Emmerdale's resident villainess Celia Daniels could be making a dramatic departure from the ITV soap over the festive period, according to the actress who portrays her. Jaye Griffiths has teased that her character is plotting an escape, but a surprising emotional twist might scupper the entire plan.
A Festive Flight from the Village
In a recent interview, Jaye Griffiths confirmed that her character, the manipulative Celia Daniels, is planning to leave Emmerdale behind during Christmas. The exit is driven by Celia's desire to vanish before her illicit activities within the show's harrowing modern slavery storyline are exposed.
Griffiths explained that Celia feels the situation in the village has become "too complicated." She cited growing pressure from April Windsor's family and increasing scrutiny from Moira Dingle, who has been asking too many probing questions about their business dealings.
Ray's Romantic Twist Threatens Everything
The escape plan, however, is not a solo mission. Jaye Griffiths hinted that Celia intends to leave with Ray Walters, the man she presents as her son. The major complication is Ray's blossoming relationship with village resident Laurel Thomas.
"More alarmingly, Ray has gone and fallen in love," Griffiths revealed, suggesting this emotional attachment could seriously derail their getaway. If Ray's feelings for Laurel make him hesitate or reconsider, both he and Celia could find themselves in grave danger of being caught.
Griffiths indicated this is a pattern for the pair, stating: "It is clear that this is something they have done before - find another farm in another location and set up their enterprise again."
No Christmas Cheer for Celia
While many in the Dales will be celebrating, there will be no festive joy for Celia Daniels. "Celia doesn’t mark Christmas," Griffiths confessed. Instead, the holiday period will be solely focused on her scheme to extricate herself and Ray from their precarious situation.
In contrast, the actress shared her own idyllic Christmas traditions, which involve an early morning trip to the seaside with a mini picnic and champagne, a long walk with her dogs, and a cosy evening at home watching her favourite film, Elf.
Jaye Griffiths had previously hinted that her time on the soap was always intended to be finite, expressing sadness but acknowledging the strength of the character's story arc. Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.
