Emmerdale spoilers follow from Friday’s episode (19 December), which is available to watch now on ITVX and YouTube but hasn’t yet aired on ITV1.
Emmerdale villains Celia Daniels and Ray Walters could be heading for the exit door, as they make drastic plans to flee from the village in tonight’s episode. But with opposition towards their criminal empire mounting, will everything really go as they hope?
Cruel Celia has announced that it’s time to wind down her operation on the farmland that she’s currently renting from Kim Tate. With Moira Dingle asking difficult questions and April Windsor’s family posing problems too, Celia reckons it’s time to pack up and start again somewhere new.
In tonight’s episode, Celia warns Ray that there’s no time to waste when it comes to tying up loose ends in the village – they’ll be leaving on 1 January. Celia shares the news as she gloats over Marlon Dingle paying £2,000 a week to save April from having to deal drugs.
“I’m sure there’ll be lots of dads like him in Wrexham,” Celia smugly tells Ray. “I’ve found us another farm down there. We’re moving New Year’s Day.”
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Later, Ray suggests they should stick around for longer – especially as the current arrangement with Marlon is providing easy money. However, Celia makes it very clear that she isn’t finished with April yet…
Celia replies: “You have no imagination whatsoever, do you? If we take April with us to Wrexham, it will be even more incentive for her dad to keep paying us.”
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With the criminal pair now plotting a hasty exit, and intending to take April with them, it seems that we could be reaching the endgame of this dark storyline.
Ray is growing increasingly attached to his new girlfriend Laurel Thomas and dreams of having a normal life with her, so could he cut ties with Celia? Will she force him to turn his back on this chance of happiness? Or could the police finally get the evidence they need to bring Ray and Celia down after their terrible crimes?
The NSPCC, Childline and FRANK offer support and resources for the issues raised in April and Dylan’s storyline.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.