Carl Greenwood5-6 minutes 10/2/2025
EMMERDALE has revealed its new villain – and she’s more dangerous than any the show has seen before.
The ITV soap has aired an explosive twist in its streaming episode today as April Windsor’s drug dealing hell took a deadly turn.
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Viewers know April has been groomed into becoming a drug dealer by fearsome gangster Ray Walters – but up until now it was assumed he was at the top of the tree.
However that has now been proven not to be the case.
In today’s episode April ended up accidentally leaving a bag of pills at home with her brother Leo accidentally taking one.
He was rushed to hospital and ultimately saved but the guilt was destroying April.
Determined to confess, April was planning to reveal all about everything that had happened – from Dylan’s addiction to Ray manipulating her into dealing.
With no way of getting to her in time, Ray called his boss and she headed off to the hospital.
Finding April, she pretended to be a friend and took April to get a hot chocolate and offered her a shoulder to cry on.
But outside, Celia began to try to manipulate April into keeping quiet.
And when that didn’t happen she decided to show her true colours.
Slapping April and then grabbing her so she couldn’t escape, she snarled: “You listen to me you ungrateful little wretch.
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“You lost Ray thousands of pounds and this is how you repay him?
“Maybe he hasn’t fully explained to you exactly what you’ve got yourself caught up in? I’m his boss.”
She added: “You just told a complete stranger absolutely everything, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?
“There are consequences to crossing us because it’s not just you you’ll be betraying, it’s all of us.
“Let me make myself very clear. If you say one word about where you got those drugs from, we would have to retaliate..
“Now you think little Leo’s in trouble now? It is nothing compared to what happens next.
Darkest soap storylines
Over the years the likes of EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street have all tried to try outdo each other with their outlandish plots in a bid to keep us tuning in each week. But here are some of the darkest that had fans in shock…
- EastEnders: Tony grooming Whitney (2008-2009) – Tony King first appeared in Albert Square in 2008 as the boyfriend of Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer. But it was quickly revealed he was a paedophile who had been grooming vulnerable Whitney, Bianca’s adopted stepdaughter from a previous relationship, since she was 12. The shocking storyline attracted more than 200 complaints within a week of it beginning. Whitney waited until her 16th birthday to reveal the truth to a horrified Bianca, who called the police.
- Emmerdale: Holly’s drug addiction and shock death (2010-2016) – In 2010, Holly Barton (played by Sophie Powles) became Emmerdale’s first teenage drug addict. The shocking storyline saw her taking cocaine on a night out before developing a deadly heroin habit. Parents John and Moira desperately tried to help get their daughter clean but when Holly returned in 2016, following a four-year absence, she quickly relapsed. Fans were left stunned and heartbroken when distraught Moira found Holly dead in her bed from a heroin overdose.
- Hollyoaks: Luke’s rape (2000) – Actor Gary Lucy was just 17 when he took on this groundbreaking storyline, which saw his character Luke Morgan become soap’s first male rape victim. Luke had endured a long-running bullying campaign by football rival Mark Gibbs – who raped him after Luke stood up to him. Luke was left suicidal following the brutal attack, before opening up to his brother Adam. Gibbs was sentenced to eight years in prison. Gary won the Best Actor gong at the British Soap Awards in 2000 for his performance.
- Coronation Street: Evil Richard Hillman (2001-2003) – Just a mere mention of ‘Richard Hillman’ is enough to send a shiver down the spines of soap fans. He is often ranked one of the most evil soap villains and it’s not hard to see why. The smooth-talking financial adviser bashed his ex-wife Patricia over the head with a shovel. In a bid to keep his mother-in-law Audrey quiet, he set fire to her house. And when Maxine caught him trying to murder Emily Bishop, he took a crowbar to her head. He made his exit from the cobbles in 2003 when he drove Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, and her family into the canal. They survived, but he didn’t.
“Maybe one day you’ll go missing again only this time they won’t find you… Not all of you anyway. Is that what you want?”
Later Celia sat down with Ray and put him in his place, warning him that he was being too soft on the kids under their control.
And when he called her mum – there was a glimpse into their relationship with Celia confirming she had found him on the streets and raised him as her own.
But how far will they go and how much danger is April in?
