4 Emmerdale spoilers next week: Lydia confronts her attacker and Jacob's in peril

Meanwhile, Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) causes an emergency when Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) has an allergic reaction, while Gail (Rachael Gill-Davis) is hiding something.

Elsewhere, Cathy Hope (Gabrielle Dowling) has romance in mind as she comes to terms with a recent diagnosis.

Here are all your Emmerdale spoilers for 18th - 22nd September 2023.

4 Emmerdale spoilers next week

1. Lydia confronts rapist Craig

As Lydia drifts further from husband Sam (James Hooton), who has no idea what has happened to her, Sam makes a last-ditch effort to reconcile with Lydia before he goes to Ireland.

Traumatised, Lydia can't reciprocate, and as she covers her pain, Sam feels like she's pushing him away.

Meanwhile, Craig continues to use Samson (Sam Hall) to increase the tension in the Dingle household. He questions Samson about Lydia's relationship with Sam, and when Lydia finds her stepson in the Woolpack with Craig, she snaps, furiously ordering a humiliated Samson home.

Craig is left uneasy, while Samson berates Lydia for telling him to stay away from Craig. Mandy grows more and more worried that there's something wrong with Lydia, while Lydia is cleaning at the office when Craig arrives, leaving her terrified once again.

As Craig pushes Lydia to the limit with his insistence that he's done nothing wrong, Lydia brands him a rapist. How will Craig react? And will Sam find out what Craig did to his beloved wife?

As Craig continues to deny any wrongdoing, Jayne Butler, CEO of Rape Crisis, was recently asked what she would like to change about how rape and sexual assault is dealt with.

"The situation we’re in now, with so many people affected by rape and sexual assault, is one where it feels like society is effectively saying, 'We have to accept that rape is something that will happen to us,'" she told RadioTimes.com and other media.

"And I would really love to see that kind of emphasis in the way that we’re tackling those systems to be much more about stopping rape from happening.

"It doesn’t feel inevitable to me that we all have to risk that, we have to support our children for what that means for them growing up, and knowing that that might be something that happens to them.

"That ought to be something that we don’t expect to have to live with, and I’d really love us to see the government and others tackling it from that perspective, where we’re saying, 'This isn’t okay, and we’re not going to let rape become something that we accept, we’re going to stop in in the first place.'"

As Emmerdale continues Lydia's journey, star Blick explained how she prepared to play such dark scenes. "I actually began really looking after myself," she revealed.

"That was the first thing - so I made sure that I was in a good, strong, physical, psychological place in order to tackle this story.

"So, on the advice of the professionals that I’ve spoken to, I had some hypnotherapy. I started a daily yoga practice so I could kind of get rid of anything that might have been physically staying with me at the end of the day.

"Especially in the scenes straight after [the attack]. Almost subconsciously, I could feel myself holding myself on set in a certain way, having processed what’s happened. Just being able to physically get rid of that was really helpful."

Anyone affected by Lydia's story can find support by visiting Rape Crisis, or calling our 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line on 0808 500 2222.

2. Victoria's mistake risks Jacob's life

At a tasting event, Victoria mistakenly tells Jacob that a slider is nut-free, leading to him suffering an allergic reaction. Panic ensues after a frantic search for an Auto Adrenaline Injector, and Jacob manages to indicate that there is one in his car, and Vic rushes to get it.

Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi) struggles while Jacob grows weaker, and Victoria searches the car but can't find the injector pen. Then David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) hears what's happened and rushes to the hospital.

Leyla is furious over Victoria's mistake, and she's soon seeking revenge. Vic later admits her mistake to The Hide owner Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham), and Gabby loses potential buyers for The HOP.

Leyla is shocked to find Vic still working, and threatens to ruin the business. Gabby then sacks Victoria, leaving her devastated. But amid the dramatic aftermath, will Jacob be okay?

You can read about the importance of allergy awareness via foodallergyaware.co.uk, where you can find charities such as Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.

3. Gail's mysterious secret

After a romantic meal with boyfriend Ryan Stocks (James Moore), Gail moves away to furtively follow up on a mysterious phone call. Later, we see Gail meeting a desperate woman called Sophie in the Allotment.

Gail is left shaken when there's some bad news about someone call Oscar. But who are Oscar and Sophie, and what kind of secret is Gail harbouring?

Soap fans may recognise that Sophie is played by Martha Cope, who previously starred in EastEnders, playing the mother of Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero).

4. Cathy pursues Samson amid her diagnosis

Amelia Spencer (Daisy Campbell) is stunned when Cathy reveals her new plan to cure her PMDD symptoms, despite being informed that there is no cure for the condition.

Cathy's heart soars when Samson returns her flirty banter, and she's pleased when the pair confirm a date.

Will all go well? And will Cathy be forced to accept that she will have to live with PMDD?

You can find information and support about PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) via the Mind website.

Read more:

• Emmerdale's Karen Blick on aftermath of Lydia's rape ordeal: ‘She just wants it to go away’
• EastEnders star joins Emmerdale cast for dramatic storyline

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.

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