Emmerdale – who pushed Caleb Miligan suspects list
Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale fans, it's time to play detective. The show kicked off a new mystery storyline in the closing moments of Thursday's episode (June 15) as bad boy Caleb Miligan was brutally pushed from a ravine by an unknown culprit.
In the best tradition of soap whodunits, Caleb had spent the previous 55 minutes making enemies, spitting insults and generally making a nuisance of himself ahead of the sinister life-or-death cliffhanger.
But which of Caleb's enemies decided to shove him to his potential doom? Here's our guide to the four official suspects – and a few sneaky wildcards too.
1. Cain Dingle (official suspect)
Is any Emmerdale suspects list complete without Cain's name on it? With the rogue's reputation for temper tantrums and violent acts, there's always a chance that he's the guilty party after a mysterious crime in the village.
Cain has plenty of motive for wanting Caleb out of the way. He still feels betrayed after discovering that Caleb hid his identity as a long-lost Tate for six months – and is particularly furious over the schemer using Butler's Farm as collateral damage in his war against Kim.
Tellingly, Cain was out of the house when the crime took place and next week's episodes show that even his sister Chas doubts his innocence. So much for Dingle family loyalty.
2. Leyla Cavanagh (official suspect)
Unlucky-in-love Leyla was in a relationship with Caleb when his connection to the Tate family was exposed, so she felt foolish to realise that he'd been lying to her for so long. Although that was nothing compared to how she felt when chaotic Caleb went on the rebound by sleeping with Charity.
In the build-up to the attack, Caleb grew tired of making apologies to Leyla and he instead decided to cruelly taunt her over her cocaine addiction.
Next week, Leyla is clearly hiding something when the police start asking questions and David seems concerned about her lies.
3. Will Taylor (official suspect)
Will may seem like a teddy bear compared to his fearsome wife Kim, but let's not forget that he has a notorious history of violence – from attacking Harriet with a coffin, to holding Alex captive and beating him up.
When Caleb was worming his way in at Home Farm, Will didn't trust him and repeatedly tried to raise the alarm. Will was vindicated when Caleb's identity was exposed, but he took no joy from the news that the schemer had tried to con Kim.
In next week's episodes, Will is – you guessed it – behaving suspiciously and Gabby and Kim both question his innocence. That doesn't stop them from dutifully backing up his dodgy alibi when the police come calling, of course.
4. Mackenzie Boyd (official suspect)
Mackenzie was jealous when Caleb's one-night stand with Charity was exposed at The Woolpack this week. Although Mack has moved on with Chloe following the breakdown of his marriage, he still has strong feelings for Charity.
Mack tried to show there were no hard feelings by offering an olive branch to Caleb, but his love rival rubbed salt in the wounds by mocking him about supposedly being unable to satisfy Charity in the bedroom. Ouch.
We've seen Mack face various dramas in recent weeks since his baby secret was dramatically exposed – could his row with Caleb have been his breaking point?
5. Kim Tate (wildcard)
Surprisingly, Kim hasn't been named as an official contender in this Emmerdale whodunit – did someone forget to call up Claire King for the suspects photoshoot?
Despite that, we wouldn't rule Kim out of the running just yet. Kim vs. Caleb has been the epic Emmerdale storyline of the year and we all know that you don't cross the queen of Home Farm and get away with it.
When Kim brooded over Caleb's betrayal last week, she promised to unleash a fitting punishment for the villain. Did her mind settle on "ravine revenge"?
6. Gabby Thomas (wildcard)
Gabby isn't on the official suspects list either, but she has a clear motive as she blames Caleb for her recent heartbreak.
Caleb was responsible for convincing Nicky to propose to Gabby, which was all part of the Miligans' cunning plan to take over Home Farm.
Gabby has spent the past couple of years styling herself as a mini-Kim, so it'd be no surprise if she'd decided to take a leaf out of her mentor's book by plotting a brutal revenge.
7. David Metcalfe (wildcard)
David hasn't had a big storyline for a while, but he's been on the fringes of the Caleb saga in recent days thanks to his connection to Leyla.
The shopkeeper was unhappy to see Caleb treating Leyla so badly and he voiced his disapproval in more than one scene.
David did promise Leyla that they could watch from the sidelines as Caleb's life fell apart, but did he secretly have his own revenge plan in mind?
8. Jacob Gallagher (wildcard)
Jacob is another character who's been on the sidelines of the drama recently, but he has connections to Caleb through two characters. Scorned partner Leyla is Jacob's mum, while heartbroken Gabby is one of Jacob's closest friends in the village.
Suspiciously, Emmerdale made a point of including Jacob in the storyline this week when he offered some comfort to Gabby, despite having shown no interest in her for months.
Were the Emmerdale writers keen to remind of us Jacob's motives? It wouldn't be the first time he's headed off into the countryside on a revenge mission this year…
9. Nicky Miligan (wildcard)
Nicky has been keeping a low profile away from the village since coming clean to Gabby about their engagement being a scam. However, we already know that he hasn't left the show, as he pops up at Caleb's hospital bedside next week.
The former Home Farm nanny has been treated terribly by Caleb, who forced him to continue the pretence with Gabby even when he knew that his son is gay. When Nicky finally confessed to Gabby, cruel Caleb responded by beating him up.
Could Nicky's visit to Caleb next week be a sign of a guilty conscience?
10. Moira Dingle (wildcard)
Moira faced worrying consequences after Caleb's sabotage led to her losing an important business client earlier this year. When the family gathered to debate Caleb's fate at a Dingle court this week, she was one of the most vocal in opposing him.
Moira has also been exposed as the guilty party in an Emmerdale whodunit before – Emma Barton, anyone?
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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