Emmerdale spoilers follow.

Emmerdale villain Ray Walters dreams of the perfect Christmas with his new love Laurel Thomas later this month – but will his wish come true, or will wicked Celia Daniels force him to leave his happiness behind? After a lifetime of being excluded from all joy and festive spirit, Ray can’t wait to spend time with Laurel and her family.

But as the walls close in on his evil double life, will Celia order Ray to flee with her?

“Ray has never really had a proper Christmas,” explains Charlotte Bellamy, who plays Laurel. “But this year, it’s full of warmth and love, twinkly lights and a Christmas tree as he walks into this huge hug of Mulberry Cottage.

“We do a typical family Christmas day with charades, laughter and silliness.”

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Back on the sinister turkey farm, word spreads that Ray and Celia are packing up to start a new life elsewhere. Noticing Ray is reluctant to leave, Bear Wolf encourages him to grab happiness with both hands…

Loved-up Laurel and Ray meet and have a delightful ‘fake Christmas’ lunch, as Ray isn’t likely to be there on the real day.

But despite this, secretly Ray hopes to spend the real, magical day with her. Is this a sign that he’s drifting away from Celia and won’t be part of her escape plan? Or will his loyalty to Celia always come first?

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“Ray tries to do a little Christmas for Laurel and brings over a sandwich,” reveals Charlotte. “It’s really sweet. You see the utter tenderness between them.

“That’s the dilemma. He’s the product of abuse, but is he redeemable? Laurel really is his only chance…”

After a special Christmas with Laurel and her loved ones, Ray hopes to start afresh with her.

But as the year ends, he’s given a horrifying job that could wreck his dreams of becoming a better man forever… How will this link to April Windsor’s ongoing ordeal? And what does the future hold for Ray and Celia?