”, another wondered.
A third soap fan joined in: “But is it a double bluff?! Could Ruby want Home Farm for herself?”
Caleb rocked up the village in late 2022 with the intention of taking over Home Farm as Frank Tate’s illegitimate son.
In doing so, he involved his own son Nicky Miligan, forcing him to seduce Gabby Thomas and marry her to double his chances.
Unfortunately, Caleb was found out by Kim Tate and Nicky decided to come clean about what he’d really been up to on his wedding day.
Could Ruby do what Caleb didn’t manage to accomplish last year?
2. Upcoming affair
Meanwhile, Ella Forster (Paula Lane) has been standing on the side-lines, away from all the drama unfolding around her.
Off-screen, however, viewers are convinced she may be up to no good in upcoming scenes.
According to many of them, Ella may be catapulted back into the spotlight soon as she embarks on an affair with a married villager, despite initially sharing chemistry with a single Dr Liam Cavanagh.
Ella has recently been seen interacting with Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) – could she snatch her husband Billy (Jay Kontzle) away from her?
“Something’s going on with Dawn & Ella… it seems too good to be true”, one viewer commented.
A second agreed: “Ella will be in bed with billy next week.”
“Please don’t tell me Ella and Billy will go on to have an affair”, a third soap watcher echoed.
Will it play out as such?
3. Heart-breaking relapse
Elsewhere, Tom King’s (James Chase) abusive behaviour towards his new bride Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) is reaching a new level this week.
The son of the villainous Carl King has been infuriating for many viewers as he continuously gaslights Belle and attempts to control her every move.
This week, Tom gives Belle the silent treatment when she gets a job opportunity from Suzy Merton (Martelle Edinborough).
But Tom later breaks out of his selective mutism as he tells Belle he’d promised that she would talk to his cousin Angelica King (Rebecca Bakes) about the Secure Children’s Home given her experience in one when she was facing her own legal troubles following Gemma Andrews’ death.
He makes her feel guilty at the thought of saying no and, soon, Belle gets serious with Angel as the reality finally sets in.
Angelica faces the music after she revealed she was responsible for Heath Hope’s death in a joyride gone wrong on New Year’s Eve.
Belle opens up about what other children in the SCH might be like, and Angel’s fear grows.
She worries she’ll face similar mental health difficulties to Belle, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Coming down the stairs in Victoria Cottage, Jimmy King (Nick Miles) discovers them both upset, and comforts Angel as he admonishes Belle, who flees distraught.
Upset to have had her past brought up, Belle’s even more regretful when Tom backtracks on the idea that he made her speak to Angelica.
She’s grateful when he promises to protect her in future.
Soap watchers are not expecting him to keep his word as another theory about Belle’s fragile mental health has emerged online.
Some viewers believe that Belle’s schizophrenia symptoms could make a comeback and make her life difficult once again.
“My theory is when Tom’s being abusive when it gets to the point where she can’t stand it and she’ll stop taking her tablets in hope of hearing her mum’s voice again because her mum made her a letter which she really couldn’t wait to read”, one of them speculated.
They added: “Last time she knew hearing Lisa’s voice was wrong but still continued not taking her tablets because she had an obsession with her voice.”
Coercive control, as also shown through Yasmeen and Geoff Metcalfe in rival soap Coronation Street, can take a toll on one’s mental health.
Could Belle be destined for another mental health torment?
4. Murder on the horizon
While this remains to be seen, another viewer added on to the theory, hinting it could end badly for Tom King.
“Belle’s mental health issues resurface. Good news: She kills Tom. Bad news, it is a whodunit”, they suggested.
And another villager may even be involved to help Belle: “Cain helps her hide the body.”
One viewer jumped in: “Belle please kill Tom while he’s sleeping I cant deal”, as another wrote: “Belle should kill again, this time purposely.”
“Someone please kill off Tom!!! He’s sick. Cheers”, one viewer concluded.
Could Belle have enough of Tom to get rid of him?
5. Heartbreak ahead
Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) returned to Emmerdale in the midst of Rhona Goskirk’s kidnapping of baby Ivy.
The icon rocked up the village with her son Johnny and, once at The Hide, she bumped into her former girlfriend Suzy Merton (Martelle Edinborough).
Despite the time that went by since their bittersweet separation, the pair hit it off once again and even shared a kiss – much to Mary Goskirk’s (Louise Jameson) despair.
Coming up, Suzy and Vanessa have a flirtatious encounter in the Woolpack.
Viewers are expecting Mary to win over Suzy in upcoming scenes as Vanessa, according to them, could be meant to rekindle her romance with Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).
Prior to Vanessa’s return, Mary and Suzy’s friendship seemed to be taking a serious turn, particularly as the wedding planner gushed over Belle and Tom’s ceremonial preparations, wondering when she herself could walk down the aisle.
Mary has struggled to move on from her devious con woman ex-girlfriend Faye.
But could she have found her perfect match in Suzy?
Emmerdale airs weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV.