Emmerdale - which couple is rocked by a steamy affair plot?
Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale announced the village's next scandalous affair earlier this month, promising "steamy" scenes as a big new storyline gets under way.
Speaking at a press event, show producer Laura Shaw confirmed that a married character will give into temptation – with far-reaching consequences for many of the other villagers.
Shaw commented: "We love an affair in soap, so we've got a very passionate, steamy affair coming up between two people, and one of them at the moment is seemingly very happily married.
"The affair is going to have huge repercussions. It's going to affect a lot of our villagers."
With only a limited number of Emmerdale regulars currently enjoying married bliss, we're taking a quick look at the couples most likely to be torn apart by this big new storyline.
Kim Tate and Will Taylor
Will and Kim tied the knot last October in Emmerdale's 50th anniversary episode. After a whole year of relative stability for the couple at Home Farm, it'd be no surprise if the storyliners had decided that it was time to throw a spanner in the works.
Kim is arguably at her best when she's plotting and scheming behind closed doors, so Will playing away from home would certainly spark plenty of opportunities for high drama at the big house. We can see the "Kim's revenge!" headlines already.
As Kim is a character who always puts herself first, we also shouldn't rule out the possibility of her being the love cheat if she's starting to get bored with her hubby. Is she ready to shake things up by pursuing someone new?
Scandals at Home Farm always have ripple effects for the wider village, so Kim and Will being at the centre of this story seems like a good bet.
Tracy and Nate Robinson
Tracy exchanged her wedding vows with Nate in her big return episodes back in the summer. This marked a major turning point for the on-off couple, who'd previously been torn apart by Nate cheating on Tracy by having a one-night stand with guest character Fiona.
It'd be a surprise if Nate cheated again (not least because nobody wants to watch the same storyline twice) but some fans have speculated that Tracy could be one to watch out for, especially after she briefly shared a storyline with Caleb earlier this year and they seemed to have some chemistry.
Could those scenes have been setting up a future Dingle family betrayal? It'd certainly fit the bill for a story with far-reaching repercussions.
Dawn and Billy Fletcher
Billy and Dawn are currently excitedly awaiting the arrival of their first child together, who is expected to be born in time for Christmas.
The couple have had a quieter time recently after seeing off serial killer Meena and Dawn's bitter ex Alex, so it's likely that the Emmerdale storyliners have been plotting their next big challenge.
Billy showed his commitment to Dawn in the summer when he rejected advances from Gabby, but would he be able to resist temptation second time round? Or could Dawn jeopardise her new family set-up by finding a new love interest?
Moira and Cain Dingle
Most Emmerdale fans will hope that the show doesn't go down this route, as it took over a year to bring Cain and Moira back together last time their marriage was destroyed by an affair plot.
Another fling for Moira would probably be too predictable, and while the possibility of Cain cheating is more likely, that wouldn't be a popular move among viewers either.
Asked recently about his character's future with Moira, Jeff Hordley – who plays Cain – seemed equally unenthusiastic about the possibility of an affair plot.
He told us: "I think they'll be fine. I don't envisage any major upset, but to be able to tell stories, Cain needs to keep his DNA in tact. As long as it's not an affair or anything like that, as that would be the end."
Nicola and Jimmy King
The Kings are big favourites among Emmerdale fans, but they've had a quieter year despite the reintroduction of Jimmy's nephew Tom.
Their last big storyline aired in 2022, when Nicola was attacked by a gang in a car park and struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder in the aftermath.
Could Emmerdale bosses have decided that an affair plot is the best way to bring the couple back into the soap spotlight?
Laurel Thomas and Jai Sharma
Jai and Laurel fit the description of a couple who are happily married, having only tied the knot a few months ago.
We'd be surprised if the storyliners had decided to tear the couple apart so soon, especially as the Sharma family are likely to be distracted by the recent arrival of Jai's biological father Amit – a possible new villain for the show.
Anil Goutam, who plays Amit, recently teased his character's future by saying: "Amit has a darker side to him, but not in his own mind! In his own mind, Amit does what he does to protect his family – but it's a question of what he thinks is the right thing.
"I think he can convince himself of pretty much anything being the right thing to protect them."
Rhona Goskirk and Marlon Dingle
Marlon and Rhona have been tipped for a big storyline in the coming months, as Rhona's ex-husband Gus will be returning to the village at some point.
While it's possible that this could lead to an affair plot, it seems more likely that we'll find out Gus has been up to no good by betraying Rhona's trust.
When Gus last made an appearance, he was seen looking suspiciously at Rhona's passport, which disappeared immediately afterwards. This sparked a fan theory that he'd stolen the passport as part of his bid to secure access to their frozen embryos.
None of this is screaming "imminent affair plot" to us, but stranger things have happened in the soap world.
Check out more of our Emmerdale coverage:
Emmerdale's Jacob Gallagher to spark suspicion over secret passion with Victoria Barton
Emmerdale's April Windsor to expose Cathy Hope's pregnancy plan
Emmerdale's Gail Loman steps in to save her son Oscar in emotional storyline
Emmerdale confirms death in Belle Dingle and Tom King storyline
Emmerdale boss teases Aaron Dingle's "dark" return storyline
Emmerdale confirms special episodes for huge Dingle family storyline
Emmerdale teases change in Christmas episodes and plans for 2024
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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