Emmerdale confirms Caleb's secret with Nicky bombshell - and second shock twist

Once alone, Leyla was still being watched - but Caleb tackled the man before he could follow her into the village hall, and he was revealed to be none other than Nicky. Caleb demanded to know what he was doing, before Nicky confronted him over sleeping with Leyla, adding: "you won't mind if I tell mam!"

Yes, Nicky is Caleb's son! Caleb insisted that he was separated from Nicky's mother, so he was single. But as Caleb warned Nicky against messing up their plans, Nicky turned the tables on his dad by reminding him that Kim Tate (Claire King) was not happy with him at the moment.

All became clear as Nicky grimaced over playing along with new 'fiancée' Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) and urged Caleb to secure the money he'd lost previously. Of course, we already knew that Caleb was plotting to take over Home Farm. But it wasn't long before we found out exactly why Kim was their target.

As the two men approached the grave yard, Caleb explained it was time to pay their respects, while Nicky continued making sarcastic quips. Caleb then urged his son to look at a nearby grave, adding that it was the first thing he had looked for when he arrived. Remember when he met half-sister Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) while she was visiting her baby daughter's resting place? It's all beginning to make sense now.

Caleb remarked that his own father had been buried there for 25 years, and told Nicky that they were doing what his dad would have wanted as he vowed to "make it right".

Finally, viewers were given a glimpse of the grave in question: Frank Tate's! Yes, that's the late husband of Kim, making Caleb (and Nicky) linked to both the Tate dynasty and the Dingle clan. Frank (Norman Bowler) died of a heart attack back in 1997, in an infamous scene which saw Kim callously leave him for dead before checking her make up next to his corpse.

Emmerdale has since confirmed Frank is actually Caleb's dad, and viewers will find out more about his backstory in tomorrow night's thrilling episode.

Speaking about the twists and whether they knew what was coming, actor Ash admitted: "I did! I knew that Frank Tate was Caleb’s dad and Faith his mum. Plus I knew that Caleb’s son had got a job at Home Farm which Caleb had pushed him to do to place him in that world to find out as much as possible about it."

Cope added: "I thought I was coming in as a love interest to Gabby, it was further down the line I got the scripts and it started to reveal itself for me. It was a nice surprise as I wasn’t preempting anything, I could just look at what was on the script and make that work."

Read more:

• 6 Emmerdale spoilers next week: Amelia's health scare & Rhona's big decision
• Emmerdale hints at Gabby baby twist in new Nicky scenes

Emmerdale airs on 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.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.