TRAGEDY announced the beginning of a new year in the Dales after a joyride led to the death of Heath Hope.
Twists and turns are rife with multiple new arrivals and familiar faces making their way to Emmerdale. Here’s what you can expect.
Ella Forster (Paula Lane) – joined
Casting for newcomer Ella Forster was announced in mid-November, 2023, with actress Paula Lane reportedly filming her first scenes that same month.
The actress is best known for portraying the late Kylie Platt in rival soap Coronation Street and her new character was described as “compassionate and caring” and “far from a pushover.”
“Everyone has been so welcoming and I can’t wait to start a new chapter playing the role of Ella”, Paula said about her casting.
“I’ve already heard there are big plans for her and I can’t wait to see her navigate a new life in the village and hopefully make some friends!”
The feisty newcomer made her Emmerdale debut on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, and immediately bonded with fan favourite Mandy Dingle at a vet’s social event she was attending with partner Paddy Kirk.
Ella sensationally quit her job after her boss made derogatory comments… and she tipped a full glass on his head.
While she made quite the impression on both villagers and viewers, most of whom were happy to see Paula take on a new role after her devastating on-screen death in the cobbles, her involvement in Mandy and Paddy’s lives has led to an explosive breakup.
The newcomer is due to become a prominent part of the local surgery after a chance meeting with GP Manpreet Sharma.
What will she get up to?
Ruby Fox-Miligan (Beth Cordingly) – joining
Caleb Miligan rocked up Emmerdale with his past shrouded in mystery though mere mentions of his estranged wife were made in recent months.
Soap boss Laura Shaw vowed that viewers and villagers will be seeing Ruby Fox-Miligan in the flesh in early 2024 as she reconnects with her son Nicky.
Ruby’s arrival was initially teased by the producer as she spoke about Caleb’s affair with a married Tracy Robinson, though the actress chosen to portray the new character hadn’t been announced.
The Bill star Beth Cordingly was then confirmed to be joining the cast on December 6, 2023, by the Manchester Evening News.
Speaking about her upcoming stint in the long-running soap, Beth said: “I’m delighted to be joining the cast of Emmerdale, it’s an enormous privilege and Ruby is a dream role.”
“She’s a firecracker and a troublemaker and I think people will love her or hate her, and I can’t wait to get stuck in with this fabulous cast.”
Spoilers have hinted that Nate Robinson could find out about his wife Tracy’s affair as Caleb is due to be caught in the arms of a mystery blonde woman – and fans are convinced it could actually be Ruby, rekindling her romance with the villain.
Other watchers of the Yorkshire-based drama have grown increasingly convinced that Nate may even embark on an affair with the newcomer.
What’s ahead for Ruby?
Heath Hope (Sebastian Dowling) – left
Cathy Hope was hoping to celebrate the new year with an act of rebellion as she dragged her pal Angelica King and her twin brother Heath into one of her schemes.
The trio of teens managed to steal Wendy Posner’s car before driving around the Yorkshire village, with Cathy behind the wheel as she was took driving lessons from her half-brother Scott – but their New Year’s Eve celebrations took a turn.
After being unable to find his children, Bob Hope ventured into the night alongside Wendy and the pair found Angelica and Cathy on the side of the road, with the nurse’s car flipped over.
But while Cathy and Angelica made it out alive, Heath wasn’t as lucky and it was revealed later on that he had suffered fatal injuries during the crash.
The lad drew his last breath mere weeks before his 17th birthday, which he would have celebrated in February, 2024, with his sister.
Since then, his sister Cathy was blamed for the crash that led to his demise but she has been adamant that Angelica was the one behind the wheel at the time of Heath’s death.
Heath’s true killer was unable to cope with a guilty conscience and made a shock confession – but will they publicly come clean and face the music?
Sebastian Dowling’s last scenes were aired on New Year’s Day (January 1, 2024) and triggered a series of reactions online, with many viewers finally remembering he and Cathy Hope actress Gabrielle Dowling are real-life siblings.
The young actor played Heath since he was an infant, in 2007.
How will Cathy and Bob cope with Heath’s death?
Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell) – left
A prominent TV actor, starring in Emmerdale but in other favourite soaps in the likes of Coronation Street and Heartbeat, Steve Halliwell made his debut in the eponymous ITV village in 1994.
Soon enough, he became a household name as the head of the iconic Dingle family, becoming one of the show’s most beloved characters.
Throughout his stint, Zak had been involved in a plethora of storylines, butting heads with some members of his own family and sharing a heart-warming love story with his wife Lisa Dingle who passed away herself in 2019.
The 77-year-old stalwart appeared in more than 2,300 episodes of the long-running program but his health had been an obstacle to him staying in the show on a permanent basis.
In 2003, Steve took a short break from the show for personal reasons before he candidly revealed he had spent time at an alcohol rehabilitation centre.
Later on, in 2018, Steve took a break from his on-screen life as he had been unwell for some time and was in need of a pacemaker for his heart problems.
He eventually made his way back to the Dales shortly after, telling The Sun: “I’m back at work in a few weeks and feeling fitter than ever after having a pacemaker fitted in September. It’s done me the world of good and I feel fantastic.”
While the actor was back on the set of the Yorkshire-based show, Zak was seen taking frequent trips to Scotland to see his granddaughter Debbie, showing up in Emmerdale sporadically.
However, earlier in 2023, his Emmerdale alter ego Zak Dingle sparked concerns about his health and his children, Cain and Chas, provided him with a mobility scooter.
Since then, Steve was rarely seen on our screens and on Friday, December 15, 2023, it was announced that he had passed away “peacefully”, leaving his wife Valerie and daughter Charlotte behind.
A statement released by his family following his passing read: “He went to sleep, peacefully with his loved ones around him. He was making us laugh to the end, the most amazing father and grandfather you could ever wish for, family was everything to him.”
“We would like to thank the wonderful staff at St James Hospital and the Wheatfield Hospice for their love and kindness in his final days. He didn’t want sadness, just to rejoice in a life well lived.”
Tributes have been flooding social media since Steve’s death was announced with Mandy Dingle actress Lisa Riley penning an emotional goodbye message.
“My dearest Steve, love you so much. You are now finally at peace. Thank you for years of laughter, you were still laughing right up to the end”, she wrote.
“Adored, loved, respected by us all, a legend in my eyes that’s for sure. We have stories and memories to last for many more years to come.”
Emmerdale bosses gave an explanation for Zak Dingle’s absence from our screens as Charity Dingle explained to her long-lost grandson Oscar that he remained in Scotland.
But could they give him a proper send-off?
Chloe Harris (Jessie Elland) – left
The fiery redhead was initially introduced as a love interest for village troublemaker Noah Dingle in August, 2021, but her story took a turn after she bedded Mackenzie Boyd.
As viewers will recall, Chloe fell pregnant with the hunk’s child and gave birth to him in dramatic scenes in 2023.
Following the birth of her son Reuben, Mackenzie ran to her in the hopes of forming a family after his infidelity was exposed and shattered his marriage with Charity Dingle.
The love triangle reached deadly heights when the trio were caught up in a car crash and Mackenzie left Chloe to die to save Charity.
Eventually, the heartthrob made his mind up and chose to call things off with Chloe, only for her to decide to run away from Emmerdale with Reuben.
However, her criminal father reputed to be dangerous and controlling, was revealed to be Harry (Robert Beck) aka Damon Harris.
The thug who was embroiled in a huge feud with Caleb Miligan and got involved in Chloe’s affairs and tried to get rid of Mackenzie to allow her to flee Emmerdale with Reuben without any backlash.
But Mack’s captivity ended in the death of Harry and an overwhelmed Chloe left Emmerdale with her baby boy soon after.
Chloe blackmailed Charity and Mack, holding Harry’s death over their heads – which was enough to convince them to let her go quietly.
Actress Jessie Elland confirmed she had left the soap as her final scenes aired on Boxing Day, December 26, 2023.
Bosses have confirmed that this would be the last viewers saw of her character.
Could it all change?
Craig Reed (Ben Addis) – left
Lydia Dingle’s childhood sweetheart Craig Reed made his debut on August 17, 2023, and was introduced as a successful entrepreneur.
By introducing him to life in the eponymous village, viewers got the chance to revisit Lydia’s past which was initially mentioned in 2019 as Craig was confirmed to be the father of her stillborn son Toby.
The pair of old friends were reunited at a careers fair in the village and it was confirmed he would become a prominent character as Lydia accepted a job offer from him.
At the time, the Home Farm cleaner was looking for extra cash in an attempt to support Amelia Spencer and her infant daughter Esther, making Craig’s proposal life-changing.
Lydia’s stepson Samson was impressed by Craig swanky lifestyle and car, thus deciding to work by his side.
Shortly after his introduction, it was revealed that Craig would rape Lydia in a hard-hitting storyline and soap fans have been left devastated to see the family woman become a shell of herself.
The plotline climaxed in Craig’s murder and Lydia played detective as she tried to figure out who was responsible.
Kim Tate eventually confessed her involvement in Craig’s death to her, which caused a stir in their friendship.
The villainous character was portrayed by Ben Addis, an actor known for his appearances in several other programs in the likes of Vera, Doctor Who and Hollyoaks, among others.
Amit Sharma (Anil Goutam) – joined
Former EastEnders star Anil Goutam joined the Emmerdale line-up and made his first appearance in the village in early October, 2023.
Amit Sharma was introduced as the brother of the late Rishi Sharma, the father of fellow newcomer Suni Sharma and the recently revealed biological father of long-term Dales resident Jai Sharma.
Jai found his adoption papers earlier this year as he searched through his adoptive father Rishi’s documents for his divorce certificate.
In recent scenes of the Yorkshire-based program, it was revealed that Amit was involved in Rishi’s death, which occurred during the summer as Jai was tying the knot with Laurel Thomas.
Soap boss Laura Shaw spoke about Amit’s arrival in the Dales and said: “What you’ll see with Amit is quite a dark and complex character, and although we see Suni wanting him to stick around, could Suni end up regretting that? Is Amit hiding another secret that threatens to blow the whole family apart?”
David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) – left
Much like his real-life partner Charley Webb aka Debbie Dingle in the ITV Dales, soap legend Matthew Wolfenden has decided to turn over a new leaf.
The David Metcalfe star confirmed he’d be leaving the long-running program during an appearance on the set of This Morning after 17 years.
Previous reports made by The Sun revealed he was allegedly unhappy with the lack of “gritty storylines” for his character.
“He’s only just announced he is leaving so scriptwriters are working out his on-screen exit. It’s possible David could be killed off”, a source claimed.
David left Emmerdale a heartbroken man after finding out that his son Jacob Gallagher was romantically involved with his former fiancée Victoria Sugden.
Could he ever return, particularly as his father Eric Pollard struggles with his Parkinson’s disease symptoms?
Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) – left
Actress Samantha Giles joined the long-running program for the first time in 1998, becoming one of the Woolpack’s biggest icons.
Although she moved on to other projects throughout her stint in the Dales, including a book and an appearance in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks as Valerie Holden, Samantha always made her way back to the eponymous village.
The soap star returned on a permanent basis a final time in 2021 but after more than two decades of memorable storylines, she has decided to call it quits.
Earlier this year, reports revealed Samantha will be parting ways with the feisty redhead ITV viewers have grown to know and love.
Her final storyline and exit scenes were aired in mid-November, 2023, as Bernice was caught scheming behind her own sister Nicola King’s back.
While she was set to go to prison to pay for her financial crime, Bernice was let off the hook and left the Dales once again.
Could she give life in Emmerdale another shot?
Georgia Sharma (Lin Blakley) – returned
Jai Sharma and Laurel Thomas tied the knot and spoilers confirmed the ceremony would have its fair share of drama ahead of the big day.
The ceremony turned into a huge family affair as Rishi Sharma (Bhasker Patel) was reunited with his first wife Georgia amid tensions with his adoptive son.
Georgia returned just in time to attend her son’s wedding but the role was played by a fresh newcomer.
Former EastEnders actress Lin Blakley took over the role from The Bill’s Trudie Goodwin.
As viewers of the Yorkshire-based soap will remember, the wedding culminated in the sudden and tragic death of Rishi Sharma and Georgia left soon after.
Could she return as Jai’s struggle to accept his biological father, Amit, continues?
Tracy Metcalfe (Amy Walsh) – returned
After finding out that her fiancé Nate had been unfaithful to her, Tracy struggles to forgive his lies and kicks him out of their home.
But when she is offered a new job in Nottingham, Tracy weighs out the pros and the cons before deciding to leave the Dales.
Tracy’s exit storyline aired on screens in January, 2022, as both Nate and her sister Vanessa tried to convinced her to stay.
The former then had a change of heart and encouraged Tracy to shoot her shot and go pursue her dream job.
Tracy left the village with her daughter Frankie.
Off-screen, however, actress Amy Walsh left on maternity leave.
She welcomed her first child after a “tough” birth with partner and former EastEnders star Toby-Alexander Smith in January, 2022.
During her Emmerdale exit chat, Amy teased a potential return for her character.
“If she fails, then she can always come back, which she will probably do in about a year’s time!”
In recent weeks, Nate found out through Tracy that she has a new fella in her life – while Toby-Alexander Smith has been rumoured to join the Emmerdale cast as his other half’s on-screen boyfriend.
Tracy made a one-off return ahead of Emmerdale’s anniversary, shocking viewers and former fiancé Nate Robinson when she announced she was engaged to another man – but this didn’t stop her from shacking up with Nate.
Ready to rekindle their relationship, she was shocked to see Nate alongside his new girlfriend Naomi Anderson.
Hurt, Tracy made the decision to pack up and return to Nottingham.
Amy Walsh reprised her role as Tracy reappeared in the village for her secret marriage to Nate.
Since then, she has embarked on a steamy affair with Caleb Miligan and it could all backfire on her quicker than expected.
Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) – returning
Much like Laura Norton, actress Michelle Hardwick left the village to go on maternity leave at the end of November.
The soap star gave birth to her second child with Emmerdale producer Kate Brooks at the same time her final scenes were aired.
The vet left the village for a year-long job in Canada after falling out with her pal Rhona Goskirk.
Her relationship with Suzy Merton was also impacted due to a lack of trust as she feared the newcomer would become addicted to drugs again.
But Vanessa eventually made up with Rhona and even shared a final kiss with Suzy before departing with her son Johnny.
With her sister Tracy back in the Dales, could Vanessa finally have a good enough reason to come back?
Michelle Hardwick herself announced at the British Soap Awards 2023 that she would be reprising her role before the end of 2023 – but fans have yet to see her.
“I’m definitely going back!”, she promised, “I’ve not got a date as such, it’ll be later in the year at some point, but definitely I’ll be back!”
Vanessa’s former fiancée Charity Dingle has been struggling with PTSD symptoms after killing a man – could she be the one to help her overcome her trauma as Mackenzie Boyd avoids supporting her?
Will fans get the “Vanity” reunion they’ve been hoping for?
Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton) – returning
Devastated by the death of her fiancé Al Chapman, Kerry Wyatt left Emmerdale for a new life on a cruise ship.
The shop assistant left the Dales in late 2022, unaware that her beloved Al had been having an affair with Chas Dingle and was planning to flee the village with her and her daughter, though she knew he had been unfaithful to her with a mystery woman.
Off-screen, however, Laura Norton left the soap to go on maternity leave and welcomed a second child with her partner and former co-star Mark Jordon in October, 2022.
Kerry left her two daughters, Chloe Harris and Amy Wyatt behind and while the latter remains in Emmerdale, the former chose to leave following the death of her father Harry aka Damon Harris.
What will convince Kerry to come back?
Is she aware of the turmoil Chloe has been put through?
Emmerdale airs weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV.
