Emmerdale spoilers: Apoplectic Liam launches attack on Cain after his controversial move with child killer Ella
The aftermath of the huge revelations about Ella Forster (Paula Lane)’s secret past played out in Monday (June 3)’s Emmerdale – and two best friends almost came to blows as a result.
Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) was reeling from discovering that, when she was a child, Ella had killed her best friend. Ever since Ella arrived in Emmerdale there’s been mystery surrounding her as she kept her past very private.
There were hints that it was in some way connected with the death of Liam’s daughter Leanna (Mimi Slinger), who was murdered by evil Meena Jutla (Paige Sandhu). These hints even led to theories that Ella was connected to Meena in some way.
When we saw Ella going to visit a woman called June Phillips in a care home another layer of mystery was added as it became clear that Ella had huge affection for June – and Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker) assumed that June was Ella’s mum.
After June died, Manpreet told Liam about the death and said Ella shouldn’t be alone at June’s funeral, so he went along. Not seeing Ella, he introduced himself as ‘June’s daughter’s partner,’ to the outrage of other mourners.
Then the truth came out, with Ella first confessing to Liam and then adding in more details when she spoke to Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) later. Ella had a deprived childhood, growing up in a house that was used for drug taking. She had to go to school unwashed and uncared for, and when she befriended June’s daughter June soon took an interest in her.
June was like a mother to her for a while and Ella flourished under her love and care, so when June’s daughter told her she no longer wanted to be her friend – because the other girls were cruel about Ella – she realised that would mean not spending time with June. In rage and grief she attacked the daughter and killed her.
With everyone in the village against her after the revelation that she was a killer, Ella identified Cain and Charity (Emma Atkins) as being the only people in the Woolpack who might understand her, because it was clear they’d come from deprived backgrounds too.
Cain went with her to the back room of the pub and provided a listening ear, and then then took her to the B&B and persuaded Jimmy (Nick Miles) to check her in for the night.
When Liam heard that Ella was still in the village and that Cain had been responsible for her staying, he was raging. Cain is his best friend and the person he shared his grief with about losing Leanna, so he felt betrayed that Cain could apparently side with a child killer.
When he sought Cain out at the garage he demanded to know why his friend had decided to get involved in the situation. ‘I want her gone,’ he insisted.
‘Who made you sheriff?’ Cain wanted to know, reasoning that what Ella did was when she was a child and she deserves another chance. Liam accused him of making it all about Kyle (Huey Quinn) – Cain’s son who is currently being bullied because he killed Al Chapman (Michael Wildman).
‘Everything comes back to Kyle,’ Liam said, and Cain pointed out that, for Liam, everything comes back to Leanna. At that, Liam grabbed Cain by the collar and pushed him back against the wall fiercely. Cain just allowed him to and didn’t fight back, as Leyla (Roxy Shahidi) rushed over and told Liam to stop. Liam let go of Cain and left.
Later, Ella tried to approach him and explain but he wasn’t having any of it. He said he didn’t hate her for killing June’s daughter, but for lying about it and lying to June. Ella had reconnected with June when she was living with dementia and had half allowed her to believe she was her daughter.
He marched Ella to her car, telling her that he never wanted to see her again.
Is this the last we’ll see of Ella in the Emmerdale? Or is there a way back for her in a village where almost everyone is living with at least one guilty secret?
