Warning: This article contains spoilers for a storyline in Emmerdale this week.

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For as long as he's been making himself at home in Emmerdale village, we've known that Caleb Milligan (William Ash) is hiding a secret.

The long lost half-brother of Cain (Jeff Hordley) and Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter), Caleb has appeared to be the ultimate Mr Nice Guy, assisting with young nephew Kyle Winchester's (Huey Quinn) court case and treating the rest of the Dingles as if they are also his family.

But with a series of furtive phone calls along the way, there's no way Caleb is as straightforward as he seems. At first, a confession to Cain that he's planning to take over Home Farm looked like it provided the answer — overpowering Kim Tate (Claire King) is a big task! But then a mention of pulling the wool over Cain's eyes made us wonder whether Caleb is really who he says he is.

Even if he is definitely the son of the late Faith (Sally Dexter), he's certainly plotting against Cain and co for some reason. Teasing Caleb's true motives, Emmerdale producer Jane Hudson has confirmed that Caleb is not an undercover police officer, and added that no one has guessed his secret yet.

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This week, though, as Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi) takes centre stage in a kidnap plot, we think there may be cause to consider that Caleb is connected to her tormenter.

Read on as we look into exactly why that might be.

Is Emmerdale's Caleb in cahoots with Callum?

Will Ash as Caleb Milligan in Emmerdale
William Ash as Caleb Milligan in Emmerdale. ITV

When she starts receiving more threats from Callum (Tom Ashley) in the aftermath of his attack on Suzy Merton (Martelle Edinborough), Leyla ends up sobbing in the graveyard. There, she's discovered by none other than Caleb.

Obviously this could just be an innocent coincidence and a way to integrate newcomer Caleb into the community rather than grouping him solely with the Dingles. But with viewers still in the dark over the mysterious truth about Caleb, we can't deny that absolutely anything is possible. So, it could be that he is embroiled in the dodgy world of drugs, and/or has a reason to target Leyla.

Caleb will be seen encouraging a helpless Leyla to play dirty against Callum, but this only leads to danger when she messages the dealer for a meeting. Kidnapped and frightened for her life, as far as we're currently aware, Leyla's abductor is Callum and Callum only. But as we wait to find out what happens to her, what if Caleb is heavily involved, too?

After all, his advice to Leyla could well be a way to entice her into this harrowing situation. Soaps are known for delivering shock reveals, so imagine Caleb rocking up to taunt Leyla instead of Callum!

Leyla is kidnapped by Callum in Emmerdale
Leyla is kidnapped by Callum this week. ITV

Whether he's involved because he has his own, separate reason to go after Leyla, or simply because she and Suzy are threatening the ongoing drug sales, the theory that Caleb has a major role in this storyline is certainly plausible.

But how might this affect Cain? It's well known that he is firmly anti-drugs, and Caleb might still be harbouring anger over Cain blocking him from getting to know Faith, despite appearing to let it go.

So, could Caleb be trying to worm his way into the family in order to target a member of the Dingle clan who Cain holds dear, like Sam (James Hooton), who Caleb befriended rather quickly? Leyla's intervention would certainly put this as a possible long-term plan at risk.

Whatever he's up to, we'll have to tune in to find out whether Leyla can escape her ordeal unscathed. But one thing's for sure, we'll certainly be keeping our eye on crafty Caleb in the coming weeks!

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Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Soaps hub.

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