An overwhelmed Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) received the results of her paternity test in tonight’s episode of Emmerdale, and it confirmed her worst fear.

Earlier this year, Charity decided to become Sarah Sugden’s (Katie Hill) surrogate.

Alongside this, she faced relationship drama with Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb), who didn’t agree with the plan for her to carry Sarah’s baby.

At one point, Charity and Mackenzie had a huge row, and it left them both fearing for their future together. In true Charity fashion, she found comfort in a bottle of alcohol, and then tried to kiss her ex Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick).

Charity was thrown out of the house by Vanessa. She then stumbled through the street and bumped into Ross Barton (Michael Parr), who was feeling sorry for himself after Steph Miligan’s (Georgia Jay) departure.

The two characters slept together and a few days later, Ross discovered that Charity was pregnant. He knew there was a chance that he was the father, but she seemed adamant the baby belonged to Sarah and Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant).

But with Ross persistent, Charity was left with no choice but to organise a paternity test. In tonight’s episode, the results were sent to her, and it proved that Ross is the father.

Nightmare.

Spiralling, Charity was later found by Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter), who immediately sensed that something was up.

Charity confessed her secret to Chas and amid her shock, she told Charity that she cannot keep it to herself anymore.

Charity knew that Chas was right, but she just couldn’t bring herself to tell her loved ones. With Mackenzie in a vulnerable place, and Sarah and Jacob looking forward to their future as parents, breaking their hearts was something Charity couldn’t do.

Instead, she rang a clinic and booked an appointment for an abortion.

Will this move just make things worse?

‘The idea of anybody finding this out could be the end of relationships with her granddaughter, her husband, and her family. The jeopardy that she’s in, it’s palpable, and there’s so much that she stands to lose, she’s devastated’, star Emma Atkins said.

‘The fact that she’s cheated on Mack at a point where Mack is very vulnerable anyway, with everything that he’s gone through with the kidnapping and with John (Oliver Farnworth), she just can’t bear to throw more pain his way.

‘So there’s that moral dilemma. And then obviously, with Sarah, it’s, how could she ever forgive Charity for this, you know? I can’t imagine ever being in that situation where you would lose your granddaughter and your husband together and family, and probably the outer circle of the family.’

Emma said that the idea of either Mack or Sarah finding out that the baby was Ross’s would both be ‘unbearable’ outcomes – so Charity decides they must never know.

‘She has a choice to tell those that need telling, or to keep it a secret. And I think secrets and lies is the avenue she goes down for obvious reasons, that there’s too much at stake. There’s too much to lose.

‘She wants to gift Sarah with this child that she’s promised her, and she can’t bear the thought of all of this falling apart, so to keep everything together, she decides to tell the biggest lie of her life.’