Emmerdale‘s Charity Dingle is blindsided by Dr Todd’s ultimatum as the blackmail storyline kicks off. While the villainous medic plans to leave the village following her father’s death, she wants to raise money to run a family house she has inherited.
Last night’s episode saw Todd go on a date with Vanessa Woodfield, where she opened up about her inheritance and dream of moving there.
While money would be tight in running it, Vanessa breaks Todd’s dreams of moving there together by suggesting they keep things platonic, as it would mean moving away from the village, also denying Charity played a role in her change of heart.
Todd has already been keeping an eye on Charity, and knows that she is secretly the real mother of baby Leyla – with tonight’s episode seeing the medic take things up a gear with a blackmail ultimatum to get cash for her home.
In the scenes, Todd sinisterly approaches Charity and reveals her plans for leaving, as the doctor suggests that Charity encouraged Vanessa to push Todd to move away. Charity hits back that Todd doesn’t “deserve someone like” Vanessa, though Todd tells her there is a “snag” with needing money.
“How much is your sordid little secret worth?” she threatens, before they head off to somewhere more discreet.
As she blackmails Charity, suggesting her life would fall apart if the secret got out, Charity pushes back, noting Todd’s hard evidence of Leyla’s parentage was via stealing confidential medical information. Yet the doctor admits she has nothing left to lose, and suggests she pay her a few thousand to keep her quiet.
Later on at the pub, Charity defiantly turns down her offer, arguing people may be more sympathetic to her when they find out how Todd has been bullying Jacob.
Backed into a corner, Todd starts to play games and decides to kiss Vanessa publicly, suggesting to her love interest that she has changed her mind about moving, much to Charity’s dismay.
Charity later confronts her again and agrees to pay a thousand, though the doctor ups the ante by revealing she knows about Charity’s past as a mother from Vanessa, and demands a huge £10,000 by the next day, threatening it as “compensation” from her family after Jacob ended her career.
What will Charity do?
