After being bundled into the back of a van by a gang of masked men, Emmerdale favourite Lewis Barton’s (Bradley Riches) freedom lies solely on his abductors locating a precious diamond that has been stolen by his ex-con, biological father, Kev Townsend.
After almost 7 months away, actor Chris Coghill reprises his much-celebrated, madcap role next week.
Despite the character’s supposed changed persona, he’s not willing to hand over the gem and lies, saying that he’s sold it in a pawn shop. Will Kev’s guilty conscience force him to finally come clean about Lewis’s paternity, or will he allow his estranged son to perish in captivity?
Elsewhere, there’s drama at the depot when Caleb Miligan (William Ash) confronts Kerry Pollard (Laura Norton) and Archie Breckle (Kai Assi) over their scam, and a new face arrives at Emmerdale Farm – Serena Sugden, played by Casey Al-Shaqsy.
Plus, pushed to the brink of despair, Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) goes missing.
Here’s everything happening in the episodes of Emmerdale airing between Monday, 22 and Thursday, 25 June.
5 Emmerdale spoilers for next week
1. Kev Townsend stages a return amid Lewis Barton’s abduction
Panic spreads when Ross Barton (Michael Parr) receives a chilling message claiming Lewis has been abducted. The kidnapper makes their demands clear – Lewis will remain in danger unless his father returns an item known only as “Penny”.
With time running out, Ross warns Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) against involving the police and insists their best chance of finding Lewis is tracking down his adoptive father, Jeffrey. However, every lead quickly dries up.
Faced with little choice, Liam finally reveals a long-buried secret – Lewis’s biological father is actually Kev.
Realising the significance of the revelation, Ross immediately shifts his focus towards finding Kev. Meanwhile, a woman named Kylie (Pippa Fulton) approaches Ross and confirms everyone’s worst fears. She’s the one holding Lewis captive and refuses to release him until Penny is returned.
Describing the item as the “most precious thing in the world”, Kylie makes it clear she won’t back down.
Desperate to save Lewis, Liam persuades Claudette Anderson (Flo Wilson) to reveal Kev’s whereabouts, and before long, he tracks him down selling cakes from a van.
Ross is immediately frustrated by his dismissive attitude, and tensions boil over into a physical altercation. Kev claims Penny is nothing more than a diamond he sold to a pawn shop years ago, prompting Ross to demand he buy it back.
However, once he’s alone, Kev reveals that the diamond is actually hanging around his neck, and he didn’t actually sell it.
As Lewis remains missing, the pressure intensifies. Ross receives another threatening message from Kylie, this time featuring a chilling image of scalpels.
Kylie later video calls Kev directly and issues a final ultimatum. Penny must be returned before the end of the day. To underline the seriousness of her threat, she reminds him of her eight years spent in Holloway prison.
Initially, Kev insists the pawn shop has already sold the diamond. But he later claims he has tracked it down and bought it back. Has his guilty conscience got the better of him?
Certain he’s still hiding something, Ross takes drastic action and knocks him unconscious. Telling Liam that Kev is now their insurance policy, Ross prepares for a risky exchange.
As Ross heads off to meet Kylie and negotiate Lewis’s release, will everyone make it out of the ordeal alive?
2. Charity Dingle reaches her breaking point as her secret is on the brink of exposure
Charity and Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) find themselves reflecting on the pain that has driven both of them to lash out in recent weeks.
Recognising a familiar pattern, she encourages him to speak openly with wife Moira (Natalie J. Robb) and Liam about what he’s going through. Yet when he urges her to do the same, she refuses to confront her own struggles.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) admits to Chas that he feels completely out of his depth when it comes to helping Charity. Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) is left carrying the weight of her own guilt, knowing she’s keeping important secrets from him.
Later, he attempts another heartfelt conversation with his wife, only to be shut down once again. Unable to cope with being around him, a devastated Charity gets into her car and speeds away.
As her loved ones desperately search for her, Charity finds herself alone beside a remote lake. Visibly broken and teetering on the edge, she ignores Mack’s repeated calls and stares blankly into the distance.
Back in the village, concern grows when the search efforts prove unsuccessful. Fearing the worst, Mack ultimately decides to contact the police.
At the lakeside, Charity hears movement behind her. A stranger approaches and immediately notices her distress. Hoping to offer comfort, the woman gently encourages Charity to talk.
But when she reaches out to touch her, Charity reacts instinctively and punches her.
Mortified, Charity apologises, but the stranger calmly suggests the reaction may have stemmed from deeper issues surrounding trust and personal boundaries. Slowly reassured that she’s speaking to someone who understands, she begins to lower her guard.
As Mack updates the police on Charity’s disappearance, he confronts Chas with a difficult question. Does she know something he’s missing? Will Chas finally tell the truth?
3. Caleb Miligan uncovers Archie Breckle and Kerry Pollard’s AI scam
Caleb’s suspicions about the mysterious scammer impersonating Steph continue to grow, and before long, he begins focusing his attention on Archie.
Pretending to offer him paid work involving artificial intelligence at the depot, Caleb creates the perfect opportunity to investigate further. While the teenager is distracted, he gains access to his laptop and makes a shocking discovery.
Hidden among the files is a folder labelled “Steph”, confirming his worst fears.
When Caleb confronts him, a panicked Archie immediately shifts the blame elsewhere, insisting the whole scheme was actually Kerry’s idea. Caleb wastes little time confronting her, and under pressure, she begins trying to explain what happened, but he refuses to listen and threatens to involve the police.
Kerry desperately argues that Archie masterminded the operation, only to learn he has already pointed the finger squarely at her. As Caleb warns her that prison could be on the cards, she refuses to go down quietly and responds with a threat of her own.
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4. Jai Sharma grows suspicious of Caleb Miligan and Billy Fletcher’s operation
Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson) becomes increasingly curious when he notices Caleb and Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle) appearing unusually close.
However, while he attempts to work out what’s really going on, Caleb remains consumed by his growing theories surrounding both Jai and Kerry.
Could a new feud be brewing? And how will Jai react when he inevitably discovers that they’re using the depot to shift counterfeit goods?
5. Sarah Sugden is surprised by the arrival of her mysterious relative, Serena
Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) gets the shock of her life when she unexpectedly comes face-to-face with relative Serena at Emmerdale Farm.
Casey Al-Shaqsy’s arrival was confirmed earlier this month, but it’s not yet clear how she fits into the Sugden dynamic.
Speaking of the new addition, producer Laura Shaw said: “The Sugdens are a core part of the Emmerdale fabric, and we are thrilled to welcome Casey to the family.
“Her character will be at the heart of some extremely gripping and unexpected storylines, forcing her to make difficult choices that will have dramatic consequences for some of the village’s biggest names.”
Al-Shaqsy added, “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining such an iconic show and playing a Sugden! Serena is a fantastic character with so much going on beneath the surface. I can’t wait for the audience to see the drama unfold.”
Read more:
- Emmerdale confirms major village arrival as new Sugden joins cast and brings “unexpected storylines”
- Emmerdale exit revealed for long-running character after over 20 years in popular role
- Emmerdale star teases “complex year” ahead for Charity Dingle after nightmare labour in early ITVX release
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.
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