It’s Christmas time in Emmerdale, and in a tiny village, a mother is expecting a child. Except there’s no angel, the father is the decidedly unholy Ross Barton (Michael Parr), and Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) is anything but meek and mild.

To be fair, Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) and Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) think that it’s a miracle. Due to Sarah’s life-limiting medical

 

 

condition, the couple’s pregnancy journey faced one serious ticking clock. So her grandmother Charity happily volunteered to be surrogate. As far as they’re concerned, she’s carrying their embryo.

The truth is that their baby may well be a result of the devious Dingle’s one night stand with the Baddest Barton, and maintaining this gigantic lie has been causing the Dales Diva just a teensy amount of stress.

 

 

Just in case that wasn’t dramatic enough, Charity must make sure that her husband Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) never finds out about her little blip in marital fidelity – easier said than done when your husband is starting a bromance with your baby-daddy.

Emmerdale viewers have gotten a real kick out of seeing Charity spinning plates in a desperate effort to keep her secret. But this Christmas, the cat may be well and truly out of the bag when she’s forced to share turkey and stuffing with a literal truth bomb – her ex, Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick).

 

 

Vanessa is literally the worst person Charity could be spending Christmas with. Google “It’s Complicated” and odds are that you’ll find a photo of these two kissing or screaming at each other during their rollercoaster on-again-off-again relationship. While they’re off for now, the two old flames have been growing closer of late.

 

 

So close in fact, that earlier this month, Charity ended up confiding in Vanessa her fears that the baby might not be Jacob and Sarah’s. Whilst she quickly backtracked, the damage was done.

Unfortunately for Charity, the Dales’ resident vet keeps secrets like she keeps relationships (not well). If Vanessa didn’t cover for her own sister when the police wanted her for murder, she’s not going to cover for her ex’s baby daddy drama.

In upcoming episodes, viewers will be treated to Yorkshire’s most awkward Christmas dinner when Vanessa and Charity are strong-armed into spending the day together. Despite Charity’s attempt to firefight, the day is heading for disaster when Vanessa gets tipsy. Take one ex-girlfriend, mix with a baby bombshell and just add booze – a recipe for fun!

Oblivious, Mackenzie has a Christmas cuddle with his wife, but a threat looms…

Things soon escalate with a threat to Charity’s life as the baby secret looks set to explode.

How, I hear you cry? Vanessa seems the likely candidate, but let’s not forget Ross. He’s long suspected the baby might be his, despite Charity’s attempt to throw him off the scent with a doctored DNA result.