'Just shut up' Emmerdale fans plead for character to be axed from ITV soap

During tonight's emotional instalment of Emmerdale, Charity Dingle (played by Emma Atkins) started bleeding and feared the IVF treatment had not worked. Charity was her granddaughter Sarah Sugden's (Katie Hill) only hope of starting a family of her own after having an emergency hysterectomy earlier this summer following a cancer diagnosis.

Before learning about Charity's bleeding, Sarah's finacee Jacob Gallagher (Joe Warrant Plant) raised a glass at The Woolpack with her and said: "To the future bride," to which Sarah replied: "To the future groom and our new little family."

However, Charity was missing from the pub, with Sarah noting: "I can't do a speech without gran, where is she?"

Lying on behalf of Charity, her husband Mack Boyd (Lawrence Robb) said: "Oh, she had to pop home. She was feeling a little bit tired, but she did give me strict orders to make sure you have a good time."

Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) approached Mack behind the bar and said, "Shouldn't you be at home with Charity?" But Mack said Charity made him stay at the pub because she thought it would "look weird" if I left.

Sarah looked concerned as she saw Mack and Charity talking - did she have a gut feeling that something was wrong? Later, she visited Charity and "could tell" she'd been crying as she demanded answers from her.

Charity admitted: "I came home because I've been bleeding." Sarah panicked and said: "Wait, what? But it's going to be OK?"

The soap stalwart looked gutted and shook her head before saying: "I don't think it's taken." A horrified Sarah replied: "No, no, no. We don't know that for definite, though."

But Charity said she "knows her own body" and started apologising as she felt the IVF had not worked.

Fans took to X to share their theories about the heartbreaking storyline, with many feeling Vanessa was more supportive than Mack. One wrote, "Please Vanessa, rescue Charity... and the rest of us... from McT**t." Another said, "My gorgeous Charity deserves so much better (and her name is Vanessa X)."

"#Emmerdale Shut up, Mack," someone else penned. "Stop being so controlling." Someone else shared: "He needs to go ASAP!"

However, one person wrote: "Nothing wrong with Mack, there's worse characters than him."

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV and ITVX.