In Wednesday's episode of Emmerdale, Dr Todd left Vanessa Woodfield devastated after abruptly ending their romance, just as fans had suspected he was using her to get to Charity Dingle. Todd had shown interest in Vanessa shortly after blackmailing her ex Charity for money over a baby lie.
Despite Vanessa believing love could be on the cards, Todd cruelly ended things, claiming they were never more than 'temporary'. This came after Charity accused Todd of stringing Vanessa along, which seemed confirmed when Todd told Vanessa he was leaving the village for a job in Sheffield, and that they were 'just mates again'.
Vanessa was visibly shocked and later drowned her sorrows in the pub, while Mary Goskirk encouraged her to try a long-distance romance. However, Vanessa claimed Todd wasn't interested, suggesting he only used her to get at Charity.
This development sets the stage for a sickening twist where Todd sexually assaults Charity. Despite Charity believing she has stopped Todd and formed a truce, she will face a malicious attack in difficult scenes. The storyline will explore the devastating effects of sexual violence and the complex feelings of isolation survivors can experience, particularly in the context of female-on-female assault.
Emmerdale producer Sophie Roper said: 'Charity's storyline will explore the impact of sexual violence, and though this heinous act is fundamentally about power, we'll explore the complexities of how Charity processes her trauma when the perpetrator is a woman.' The scenes will air this Sunday on ITV1 and ITVX.
