A drunken Jimmy reveals it was the lawyer who committed the arson attack on The Mill....

Now the staff at the factory know about Nicola’s phobia in Emmerdale, the pranks are coming thick and fast but one particular joke goes too far and a furious Nicola starts slating Jai unaware he can hear her.

Jai's livid about Nicola's outburst and promptly fires her on the spot! Nicola tries to blackmail her boss into giving her her job back, but when he stands firm, she storms off home and takes out her anger on Jimmy.

Her long-suffering other half isn't going to stick around to get an earful and heads off to the pub where he proceeds to get increasingly sloshed and in a moment of drunken indiscretion, starts blabbing to all and sundry that it was Rakesh who started the Mill fire that left Nicola semi-paralysed.

The shocked villagers encourage him to call the police and report the arsonist immediately, which drunk Jimmy duly does before consulting Nicola.

Soon the ball is rolling when the police suddenly show up at the factory to grill Rakesh, much to the shock of his family and colleagues.

How will slippery former lawyer Rakesh manage to get out of this? And will Priya continue to protect her criminal hubby?

A drunken Jimmy becomes loose-lipped sparking a dramatic chain of events....

A drunken Jimmy becomes loose-lipped sparking a dramatic chain of events....

Earlier, Nicola is fuming when she becomes a victim of pranking at the factory.

She blames Jai, but when he overhears her bad-mouthing him, he's livid and tells her she's fired!

Nicola storms off home but when she starts laying into Jimmy, he takes refuge in The Woolpack where he proceeds to get increasingly drunk!

As the beer flows, a loose-lipped Jimmy blabs to Lisa, Zak and Kerry that it was Rakesh who started the fire at The Mill. Everyone insists he go straight to the police to report the arsonist.

Rakesh is caught completely unaware when the cops pay a visit to the factory.

How can the shifty former lawyer defend himself and wriggle out of this one?

Will Priya continue to stand by her man and lie to protect her husband, or is Rakesh finally going to get the punishment he deserves? Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Monday, June 5

When Nell gets the wrong end of the stick and packs her bags to leave, will Jai tell her he loves her?

Jai has taken it upon himself to save addict Nell. He's thrown her a life-line and the recovering addict appears to be putting roots down in the village.

But when Nell overhears a conversation between Jai and Moira, she jumps to the wrong conclusion and packs her bags!

Will Jai confess he's fallen in love with Nell to try to get her to stick around?

Jai is thrilled when he hears Nell has made an appointment with Social Services in an attempt to track down Rosie.

Jai is thrilled when he hears Nell has made an appointment with Social Services in an attempt to track down Rosie.

As Nell forges connections in the village…

… she steps in to take the rap for Kerry when an accident occurs in the factory.

Later, Nell is upset about Jai.

She's overheard him talking to Moira and jumped to the wrong conclusion. As Nell packs her bags, will Jai confess he's in love with her in the hope she'll stay?Watch Emmerdale from Monday 29 May on ITV.

Jai is trying to do right by fellow drug addict Nell, but his actions put his niece Amba’s life at risk! Emmerdale’s Chris Bisson reveals what happens

Jai Sharma’s family hasn’t taken to Nell Fairfax, but Jai is determined to help the recovering drug addict. He agrees she can stay at his family’s home and even invites her to niece Amba’s birthday party… And that’s when things go horribly wrong, as the toddler finds drugs in her handbag.

“It is a really difficult situation,” Chris Bisson told Soaplife. “They are anti-depressants, but people automatically assume they’re harder drugs.”

Why is Jai putting himself out for Nell? “It’s about him feeling guilty and responsible for what happened to Holly Barton [who died of a drugs overdose]. He is trying to live a normal life, but feels a bit hollow and empty. Nell’s story resonates with him and he doesn’t want her to go the same way that Holly did.”

Does he fancy Nell (Scarlett Archer)? “Of course, it’s a soap! She flirts with Ross [Michael Parr] and Jai feels jealous, which confirms to him that he has feelings for her. So far, he has been honourable, but they do end up snogging in the factory.”

Why does she move into Holdgate? “She is getting hassled at the hostel and Jai finds her sleeping at the factory. He takes responsibility and takes her back to Holdgate.”

What happens when Amba gets hold of the pills? “Amba is found with the pills in her hand. The way the Sharmas see it, Nell left these drugs unattended but, to Nell, she left pills in her handbag and some kid has gone into it. Who is right and who is wrong? Jai is torn and is stuck in the middle between Nell and his family.”

What does Jai know about Nell? “Well, he knows she has a daughter who was taken away from her because of her drug abuse and that is hurting her. That resonates with Jai because he lost a kid – his son Archie is somewhere in Liverpool. There are a lot of connections between these two characters that really pulls them together.”

Why does Priya get involved? “She thinks that the daughter might be something that would help Nell to turn her life around.”

Is Jai still struggling with his own addiction? “Yes, drugs are a long-term issue and he still has moments. It requires a lot of inner strength for him to hold it together and maybe Nell is a good reason for him to do that.”

Or maybe not…

Emmerdale, ITV

Recovering cocaine addict Jai Sharma has kept his nose clean for over a year but now we know he’s carrying drugs around with him! Is he using them again?

Last night’s episode of Emmerdale revealed that recovering addict Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson) is carrying cocaine around in his pocket. So, is he about to go to the dark world of drug use again?

Quite frankly, with everything that Jai has been through lately – Priya (Fiona Wade) and Rakesh (Pasha Bocarie) getting back together and Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) constantly humiliating him at work – it’s a bit surprising that there hasn’t even been a sniff of him turning to drugs again.

His daughter Eliza, the child he had with Megan Macey (Gaynor Faye), is the one ray of sunshine in his life. He desperately doesn’t want to let his little girl down.

But last night, the sight of Priya and Rakesh enjoying themselves was too much for Jai… He blames Rakesh’s attempted insurance fraud, with a fire that nearly killed Nicola, for the family losing control of their factory.

Drunk and rude, Jai ended up on the floor… Rakesh wanted to make sure he didn’t drive and went into Jai’s jacket pocket – and found cocaine.

Is Jai using again?

He admitted to Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) that he feels low.

Moira’s daughter, Holly, is always on Jai’s mind. He and Holly had grown close and he thought they had a future together… He thought they were happy – and drug-free. Then, in one of Emmerdale’s most shocking and tragic episodes, Moira found Holly dead in bed from a drugs overdose.

Jai’s Narcotics Anonymous (NA) group in Hotten is gone, the building burned down. He plans to start a support group in Emmerdale but, right now, it’s Jai who needs support.

As Jai admitted to Moira, it is a struggle to stay clean… And, after last night’s shocking discovery of that cocaine, it looks like it’s a struggle he could lose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95a7nGmOys&feature=em-subs_digest

Emmerdale, ITV

The unlikely pair Jai Sharma and Holly Barton get it on at David and Tracy's wedding!

Ever since bonding during their Narcotics Anonymous meetings (as you do), there's been a definite spark between flirty factory boss Jai and farmer's daughter, Holly, in Emmerdale.

Next week the pair get it on at David and Tracy's wedding and pucker up behind the Woolpack!

But has Jai's hawk-eyed ex and mother of his child, Megan, spied the pair canoodling and if so, what will she have to say on the matter?

Jai and Holly lock lips behind the pub.

Earlier in the week Jai provides a sympathetic ear when his sister Priya confides in him that her eating disorder has returned.

He reassures her that he'll be there to support her, but let's face it he's never been the most reliable of siblings!

Later, Holly helps set up David and Tracy's wedding reception but Jai is left feeling a little bit jealous when he spots her getting a lot of attention from one of the sound technicians.

But Holly is actually more interested in Jai than soundman Ben. When she sees Jai leave the Woolpack she darts after him.

Holly catches up with Jai, but when she breaks the news that Moira's selling up and they're going to be moving out of the village, emotions rise and Jai leans in to kiss her.

Holly catches up with Jai, but when she breaks the news that Moira's selling up and they're going to be moving out of the village, emotions rise and Jai leans in to kiss her.

Megan's on the prowl as the pair lock lips. Is she going to confront them? And where do Jai and Holly go from here? Could it be the start of a budding romance? Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Monday, September 19

The couple-at-war in Emmerdale seem to have called a truce

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Megan and Jai build bridges with Jimmy's help

this week...

EMMER%E2%80%93WEEK17%E2%80%93JAI%E2%80%93SHARMA%E2%80%93MEGAN%E2%80%93SHARMA02

Stony-faced Megan's feeling glum after speaking to Eliza's health visitor and not getting the answers she wants

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...but Jai is encouraged when she suggests they hold a fundraising event for the hospital's baby unit

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Jai's got a big grin on his face when Jimmy suggests to Megan she let Jai look after Eliza...

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Amazingly, stubborn Megan agrees. But will Jai get the wrong idea about Megan softening? Watch the drama on Emmerdale on ITV1 from Monday, April 25

Jai turns up to his daughter's Christening, depate Megan ordering him to stay away

Uh-oh. That kiss between Megan Macey (Gaynor Faye) and Sam Dingle (James Hooton) on Friday night is going to cause all sorts of trouble – and we fear sweet Sam will get badly hurt.

It was a very emotional episode, with Megan and her newborn baby’s father, Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson), reeling from the news that their little girl could have brain damage after her traumatic birth.

Sam kissed Megan – and could have dug his own grave

Sam has been at Megan’s side through her pregnancy as she fought to keep Jai away, scared of what he would do to get his hands on their child.

We all saw how dirty he played with Rachel Breckle, mother of his son, Archie and how, eventually, he lost that fight.

Jai’s only just cleaned up his act after using cocaine and has told Megan he’s a changed man… But signs of the old Jai appeared when he found Sam with Megan at the hospital.

Jai didn’t see Megan crying on Sam’s shoulder, see her kiss him on the cheek to thank him for his support, or see Sam misread the situation and give Megan a full-on kiss… 

Sam wants to look after new mum Megan and her baby… But can he?

But Jai saw their closeness and he didn’t like it.

What he also didn’t see was that Megan felt uncomfortable about what happened with her and Sam.

“I know I’m not the fastest or the smartest but you can rely on me,” Sam told her. “You look after the little ‘un and I”ll look after you. I’ll look after both of you.”

But from the look on Megan’s face, she doesn’t want what Sam wants.

And Jai definitely won’t want what Sam wants.

“It’s about family now,” Jai told Megan, after he asked Sam to leave them alone.

Jai wants Sam nowhere near Megan and their poorly newborn daughter

“He’s not very good at taking a hint, is he?” Jai said to Megan. “He doesn’t know when to back off.”

“He’s a good man,” Megan told Jai. “You have beaten me down so much… Is it any wonder that I have to lean on Sam? Go! I don’t want you here! You want to do something for our beautiful baby girl? Then leave us both the hell alone!”

Jai did leave and then broke down at home, desperately worried about his baby girl.

Jai breaks down, terrified his baby girl has brain damage

He won’t want to be pushed away from his daughter now. So, what will he do to make sure he can be close to her?

Is Jai going to quickly return to his dark side to put Sam in his place, which he thinks should be far away from Megan and their daughter?

Or will Megan let Sam down gently?

Either way, Sam’s going to get hurt – a lot.

Emmerdale continues on ITV, Monday, March 7, 7.00pm.

Rakesh's money troubles could jeopardise his wedding plans with Priya...

There’s a verdict in Jai’s custody battle for Archie, Emmerdale’s Chris Bisson tells Soaplife. But is it the verdict Jai wants?

As the court case over Archie’s custody reaches its climax, it looks as if Jai Sharma has everything sewn up. He plays the doting dad, tells the court his wife is pregnant and stresses that Archie’s mum, Rachel, has a drugs charge hanging over her head. What could possibly go wrong?

“Megan’s not in court to back Jai up,” says Chris.

What happens when Megan doesn’t show in court?

“Jai’s anxious. He knows his story will stack up better than Rachel’s, but he knows he has to use the fact he has a wife to his advantage. Fathers have to work harder to get custody in this country. He tells the court his wife has morning sickness and he reveals Archie’s going to have a sibling. He’s feeling smug at that point, but he knows Megan [Gaynor Faye] has to turn up.”

And she does. Then what happens?

“When Megan shows up, she’s with Leyla [Roxy Shahidi]. They burst through the doors into the private hearing just as Jai is concluding what he thinks has been a very successful performance. The last time he saw Leyla she was crying because Jai had dumped her and Megan was triumphant. The fact they’re together doesn’t bode well…”

Does Jai get custody?

“I can’t tell you that. But, afterwards, Rishi [Bhasker Patel] is angry with him over the way he’s treated Megan – Jai wants to leave her penniless. Rishi turns his back on Jai, which is tough, because Jai doesn’t have any friends left.”

How does he feel about Megan’s pregnancy?

“He and Megan are enemies, but he’s promised to look after her and the baby now she’s pregnant. He doesn’t love Megan, but he wants to do the right thing and look after his unborn child. His paternal instinct is his only redeeming quality, but it’s also his Achilles’ heel.”

Then Megan tells him she’s had a miscarriage…

“And Jai is devastated. The one thing he really craves is his own children.”

Can Jai ever redeem himself?

“We know that, underneath, he’s a genuinely nice character who’s been damaged. All this has been driven by his desire to be with his son. It’s been that way ever since Rachel [Gemma Oaten] fell pregnant.”

Do you enjoy playing Jai as a villain?

“It’s much more fun. I look at my scripts sometimes and think, ‘What’s he doing?!’ People tell me on Twitter that they want to hit the TV when Jai’s on, which is a good thing.”

Emmerdale, ITV

The hospital staff have done all they can and Megan leaves, rushing to court, desperate to tell the truth and make sure Jai doesn’t get away with taking Archie from Rachel by lying and cheating. Leyla is right behind her, equally determined to right the wrongs Jai has done after finding out he planted the drugs on Rachel to make her look bad. Jai is furious when his wife and his lover burst into court and turn on him. Later, Megan tells Jai she’s had a miscarriage but, on her own, she’s seen looking at an ultrasound picture of her baby and smiling…

Paddy thinks Marlon’s prospective date, Julia, is hot - but will she get Marlon all hot under the collar? Laurel doesn’t care - or says she doesn’t. Marlon’s a free agent, Laurel says and she plans to give him complete freedom by moving out.

Ashley tells Harriet he wants to lead the memorial service for Val and Ruby, who were killed in the helicopter crash. But is he up to it? And will Val choose to make another appearance to Pollard?

Megan Sharma plans to get revenge on her cheating husband Jai by framing him for drug possession in Emmerdale. But just as she's about to put it into action, she's completely thrown when she realises she might be pregnant!

Will she proceed with her plan to plant cocaine in his car?

After making a call to his dealer, Jai uncovers Megan's plan to stitch him up when he finds a load of drugs in his car…

Megan's speechless when Jai reveals that he knows she's tried to stitch him up.

It looks like Jai may have rumbled Megan's plan a little too late because the police are already on the way to Emmerdale… 

As the police turn up at the factory, Megan's forced to tell Jai her bit of pregnancy news…

Will Jai manage to get rid of the drugs? Or will he be caught red-handed by the police? 

Meanwhile, Rachel takes her frustrations out on boyfriend Sam violently - so he walks out on her…

The next day, however, he's there for Rachel when she has to face Jai in court… Is he just papering over the cracks?

Megan's promised to be there for Jai, too, because his case relies on her being there. But it soon becomes clear that she's not coming when a slanging match between Megan and her husband's lover Leyla reaches an unexpected conclusion…

Watch the dramatic developments on Emmerdale from Monday, August 10.

Emmerdale star Chris Bisson revealed how his partner gave him the best 40th birthday present – telling him they were going to have a daughter.

The actor, who plays Jai Sharma in the rural soap, already has a two-and-a-half-year-old son, Harry, with his long-term girlfriend Rowena Finn. He turned 40 on July 21.

(Yui Mok/PA)

He told Hello! Magazine: “It was the best birthday present ever. For the first time I saw our baby’s face and she was sleeping with her little hand behind her head, just like Harry and I do.

“When she said, ‘You’ve got a little pink one,’ we were ecstatic. I’d hoped, deep down, that our second child would be a girl and my wish came true.”

(Ian West/PA)

The star, who has also appeared in Coronation Street and Shameless, said he was happy to contribute to the mini-baby boom on his current show.

He said: “Everyone quipped that there must be something in the water at Emmerdale because my co-stars Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden are also expecting their second baby around the same time as us.

“It’s certainly true that there has been a bit of a baby boom at Emmerdale recently. Natalie Anderson gave birth to her son, Freddie, a few months before we had Harry.”

Emmerdale’s Chris Bisson tells Soaplife how Jai’s nasty plan to get custody of his son Archie backfires - and he finds himself with a lot of explaining to do…

Jai Sharma has really got it in for Rachel Breckle. Having already locked her in a refrigerator and made numerous threats, he turns spy and puts a camera in Archie’s teddy bear in order to collect incriminating evidence that he can use against her in court.

"He thinks she is a bad mother," says Chris. "He needs to get some evidence so he can win his case and get custody of Archie."

But Jai’s evil plot unravels when he is filmed cavorting with Leyla. What is Megan going to say about that?

Why is Jai being so horrible to Rachel?

“He thinks she is a bad mother. In his head, he’s embellishing things and concluding that Rachel [Gemma Oaten] is not looking after Archie properly. He ended up with his arm in a plaster cast and Jai was the last person to find out and that really wound him up.”

Why does Jai send a doctor to the house?

“Rachel lies and says Archie was ill and Jai interprets that to mean his son is at death’s door and his mother is not doing anything about it. Jai will do anything to undermine Rachel and this is an example of that.”

Then he tries to stir up trouble between Rachel and Sam…

“Jai sees Sam [James Hooton] and Tracy [Amy Walsh] have what looks like a close moment and decides to drop that in just before he and Rachel go into mediation because he believes it will ruffle her feathers. However, it seemingly backfires as Rachel takes the initiative and proposes to Sam. She makes out that everything is OK between them, but Jai has a strong suspicion that they have problems.”

What happens during the mediation session?

“It doesn’t go particularly well for Jai, so he decides to step things up a gear and asks Leyla to befriend Rachel. Leyla [Roxy Shahidi] goes round there while Sam and Rachel are in the middle of an argument. Leyla tells Jai that Archie was crying and so it’s a very worrying situation for him.”

What does he do next?

“Leyla comes up with this idea to hide a camera in Archie’s teddy. The bear is left with a bit of an evil eye, but you can’t really tell that there’s anything in side it. The bear will be Jai’s eyes and ears inside the house, enabling him to find out if anything untoward is happening to Archie.”

And?

“Jai discovers that what he suspects is partly true. There is domestic violence going on, but it’s between Rachel and Sam and not against Archie, as he thought.”

How does Jai get caught out by his own trap?

“It’s a classic soap storyline and you have to suspend disbelief that he would be stupid enough to leave the camera on while he’s cavorting with Leyla. That’s what he does and he gets caught – suddenly people know about their affair.”

What will Megan (Gaynor Faye) do?

“Let’s just say there are going to be ramifications.”

Emmerdale, ITV

Chris Bisson is a little anxious about getting written out of Emmerdale now Jai Sharma has turned bad, but said he will be in the soap for a while yet as he has just signed a new contract.

The former Corrie star – who joined Emmerdale in 2009 – appeared on This Morning where he admitted he is really relishing playing a villain. But host Phllip Schofield pointed out that when people in soaps become bad, they usually get killed off.

Chris said: “That is a bit worrying actually… But I’ve just signed a year contract!”

Emmerdale’s Jai Sharma has turned nasty, as Rachel Breckle has found (ITV)

The 39-year-old actor added: “Jai has turned nasty and it’s hard to have a lot of sympathy with him! But it’s more fun to play the baddie or villain at work than to play the good guy, definitely…

“This is only the beginning of Jai’s nastiness, it ramps up a lot from here. It gets darker and darker.”

He also hinted that Jai may be the father of ex-wife Charity Dingle’s baby.

Charity’s baby is a shock for Jai in Emmerdale (ITV)

Last night viewers learned Charity (Emma Atkins) had given birth in prison, and talking about the shock plot twist, Chris said: “It has come out of nowhere and is a big surprise for everyone in the village. Jai will be worried too.”

Rachel's in big trouble when Jai plays dirty to keep her away from their son, Archie

Gemma Oaten hailed Emmerdale's writers for coming up with tonight's 'brilliant' twist which saw her character, Rachel Breckle, produce the real baby Archie, while Archie's father, Jai Sharma, realised he'd bought a different baby!

The bizarre and slightly bonkers revelation occurred after Rachel reappeared in Emmerdale after disappearing last year and Jai, oblivious to her whereabouts, had bought a child he thought was Archie from a blackmailer.

Gemma told What's on TV: "When we were filming it, there's a lot of stuff that goes on in that factory, a lot of surreal storylines and stuff, and we were all stood there filming it and trying not to laugh as well, because even we couldn't believe how brilliant the twist was."

Gemma added: "This full storyline, I know it's been a long time coming and I know the audience sometimes gets a bit twitchy when something's not concluded straight away, but it's worth it because it builds up and there can be all these different angles."

Watch the interview with Emmerdale's Gemma Oaten, above.

Surprising Priya (Fiona Wade), Georgia and even herself, Megan has decided to marry lying, cheating Jai - and she wants to do it as quick as possible. With Georgia and Leyla’s help, Megan organises a surprise wedding, but Leyla throws a spanner in the works when she tells Jai she still loves him.

“Leyla made out to Megan that she and Jai were a one off,” says Gaynor Faye, who plays Megan, to Soaplife. “She has no idea that Leyla loves Jai. She just wants to be part of a family again as soon as possible.”

Why does Megan want a quick wedding?

“Jai [Chris Bisson] comes as part of a package. Along with Archie, he is a ready-made family and that is a quick fix for Megan. Also, Megan doesn’t really trust Leyla [Roxy Shahidi] and thinks that if she marries Jai in a day, then Leyla won’t get her hands on him.”

How does she feel about Leyla?

“Megan is not very trusting of Leyla. She is very similar to Megan in lots of ways and I think she still feels there could be something there between her and Jai.”

And, indeed, there is - on Leyla’s side, anyway. What does she do?

“Leyla panics and tries to ruin the wedding. Megan hasn’t told Jai what she has got up her sleeve – only Leyla and Georgia [Trudie Goodwin] know. However, Leyla goes straight to Jai and tells him. She explains that she loves him and tries to win his affections behind Megan’s back.”

And does she?

“When Leyla tells Jai that she loves him, he doesn’t take the bait. He surprisingly decides he wants to be with Megan.”

Is there a happy future for Megan and Jai?

“Who knows? I hope it is not too happy because that wouldn’t be fun to play!”

Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for times and dates.

Emmerdale’s Chris Bisson tells Soaplife how Jai is very worried when Rachel makes contact…

Jai Sharma would have done anything to get his son Archie back, but now the lad is home, the factory boss is starting to worry about the whereabouts of his mum Rachel. He lied about getting Archie from her and constant questions from Ali are stressing him out. But on Archie’s birthday, everyone is surprised when a present is delivered from Rachel.

“Jai is secretly worried about Rachel’s welfare,” says Chris to Soaplife. “But when the gift arrives, it means that Rachel is still alive and might potentially come back for Archie…”

Jai loves being a dad to Archie, doesn’t he?

“Yes, but Archie doesn’t seem to have settled as well with Jai as he has done with Megan [Gaynor Faye] so that’s a little bit frustrating. His main concern, though, is that they are back from holiday and Ali is on his case about Rachel.”

What is Ali (Kelli Hollis) worried about?

“She is concerned that Rachel hasn’t been in touch on Archie’s birthday or sent a card or a gift. It’s not the sort of thing she would do and it’s making alarm bells ring. She believes that something sinister has gone on - and so does Jai.”

What can Jai do?

“He is sticking to the same story – namely that he met Rachel who gave him Archie and asked for money to go into rehab. Obviously, he never met her and that is the story given to him by the middle man but, at the time, Jai had to get Archie back any way he could. He was in the back of a car with a stranger and Jai had to get him back for his own protection. In that process, he fell short of the mark when it came to Rachel.”

What does Jai think has happened to Rachel?

“He is starting to think that there may be more to this story than he is prepared to believe. He keeps hoping that everything will be fine and that the bloke who gave him Archie clearly knew Rachel. He is trying to cling onto the idea that everything is as he said it was, but deep down he probably thinks that isn’t true.”

Then Megan arranges a party for Archie and invites Ali and Ruby…

“Jai wants to keep Ali and Ruby [Alicya Eyo] as far away as possible because they bring problems and questions that he can’t answer and he is having to spin a larger web of lies to cover his tracks. Megan, however, manages to convince him that it is better to have your enemies close and convince them that there is nothing to hide by being transparent.”

What happens at the party?

“It is all very awkward. Ali gives Archie a scabby old teddy bear that was Rachel’s when she was a baby and Jai is snobby and aloof about it. Then there is a knock at the door and a parcel arrives. It’s a birthday present for Archie from Rachel.”

How does everyone react?

“Ali is elated that Rachel has made contact, but she is disappointed that she hasn’t made it with her. Jai is shocked… He is delighted that Rachel is not dead - but if Rachel is still alive she might want Archie back and that is Jai’s worst fear.”

Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for dates and times. 

Emmerdale’s Chris Bisson tells Soaplife how Jai enjoys a happy family reunion with Archie, but not with Rachel… And that’s going to bring him more trouble.

Once again, Jai Sharma is offered his son Archie in exchange for cash, but this time he gets him. There’s no sign of the baby’s mum Rachel, though – and Jai doesn’t seem bothered. Rachel’s sister Ali [Kelli Hollis] is very bothered, though – especially after a story in the newspaper reveals that a woman’s body has been found. "Jai isn’t interested in how or why he’s getting Archie – he just wants him back and is willing to pay. He doesn’t think about the consequences," says Chris.

So is Rachel alive? Or has Jai just paid to become the prime suspect in her murder?

So, out of the blue, Jai gets a message about Archie…

“The trail has gone cold and Charity [Emma Atkins] says she knows nothing, but Jai gets this anonymous text from a stranger saying they have his son. Jai doesn’t want to believe it’s true, as he doesn’t want to go through the disappointment of not finding him again.”

Who is this person?

“It’s this fella called Josh and Jai goes to meet him. He has got Archie, too - in the back of a car. But when Jai runs over to see his son, the car drives off. This man says he’s there on Rachel’s behalf and that she needs money to go into rehab. What’s different this time is that Jai has actually seen Archie, so he goes to Rakesh [Pasha Bocarie] to get some money together and pays up.”

What about Rachel?

“He doesn’t think about Rachel’s welfare as his focus is purely on Archie and he is elated to have him back.” 

What does he tell people in the village?

“He uses the story that Josh told him, but he pretends it was Rachel who relayed it and handed over Archie.”

But Ali calls the police, doesn’t she?

“Yes. Jai’s covering parts of the story and is concerned when the police arrive. However, he thinks that the price of these lies is nothing compared to what it means to get his son back. As we’ve seen, Jai is prepared to go to great lengths to get what he wants.”

So what has happened to Rachel?

“That would be telling! Put it this way, it’s a soap and so, for Jai, this is not the end of this story – and it’s not the end of his troubles.”

Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for dates and times.

Emmerdale’s Chris Bisson has admitted he was shocked when he first heard the lengths his character would go to in a bid to find his son.

Chris Bisson plays Jai Sharma in Emmerdale (ITV)

The actor’s alter-ego Jai Sharma has been unveiled as the man who kidnapped Charity Macey, attacking her and locking her up in a shipping container to get information about where Archie is.

Jai has been unmasked as Charity’s kidnapper (ITV)

Talking about reading the scripts for the scenes, he told Digital Spy: “I was still quite shocked by what Jai had done and the way that he’d gone about it. What he’s done is very much premeditated, and that’s the disturbing thing!

“Once I’d read the scripts twice, I realised that Jai must have got all of this organised in advance. He’s gone away, found this shipping container and then decided what he was going to do to Charity.”

(ITV)

He added: “He’s been driven to it. On Friday, you saw that Declan told everyone that Charity had Rachel’s mobile number. Even when Jai went round to Home Farm afterwards, Charity denied that she had anything. Another thing is that Declan said to Jai that getting rid of Archie might have given Charity the greatest pleasure.

“Because of that, Jai has realised that if Charity has gone to those lengths to hurt him, she is absolutely never going to give up the information of where Archie is unless he forces it out of her. That’s why what he does is so severe!”

Chris believes Jai will release Charity if she spills the beans about his son.

He teased: “You’ll have to wait and see how far Jai goes because I don’t want to spoil this week’s episodes, but he’s already gone to the lengths of premeditated kidnap and torture. Those are very, very extreme emotional responses to a very difficult situation.”

Photos of the big storyline in Emmerdale

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

Emmerdale's Fiona Wade tells Soaplife all about Rakesh, the man who could become Priya's husband - a man Jai (Chris Bisson) knows and doesn't like

What happens when Priya first meets Rakesh?

"Well, she panics because she wasn't prepared and comes to the door not fully dressed. She sends him away, but he has already made an impression. At the factory, Nicola tells Priya she must be mad to turn down a handsome man with a nice car and a good job [he's a lawyer], so Priya asks her dad to arrange another meeting."

And what is Rakesh like?

“He's very intelligent and is lovely with Amba. I guess he's the opposite to David in that he's serious and suave. He has clearly got an edge to him, and there's this history with him and Jai over something to do with falling out over business years ago."

What does Rakesh think of her having a baby?

"It doesn't bother him. He's quite happy to have a ready-made family."

Georgia doesn’t like him, though…

"She gives him a hard time but she's just being protective. She doesn't really agree with the idea of arranged marriages and thinks that Priya is rushing into things."

So, how does their first date go?

"Rakesh surprises Priya with a picnic on the green. They talk and she really opens up about her anorexia. She thinks she has blown it with him, but doesn’t realise how much he likes her."

Clearly she hasn't blown it because they get engaged!

"She thinks he is the perfect suitor and will be a good dad to Amba. He ticks all the boxes, they have a lot of chemistry. She thinks that the love will come."

David’s not happy, though, is he?

"No, he's worried because Jai tells him that Rakesh can't be trusted and he fears Priya might take Amba from the village. Priya does her best to try to reassure David that she wouldn't do that. She has built a life for herself in Emmerdale now."

Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for transmission details.

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

Will Charity save her cheating hubby, Jai, when he plunges into a frozen lake?