When Ella Forster’s (Paula Lane) secret was revealed in Emmerdale, it was Cain Dingle’s (Jeff Hordley) reaction that shocked Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) – and us – completely.
After months of speculation and countless theories over Ella being connected to Meena Jutla, it was recently revealed the new face killed someone when she was just 11 years old.
Ella had a deprived childhood, growing up in a house that was used for drug taking. She had to go to school unwashed and uncared for, and when she befriended June’s daughter, June soon took an interest in her.
June – the lady we met in the care home – was like a mother to her for a while and Ella flourished under her love and care, so when June’s daughter told her she no longer wanted to be her friend – because the other girls were cruel about Ella – she realised that would mean not spending time with June. In rage and grief, she attacked the daughter and killed her.
When the truth was exposed in the village, Liam reacted with anger and frustration. He had connected well with Ella and even opened up about the death of his daughter Leanna, so to find out she had kept this secret from him made him feel hurt.
With everyone in the village against her after the revelation that she was a killer, Ella identified Cain and Charity (Emma Atkins) as being the only people in the Woolpack who might understand her, because it was clear they’d come from deprived backgrounds too.
Cain went with her to the back room of the pub and provided a listening ear, and then took her to the B&B and persuaded Jimmy (Nick Miles) to check her in for the night.
When Liam heard that Ella was still in the village and that Cain had been responsible for her staying, he was raging. Cain is his best mate and the person he shared his grief with about losing Leanna, so he felt betrayed that Cain could apparently side with a child killer.
Liam confronted Cain about his views but his efforts didn’t really have a great impact. Cain is the father of Kyle (Huey Quinn) – the child who killed Al Chapman – so he knows all about moving on and being given second chances.
It certainly surprises us that Cain is Ella’s only ‘friend’ in the village right now – but how much will things change over the coming weeks?
If she struggles to reconnect with Liam, could Ella use Cain as a comfort?
Will he leave Moira (Natalie J Robb) heartbroken and begin an affair?
