Seasons & episodes

Ashley gets a surprise during his sermon when Laurel returns from her travels a day early. The vicar makes it clear how much he has missed his other half by wasting no time in asking for her hand in marriage. Ethan visits Steph at the remand centre and advises her to confess the whereabouts of Shelley’s body. Much to his horror, Steph explains that she wishes she could but she simply can’t remember what happened. Chloe enjoys Sunday lunch at the King's and takes the opportunity to get better acquainted with Tom. While Carl goes to the pub, Chloe insists on staying to help and subtly hints that she would like to marry his son.

Tom and Carl rush to Chloe’s aid when she falls down the stairs. Tom is left stunned when she lets slip that she is pregnant. Despite her protesting, Carl takes Chloe to the hospital but as she is about to have her scan she asks Carl to go and talk to Tom. Left alone, the doctor tells Chloe that she was never pregnant. However, she later lies to Carl that the baby is fine and that she can’t go through with the abortion. Elsewhere, Laurel is delighted when Diane offers her a home at The Woolpack and is thrilled when Nicola throws her a surprise welcome home party. Laurel's day improves even further when Nicola offers her a job and she is left overwhelmed by her perfect life in the village.

Chloe’s manipulation of Carl continues when she threatens to go and live with Siobhan so they can bring up their children together. Fearing that he will lose access to his baby, Carl assures Chloe that she has his full support and they later announce the pregnancy to a surprised Jimmy and Matthew. Elsewhere, Chas enjoys a night out with her policeman boyfriend, Denzel, but when Marlon and Shadrach spot them together she is forced to pretend that she has just been arrested!

The villagers attend a tearful memorial service in honour of Shelley and they all gather around as Alan reads a sonnet from one of her poetry books. Alan stays behind and talks aloud, telling Shelley how much he misses her. He gets the fright of his life when there is a tap on his shoulder and he turns around to see a surprise guest - Shelley! Over in The Woolpack, Chas offers Carl a listening ear as it is obvious that he is struggling to come to terms with his new situation. The chemistry between them is clear but they have little choice but to deny the feelings they have for one another. Meanwhile, Zak sets about finding out the identity of Chas’ new man and gets the wrong end of the stick when he sees her chatting to Rodney!

Alan is still in shock after Shelly’s surprise appearance, but at first he’s just glad to see her. Shelly tells him she had to go after seeing him on the television and seeing how much pain he was in. But what was initially joy turns to anger on Alan’s part as he can’t understand why she didn’t come forward sooner. He tells her about his sleepless nights, wondering where she was.

Shelly and Alan have been in the police station all night giving their statements. Much to Keysell’s annoyance, Shelly tells him she doesn’t want to press and charges on Steph. He tells her Steph will be released as a consequence, which obviously scares the poor woman. Betty and Viv are left shocked when Shelly and Alan step out of the taxi. Viv waits for Shelly to give an explanation, but she just apologises.

Charity is about to pay for her groceries in Viv’s shop, but noting Jimmy’s presence she pretends she has forgotten her purse and is pleased when he offers to lend her the money. Charity later goes to Home Farm to thank Jimmy, but her sexy attire suggests that she has got more than money on her mind.

Charity goes to visit Jimmy wearing a very revealing dress and instantly turns on the charm. Jimmy suspiciously asks her if she is leading him on but Charity insists that her only motive is to have some fun, as she leads him to the bedroom. Meanwhile, Ethan picks up Steph from prison but advises her to stay away from Emmerdale. Taking his words on board she agrees and heads off to a hostel in Leeds. Over in The Woolpack, Eric tries to drink away his misery as his impending trial looms heavily on his mind. When he starts to get lippy with the locals, Val steers him out of the pub and he repays her with a kiss when they arrive home.

Alan gets a shock when he finds Steph on his doorstep demanding to see Shelley. After he slams the door in his daughter's face, Steph heads to The Woolpack but is upset further by the reception that awaits her. With nowhere else to go, Steph heads to the church where Ethan questions her about why she has come back. Steph insists she loves Alan and Shelley and that she wants to tell them that she approves of their relationship. Meanwhile, Eric has a meeting with his solicitor and is devastated to hear that he could face a six-month sentence for the fraud at the factory.

Steph tries to live a normal existence in the village only to find a hostile reaction wherever she goes. Even Ashley is irritated by her presence, annoyed that Ethan didn’t consult him before inviting her to stay at the vicarage. Shelly goes out for a walk and is disturbed to come face to face with Steph. Having feared her for too long, Shelly pulls herself together and is strong as she approaches the woman who previously held her hostage. Over in The Woolpack, Jimmy flirtatiously asks Charity if there is going to be a repeat performance of the other night. Charity agrees and they arrange to meet the following day. Elsewhere, Pearl and Len discuss their future and finally agree that they don’t want to leave the village after all.

Charity goes to Home Farm to see Jimmy and she bides her time as she waits for a pre-arranged phone call from Chas. When Charity takes the call she apologises that she has to go and promises Jimmy that she’ll make it up to him. Charity heads to a hotel and makes a reservation for the following day. Elsewhere, Tom asks Paddy if he has any work for Max and is shocked to learn that his son has already turned down a part-time job at the vet's. Tom is determined that Max should earn himself a living in the village and tells Paddy that he is prepared to fund the job to make it a full-time position. Elsewhere, Steph bakes cakes and delivers them around the village in an attempt to make amends. Unfortunately for her the only person that shows an ounce of appreciation is Shadrach!

Max begins his job at the vets. Paddy introduces him to the new receptionist - Libby. Max is up for a kiss or two when he asks Libby out for a drink after work. Meanwhile, Eric is going to court for his trading standards case. Val is on tenterhooks waiting for Eric and she admits to Diane that she's not sure if he's coming back. Diane is surprised by Val's reaction, but her sister tells her that Eric is misunderstood. Eric waltzes into the pub a free man after Steph took all the blame in the handbag scandal and was given a conditional discharge.

Charity prepares a Valentine's surpise for Jimmy, Debbie's jeans are tight, her baby swell is getting bigger and Terry & Louise return from their holiday.

As Jimmy pours his heart out to Charity, she reveals she's set him up. Terry and Louise share business and pleasure! and Laurel and Ashley set the date for their wedding. Rodney is angry because Nicola starts her business from their home, and its Marlon & Tricia's wedding anniversary and Steph, Alan & the Bar Staff are the only to remember.

Laurel excitedly tells her friends about the wedding but is later downhearted when Ethan reveals that he suspects the Bishop will disapprove of Ashley marring for a second time. Ashley tries to convince Laurel that everything will be fine, but will the Bishop put a stop to the happy couple's plans? Meanwhile, Jimmy is raging with anger at being blackmailed and he takes out his aggression by trashing Charity's room at the B&B in search of the video tape. Jimmy thinks he has won after smashing up all of her tapes and the camcorder, but a smug Charity is quick to tell him that she has a backup copy and that she has decided to up her price to £200,000. Elsewhere, Pollard values a widow's antiques and is delighted to discover that he is likely to make a huge profit. The dodgy dealer is thrilled that things are finally looking up.

Jimmy pays his first installment of blackmail money to Charity, Meanwhile, Sadie King returns from France, adding to Jimmy's woes. Diane teases Val by telling her she has a rival for Eric's affection, while the bishop makes it clear he takes a dim view of Ashley's plans to remary.

Laurel & Ashley get the bad news they've been dreading, they can't get married. Val & Eric anticipate making a financial killing, while Cain learns Charity is planning to leave the village and take Debbie with her.

Ashley visits the bishop and resigns from the Church, while Sadie discovers Jimmy has withdrawn all their savings from the bank, elsewhere, Eric tries to console Lisa, who is upset that Zak hasn't bought her a birthday gift

Paddy looks on with jealousy at Marlon and Donna canoodling. After one too many drinks, he shocks Marlon by confessing that he and Emily are experiencing problems in the bedroom. Elsewhere, Viv tries to reunite her family and with the best of intentions she invites everyone over for lunch. When she fails to round up the troops, Viv is left feeling utterly depressed and she complains to an uncomfortable Emily about her own non-existent sex life. Meanwhile, Ashley remains adamant that he stands by his resignation from the church, but when a parishioner rings saying that his dying mother is asking to see him, the ex-vicar goes to visit her without a second thought. Is Ashley really ready to put the church behind him?

Marlon suggests that Paddy tries to spice things up with Emily by cooking a romantic meal. Unfortunately for Paddy things don't go to plan when a careless word from Dawn leads Emily to fear that her husband is having an affair. Will Paddy be able to reassure Emily that he only has eyes for her? Meanwhile, a drunk and depressed Viv rings her nearest and dearest insisting that they come round to see how unhappy she is. Despite Viv's best efforts to be miserable, her guests can't help but be amused and they have a really enjoyable evening! Elsewhere, Laurel is shocked when she receives a visit from the Bishop. Will she be able to convince him to reconsider his decision?

Ashley wrestles with his conscience having turned his back on the church and after a long chat with Zoe he decides to retract his resignation. How will Laurel react when she discovers that he has put their wedding in jeopardy? Meanwhile, Charity desperately tries to convince Debbie that she was set up by Cain and Sadie and begs her to leave the village with her. Cain sees Charity preaching to their daughter and in a fury he manhandles his ex-lover out of the door. Later that evening, Charity goes to the Woolpack and tells the Dingles of her plans to move away. Sadie overhears and is clearly delighted, but Jimmy is left panicking about what may be in store for him. Elsewhere, Paddy and Emily try to resolve their sexual problems by talking about their feelings. However, as they embrace, Emily's uncomfortable expression suggests that they still have a long way to go.

Ashley is nervous as he breaks the news of his decision to Laurel and informs her that in order to convince the Bishop of their love for one another they will have to end the physical side of their relationship. Laurel assures the vicar that she is willing to wait forever if she has to, but later on she breaks down in tears as she removes her engagement ring. Meanwhile, Charity is desperate to make Debbie believe that she has been set up and tells Chas that she is considering showing her the videotape of her and Jimmy. Chas strongly advises her against this, but how far will Charity go to prove her innocence? Elsewhere, Jimmy worries that his days are numbered and he panics knowing that he doesn't have the money that Charity is demanding. Out of desperation he slips Sadie's jewellery into his pocket. How long will it be before she notices that it has gone missing?

In a desperate bid to convince Debbie of her innocence, Charity forces her daughter to sit through the incriminating videotape. Debbie is outraged by her mother's behaviour and calls her a tramp before storming out. Over in the café, Laurel tells Nicola that her engagement to Ashley is off but is adamant that she understands Ashley's dilemma and is prepared to wait for him. Is Laurel really as carefree as she is suggesting? Elsewhere, Len tries to persuade Edna to attend the tea dance but when she refuses, Pearl, Jarvis and Len get their thinking caps on and try and come up with a plan to convince her to go along.

Debbie is upset following the revelations the previous day and she listens attentively as Ethan tries to help her understand the reason behind her mother's behaviour. Later that day, Debbie receives an apology from Charity and she begins to realise that maybe Cain has let her down. Charity is hopeful when Debbie hints that she would like a fresh start. But is Debbie ready to leave her life in the village behind? Elsewhere, Jimmy is anxious to ensure that Sadie never sees the videotape and as Charity puts the pressure on him he resorts to stealing money from King & Son's office. Meanwhile, Steph makes a conscious effort to build bridges with Turner and Shelly. However, Shelly is not ready to forgive and forget and she slams to door in her rival's face. Also, The Village Dance takes place in the Community Hall.