David is Leyla's hero when he lends her the money she needs to cover the wedding dress payment but it's a fair bet Tracy isn't going to be very happy!

David becomes Leyla's hero. Leyla is at rock bottom following her failed wedding to Pete. And to make matters worse she owes the dress designer money for the gown which has been ripped and is unreturnable. Fed up, Leyla decides she might as well wear the frock while she drowns her sorrows in the village.

Meanwhile, in David's shop, Tracy is celebrating her birthday and waiting for her husband to make it to the mini party. But David gets waylaid when he finds Leyla drunk and sat in an oily puddle in her wedding dress! Sad to see her so upset, David takes a weight off Leyla's troubled mind by lending her the money she needs to cover the dress payment.

Thing is, the cash is earmarked for a long-awaited holiday for he and Tracy. Seeing as his wife hasn't been consulted, and is already a bit iffy about his friendship with Leyla, how's Tracy going to react to hear they're not going to be going anywhere?

When David comforts Leyla - there's going to hell to pay!

When David comforts Leyla - there's going to hell to pay!

Leyla goes out drinking in her wedding dress and ends up slipping in a dirty puddle…

David finds Leyla…

… and listens to her tales of woe.

He consoles Leyla and offers to lend her the money she needs to pay for her ruined gown from her ruined wedding day. But the cash is meant to be paying for he and his wife to go on holiday… What will Tracy say?Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Monday 11 September.

Frank's dodgy past comes back to haunt him when a blast from his past shows up in Emmerdale village.

Ex con Frank Clayton seems to have made one very bitter enemy. When Bobby, who came face to face with Frank last week in the restaurant, shows up in Emmerdale, he has only one thing on his mind... it's payback time!

What has Frank done to upset Bobby so much? And what will happen to Vanessa and Tracy's dad when he refuses to give in to Bobby's demands?

Bobby gives Frank a battering. What has he done to deserve this?

Earlier, Frank dresses up as a Christmas elf to raise some money for David's cancer charity.

Everyone enjoys throwing custard pies at elf Frank!

But one person who isn't smiling is Bobby.

Frank is caught off guard when Bobby makes a surprise arrival in the village and demands Frank give him a large sum of cash.

Bobby knows all about Frank's past and tells him he either pays up now or he'll have no hesitation in ruining his life.

Frank wrestles with his conscience and briefly considers stealing David's charity money to get Bobby off his back, but decides against it.

When Frank won't play ball, a furious Bobby lashes out with his fists.

Will Bobby's violence make Frank reconsider? And if the jailbird stands firm and refuses to pay out, what danger is he placing himself and his family in?Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Monday, November 21

Will Tracy say yes when David Metcalfe goes down on bended knee in Emmerdale yet again?

When David gets his Decree Nisi from his marriage to Alicia, he decides to pop the question once again to Tracy.

But what will her answer be this time?

David goes down on bended knee in the shop and asks Tracy to be his wife. Is her resistance starting to wane?

David goes down on bended knee in the shop and asks Tracy to be his wife. Is her resistance starting to wane?

When David's Decree Nisi comes through he decides it's the perfect oppotunity to re-propose to Tracy. How could she possibly resist a bagel for an engagement ring?

David tries to chivvy her along by talking about all the guests they could have at their wedding but when Tracy explains there isn't really anyone - her mum's in Ibiza and her dad's in prison, David has an idea.

He encourages Tracy to go and look at possible venues with Megan and Leyla and while she's away sneaks off to track down Tracy's dad Frank in prison.

Frank seems nice enough and David's pleased when he says he's keen to build bridges with his daughter. He's even due for early release!

When David comes clean to Tracy, she's upset to learn he's gone behind her back and shocked to hear her dad is going to be out of prison soon. She tells David he's been sucked in by Frank's nice guy act!

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However, she's surprised when David reveals Frank's written her loads of letters and is planning to stay with her when he's out. Why hasn't Tracy mentioned this before? Will Tracy want to meet her dad? And will she forgive David for his secret visit? Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Monday August 2.

David Metcalfe is about ready to bottle his cancer operation in Emmerdale. Will he conquer his nerves?

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David's in a state as he prepares to go under the knife...

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Pollard plays matchmaker and tells a reulctant David to give Tracy a chance. The pair enjoy a drunken kiss in The Woolpack and end up in bed together...

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But David's angry when he realises Tracy knows about his testicular cancer and believes she only slept with him out of pity. Pollard tries to give him a pep talk...

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...Pollard worries when he realises just how much his son is freaking out about his imminent operation to remove a testicle

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Tracy tries to reassure David everything will be OK, but a depressed David later holes himself up and gets drunk. Pollard's alarmed to find his son at home passed out and naked

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When David tells Pollard he can't face going through with the op it's up to his dad to convince him to go through with it

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...but terrified David is ready to walk

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The nurse reassures him that he's going to be fine

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As David tries to conquer his nerves, Jacob returns from Portugal and wants to know where David is. What will Tracy tell him? Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Monday, April 25

As David faces up to his cancer scan, Tracy decides it's time she revealed her feelings on Emmerdale

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David is scared about his cancer scan and Leyla offers him her support… But Tracy doesn't like Leyla's hands-on approach

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Leyla and David have history, not all of it happy. But they're good friends now and Leyla wants to be there for David

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David insists he doesn't want anyone with him at the hospital, though. But he is clearly scared

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Tracy walks in on their conversation and David clams up. He can talk to Leyla, but Tracy wishes he would talk to her...

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Tracy is jealous of the closeness David and Leyla share, but David has no idea Tracy wants to be close to him

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Leyla points out a few home truths to David – while Tracy wishes she would point David in her direction

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The only girl David seems to need is his daughter, Amba

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But seeing how he is with his daughter just makes Tracy want him more…

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So Tracy summons all her courage to tell him how she feels... How will David react? Watch Emmerdale on ITV, from Monday, April 18

That David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) is going to be battling cancer is a recent shock for Emmerdale fans.

Here’s another one: his estranged wife Alicia (Natalie Anderson) will be returning to the village!

In recent episodes, viewers saw Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) desperate for the woman he calls “Mum” to show up for his 13th birthday and be reunited with David.

“I’ve got something planned for you,” David told him on his big day.

“Yeah, I know. My mum’s coming and I’ve got something planned as well. I’m going to tell her everything,” Jacob said angrily.

Leyla had to tell Jacob that Alicia wouldn't be home for his birthday

He was under the impression – wrongly – that David and Leyla, Alicia's sister, were having an affair.

“No, your mum’s not coming,” Leyla (Roxy Shahidi) told Jacob, gently.

“You said you’d get her and today’s my birthday so it’s obvious,” Jacob insisted.

“Look, your mum will be coming but that’s not today. You’ve got that wrong,” Leyla told him.

Ah, so Alicia is coming back!

The way they were: David, Alicia and Jacob

But can she really live in Emmerdale again? Alicia has got over being shot by Cameron (Dominic Power) and she learned to live with Leyla in the village… That was a tricky one, as Leyla is actually Jacob’s biological mother. That had been a secret but the truth came out and Jacob loves Leyla but still thinks of Alicia as his mother.

The reason Alicia was keen to get away from Emmerdale is still there, though: Lachlan (Thomas Atkinson). The teenage boy sexually assaulted her and then told everyone she had groomed him.

By the time the truth came out, Alicia was broken and couldn’t face staying in the village.

Her new life in Portugal with Jacob and David, soon fell apart, too, though. First David returned to Emmerdale, then Jacob.

David seems resigned to a life without Alicia, but could they still save their marriage?

There hasn’t been anyone for David since he returned. He loves Alicia and, right now, he needs her. So does Jacob. He's devastated by David's illness and having his mum around would make him feel much more secure.

“I told Jacob they can fix the cancer,” David told Leyla.

Jacob is terrified of losing David

“Well, you’ve done it now,” Leyla said. “You’ve got his hopes up. You shouldn’t have done that in case the worst comes to the worst.”

David really needs Alicia right now.

Will she return to help him battle cancer? Or will she return to make him – and Jacob – feel even worse by telling David she's back to finalise their divorce?

Emmerdale, ITV.

Concerns about Pollard could see David face a life-threatening illness himself in Emmerdale. Matthew Wolfenden explains all to Soaplife…

Why is David so worried about Pollard?

“David notices Pollard is constantly running to the toilet and he Googles the symptoms, which is the worst thing to do. I know this as my partner, Charley Webb [who plays Debbie Dingle], sits at home Googling everything to do with our new baby and it’s always a horror story.”

What does he do?

“Well, Pollard’s slightly panicked… He probably knows those symptons in a man of a certain age are not a good sign. When David flags it up, Pollard knows he should see a doctor, but he’s still not willing to get that confirmation that there’s a problem.”

But he gets Pollard to the doctor… How?

“David collars Pollard [Chris Chittell] and says ‘Listen! There’s something wrong here because you’re spending all your day running in and out of the bathroom, so I’m taking you to the doctor tomorrow’. Pollard says he’ll only go if David goes, too, and has an MOT himself.”

What happens at the surgery?

“David explains to the doctor that he’s only there to get Pollard in and he suggests he’d be wasting his time seeing him. However, the doctor says he may as well be seen as he has an appointment. He gives him the once over, then says he’s found a small lump on David’s right testicle.”

Uh-oh.

“The doctor says it could be a cyst and explains that most of the time these things are nothing to worry about, but he books a scan as a precaution.”

Has anything like this happened to you in real life?

“No and I never check myself, but I’ve learned that guys in their early twenties to mid-thirties should because problems such as testicular cancer are prevalent then. I’ll certainly check myself from now on.”

Does David worry that he has cancer?

“Of course he’s worried. These things prey on your mind and David just wants to get the results. If it’s an all-clear, he’ll be celebrating. If not, then it will be an interesting story.”

Emmerdale, ITV

As Eric Pollard’s grief deepens and his need to avenge Val’s death intensifies, David finds himself facing life without his father, Emmerdale’s Matthew Wolfenden reveals to Soaplife.

David Metcalfe has gone above and beyond to take care of his dad, Eric Pollard, since Val was killed in that helicopter crash. He gave up his marriage to look after the grief-stricken widow, but Pollard has grown apart from him, not closer.

“Pollard is getting worse,” says Matthew. “David is really worried about him and scared he’ll do something stupid…”

How bad is Pollard?

“His house is a wreck and he is spiralling into a depression. It looks to David as if he is having a breakdown.”

Leyla’s worried about him, too, isn’t she?

“She’s shocked when she sees Pollard [Chris Chittell], as he looks rough. Leyla believes he has a serious problem.”

It sounds like it! Is that why David breaks in?

“He knows that the boiler has broken and Leyla [Roxy Shahidi] is worried Pollard might try and fix it himself and end up doing something dangerous.  Pollard doesn’t answer the door, so David kicks it down.”

What is it like inside the house?

“There’s a shrine to Val [Charlie Hardwick] and the video that she left Pollard is playing on a loop. There are dirty plates and clothes all over the place. Pollard has got Val’s clothes out and has put them on the sofa, where she would have sat. Pollard himself looks terrible. He’s dishevelled, he has grown a beard and is wrapped up in layers because the house is freezing.”

So why does David handcuff himself to the banister?

“For some reason, David has a pair of pink fluffy handcuffs by his bed. He goes back to Pollard’s, lets himself in and attaches himself to the banister. He says to his dad: ‘You’re not getting rid of me now’.”

And?

“Pollard takes the keys to the handcuffs and leaves David there overnight. Nikhil [Rik Makarem] rescues him, but he can’t get to Pollard before he does something drastic…”

What does he do?

“Pollard’s gone to court to see Chrissie [Louise Marwood] jailed for causing the accident that killed Val. By the time David gets there, though, Pollard has done something and is being taken away by the police. David is devastated as Rakesh [Pasha Bocarie] tells him that his dad could be looking at a prison sentence.”

And there’s more drama back at Pollard’s house…

“Somebody has broken in and stolen Val’s ring. Pollard is so upset; he boards all the windows up and says that nobody is coming into the house again. David is so worried that he pitches a tent outside the house and spends the night there.”

Is there any hope for David and Pollard’s relationship?

“It’s going to be a big Christmas for them and I hope they can turn things around.”

Emmerdale, ITV.

Emmerdale star Matthew Wolfenden says things turn nasty when David sees red…

How has David been since the attack on Alicia?

"He hasn’t cried, shouted or screamed because he wants to be there for Alicia. He doesn’t want to make it all about him. He’s worried about Alicia as she has completely shut off."

How’s Lachlan’s family behaving towards the couple?

"They’re being pretty horrible. Lachlan’s telling them a bag of lies and Chrissie thinks Alicia is to blame. They call her a paedophile and suggest that she was grooming Lachlan and leading him on."

Is that why David kidnaps Lachlan?

"David has been bottling his feelings up and he snaps. He wants Lachlan to tell the truth and apologise."

What does he do?

"He decides he’s going to get Lachlan into his van and take him somewhere. He wants him to admit the truth so the lies about Alicia don’t continue. He sees him at a bus stop and manhandles him into the back of his van. He loses the plot, really and sees red."

What happens?

"David takes him to a barn, where Lachlan winds him up and will not back down. Even though David is stood over him, Lachlan is still going, ‘I have done nothing wrong, it was her fault, we’re going to press charges because my mum thinks she has been grooming me’."

Is David afraid Chrissie will report him to the police?

"Yes. The worry is that they will press charges and David could get into quite a lot of trouble for it. What will happen to Jacob if both David and Alicia get sent down?"

Jai accidentally punches his friend David while lunging at old rival, Rakesh!

Will it be love at last for Priya when her new man, Rakesh, turns up in the village?

Emmerdale’s Natalie Anderson reveals to Soaplife how Alicia ends up with thousands of pounds meant for Leyla - and what happens when money-grubbing Leyla finds out!

It’s perfect timing. Just as Alicia is feeling mightily hacked off with life, along comes a mystery benefactor who has left her £70,000 in his will. David feels as if they have won the Lottery, but then they discover they’re not rich – the money is meant for Leyla. “Alicia senses something is wrong from the start, but David is like a little bird in her ear saying, ‘Come on, you deserve it!’” reveals Natalie.

“Alicia would really love to spend it on Jacob and the new baby - she knows Leyla will spend it all on shoes if she gets her hands on it,” adds Natalie . So will Alicia pocket the money?

How does this £70,000 come to Alicia?

“A solicitor turns up and Alicia is stressed because she thinks she has done something wrong. He tells her that she has been left this sum of money by a man she has never heard of and hands it to her in a hold-all. David is thrilled, but Alicia knows there is no such thing as a free lunch. However, David is very persuasive.”

When does Alicia realise it is Leyla’s money?

“They’re having dinner when Leyla mentions an ex – it’s the person who left the money to Alicia. David nearly chokes on an onion bhaji as he realises what’s happened.”

Is Leyla suspicious?

“Yes, she thinks that the pair of them have worked an insurance scam and that makes Alicia feel really uncomfortable. Her gut instinct is to confess as she is a really moral person.”

But Leyla finds out from someone else, doesn’t she?

“A woman called Tina comes into the Woolpack and asks for Alicia. When she says, ‘That’s me’, the woman pours two drinks over her. She accuses Alicia of doing her out of her inheritance and having it away with her husband. Leyla overhears this and realises the money was meant for her - she used Alicia’s name when working in the pole-dancing club. Leyla then throws a drink over Alicia. I had about 19 drinks thrown over me that day and I was wet through!”

What happens next?

“It’s a very funny scene. Leyla’s in David and Alicia’s house with a mask and a blowtorch as she wants to break into the safe. Then Ruby says she saw Jacob running up the road with a carrier bag. They all run out of the house after him and poor Leyla is in her high heels.”

What does Jacob do?

“He throws the money in the river. Leyla pushes David in and Alicia pushes Leyla in. Jacob sees them fighting over a £5 note and is disgusted. Alicia realises then that it isn’t worth it and tells Leyla she can keep the money.”

So Priya is the least of Alicia’s problems for once?

“Well, she’s still struggling a lot with the Priya issue. I think she has been saintly of late. Who wouldn’t crack under that pressure? She’s trying to stand back, but it’s hard because Alicia knows how manipulative Priya can be and she’s sceptical.”

Things take a messy turn when Alicia inherits £70,000...and it ends up in the river!

Will David and Alicia's Big Day end in disaster?

Emmerdale's Alicia and David are looking forward to a particularly happy Christmas as they plan to get married on Christmas Day. It’s a moment viewers have longed for and Natalie Anderson and Matthew Wolfenden, who play the pair, tell TV Times about filming the big episode...

What can you tell us about David and Alicia’s Christmas wedding?

Natalie: "It is a tiny wedding, but very pretty. Alicia is thrilled, but she is also a bit hesitant because of the situation with Priya. She is not a horrible person and wonders if it is too soon as Priya is pregnant with David’s baby and she doesn’t want to hurt her. However, she is desperately excited about it as she really wants to marry David."

Matthew: "It’s very low key. They decide it is just going to be them and Jacob plus Val and Pollard. It is nothing like the wedding David was planning with Priya, which involved lavish marquees and a budget of thousands. David and Jacob do the church up themselves and it looks beautiful."

Soap weddings never go to plan, what will go wrong this time?

Natalie: "There are some twists and turns. I always picture David and Alicia like a tennis match, where a ball keeps being shot at them and they bat it away. On the day of their wedding, they are trying their best, but all these things keep coming at them."

Matthew: "There is lots of scope for disaster. For a start, Priya has turned into a bit of a psychopath and keeps stalking David. Put it this way, a lot of things go wrong leading up the vows and you wonder if they will be able to pull it all together."

What were the Christmas scenes like to film?

Natalie: "It really got me in the Christmas mood. The church looked so lovely with all the candles and fairy lights and when I got home, I said to my husband, James ‘I could just have a Bailey’s, do you think it’s too early?’ He said it was."

Matthew: "It is weird filming Christmas in November as everyone panics and says things like ‘I haven’t done any shopping!’ It was a real honour to be given the Christmas storyline and the wedding looks fantastic. The village looked lovely too – we didn’t have fake snow like last year, but was all lit up and even though it was still November, it felt really Christmassy."

Who loves Christmas the most among the Emmerdale cast?

Natalie: "Me! I am so Christmassy it’s ridiculous. I have a box of Christmas DVDs that come out on the first of December. I actually start planning for Christmas in June. I love it. After I filmed the wedding, I went home and told my husband that we are buying all new fairy lights. Last year, it was our son Freddie’s first Christmas. I put Michael Buble on to do the tree and everything was going swimmingly until all the lights blew. I blamed James and he went through the bulbs one by one, trying to find the one that had blown."

Matthew: "It’s definitely Natalie. She is the most girly and the most Christmassy."

What do you like about Christmas?

Natalie: "For me, it’s about family, having everyone under one roof."

Matthew: "It's about the little 'uns. My son Buster is three and a half and he has just learned about Santa, so it’s going to be really exciting. Before, he was only interested in the wrapping paper and cardboard, but this year, it’s going to be lovely watching him open his presents."

Emmerdale stars and nominees Matthew Wolfenden and Natalie Anderson talk to TV Times magazine about being among the sexiest at The British Soap Awards 2013…

Congratulations! How does it feel to be voted in the ‘Sexiest’ category?

Natalie: "Matthew has just joked that I’ve been in make-up since 4.30am in an effort to look ‘sexy.’ It’s true though. When I play Alicia, I get into the character. I’ve had my hair done; my make-up and I feel good. But as me, Natalie Anderson. Well, I am often in a tracksuit covered in baby dinner. That’s when I feel my most comfortable. I am a right little scruff in real life, but this is really flattering. And a bit mental."

Matthew: "It is quite cool to get into the last five. I don’t look in the mirror and think ‘I am sexy’ – definitely not until I have been through hair and make up in the morning. It is weird, but flattering. It’s nice that people have made the effort to vote for us."

What did your other halves think of the news?

Natalie: "My husband James is really proud. He knows that I don’t get a lot of me time now we’ve got Freddie who is nearly one. He told me ‘You do look good, love.’"

Matthew: "Charley [Webb who plays Debbie Dingle] sees me in the morning don’t forget so she thought it was funny."

How do you rate your chances?

Natalie: "I haven’t got a cat in hell’s chance of winning. I am the oldest in the category and they are all really beautiful girls. Michelle Keegan will win it. She has my vote anyway. I think Matthew has got a good chance of winning now because Scott Maslen isn’t a nominee!"

Matthew: "Natalie told me she is going to vote for Danny Mac who plays Dodger in Hollyoaks!"

Do you think Emmerdale has a good chance at scooping an award this year?

Natalie: "I’d like to think so. The live is up for best episode and I would like that to win. I know other soaps have done a live, but we did it at the village location. Lucy Pargeter had to run from the church to The Woolpack and had she fallen over, it would have been a disaster. In the end it was seamless and I think we did a brilliant job."

Matthew: "I hope so. Every year we say ‘fingers crossed’, but this year, with the live episode up for an award, we have a chance. We never hold our breath though. I think we deserve more than we get."

Who will you be rooting for at the awards?

Natalie: "Laura Norton. She is brilliant as Kerry and I would love to see her get Best Newcomer. And Lucy Pargeter has played Chas in a state of high drama for years now. She is always on the money and works really hard. She definitely deserves best Dramatic Performance."

Matthew: "I’d like to see Tom Lister get Best Exit. His was a good episode. I really miss him. He was a good friend – we did a lot of training together. We’d be in the pool each morning as we did triathlons."

Is there anyone you feel deserved to get nominated but didn’t?

Natalie: "Yes, Charlotte Bellamy was brilliant as Laurel with all the drama about Ashley and Sandy. I would like to see her up for Best Actress."

Matthew: "Our Charley gets to the long lists, but she never makes the last five. I’d love her to. She is always there in the big storylines. She has had a really big year this year, so I am hoping she gets her moment next year. I love the new dark Debbie – the character and the hair."

Will you be rooting for actors from other soaps?

Natalie: "I know Chris Fountain and Danny Mac who are also up for Sexiest Male. I used to babysit for Chris, as our mums were best friends. I starred in the West End musical Wicked with Danny for a year and we are really good mates."

Matthew: "To be honest, I admire anybody who does a soap. We all know what hard work it is and everyone who gets an award deserves it."

Who is your favourite soap villain?

Natalie: "Kim Tate. She was iconic during my childhood. I will never forget how she left Frank on the floor having a heart attack, it was terrible."

Matthew: "Jeff Hordley as Cain Dingle is a great soap villain. He is so good at the mean and moody thing, but in real life, he is the nicest person you would want to meet."

And your all-time favourite soap character?

Natalie: "Raquel in Corrie. She was just brilliant. She was bubbly and bright, but when she went to pieces, it was amazing."

Matthew: "Eric Pollard. By a mile. He was before I came into the show. Second is Madge Bishop from Neighbours, which is the soap I grew up watching."

Alicia loved David in silence for a long time and lost him to Priya. But now? Well, now it looks like David has won her. But has he?