'Emmerdale' spoilers: will Meena Jutla find her killer secret exposed?

Meena Jutla in Emmerdale
Meena Jutla attends Leanna's funeral wearing the ring she plucked from the teen's corpse. (Image credit: ITV)

Meena Jutla, Emmerdale's secret serial killer, is at risk of exposure in Thursday's first episode (ITV, 7.00pm see our TV Guide for full listings).

The killer – who murdered teenager Leanna Cavanagh on her 18th birthday for finding out Meena had killed in her past – is revelling in the messy upset she's caused in the village.

And as Leanna's funeral takes place, Meena (Paige Sandhu) takes her place among the mourners, quietly lapping up the tragic scene. 

What gives the evil nurse even more of a thrill is the ring she plucked from Leanna's corpse after pushing her off the bridge, which she's strung onto a necklace and is wearing close to her chest. 

The ring has since been deemed 'missing' having not been returned by the police among Leanna's effects nor found in her room by Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) who gave it to his ex.

Leanna Cavanagh killed in Emmerdale

Meena threw Leanna off a bridge for finding out that she'd murdered someone in her past. (Image credit: ITV)

As the service begins, Meena is playing with her sick token and panics when it comes off the necklace, rolls across the floor and lands right next to Leanna's grief-stricken dad Liam (Jonny McPherson)!

Leanna Cunningham's ring in Emmerdale

Meena Jutla is getting a kick out of wearing Leanna's ring on a necklace which she keeps tucked out of sight. (Image credit: ITV)

Meena Jutla in Emmerdale

At the funeral as 'mourner' Meena is twiddling with the ring it falls to the floor. (Image credit: ITV)

Leanna Cunningham's ring in Emmerdale

The incriminating ring rolls and ends up stopping next to Liam's foot. Will the grieving dad spot it? (Image credit: ITV)

If Jacob were to spot it, the teenager would instantly realise that there has been foul play. When Leanna's body was taken by the police and her effects returned to Liam, her ring was not among her belongings and wasn't in her room either.

Is killer Meena about to get rumbled?

Elsewhere, Jamie Tate (Alex Lincoln) meets up with his ex, Andrea (Anna Nightingale), to talk about why he and his mum Kim (Claire King) are estranged. 

Jamie fails to tell the truth – that Kim found out he'd been poisoning her and cast him out – and invents his own explanation. 

Jamie Tate in Emmerdale

Jamie Tate feeds Andrea a pack of lies about the reason he and his mum Kim are estranged. (Image credit: ITV)

Andrea Tate in Emmerdale

Will Andrea find out her ex-husband Jamie is lying when she later confronts Kim? (Image credit: ITV)

Will Andrea find out she's been lied to by Jamie when she confronts Kim?

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays (see our TV Guide for full listings).

Sarah Waterfall
Soaps Editor at What's On TV

Sarah has been writing about soaps for over 20 years! She’s worked for Hello!, WOMAN, PA News, Closer, TVeasy – and is currently What’s On TV's Soap editor as well as writing for WhatToWatch.com 

She’s interviewed tons of famous people from movie stars to pop stars, TV stars and of course, soap stars. The soaps have always been at the heart of Sarah's work; visiting the sets, getting the goss, and writing about all the soapy shenanigans week in week out, earning her a place on the judging panel for The British Soap Awards in 2017 and 2018 and on the BAFTA TV Awards in 2022 … and the nickname Soapbird!