7 Emmerdale Spoilers for Next Week – 16th to 20th February

Next week on Emmerdale, Paddy and Dylan come under scrutiny as Bear is charged, Arthur makes a big announcement, a DeLorean causes a stir in the village, and is Dawn pregnant?

1) Bear confesses

With the truth about who killed Ray (Joe Absolom) finally out, Bear’s (Joshua Richards) decision to take responsibility and confess promises to cause chaos for his loved ones.

Paddy (Dominic Brunt) has been desperately trying to shield a deeply traumatised Bear following months of enslavement and manipulation at the hands of Ray and Celia (Jaye Griffiths)—an ordeal that ultimately ended with Bear inadvertently suffocating Ray as he stepped in to protect Paddy and Dylan (Fred Kettle) from an attack.

In the chaos that followed, Paddy and Dylan moved Ray’s body into one of the depot vans outside, only for it to be promptly driven away by Jai (Chris Bisson) and discovered the following day.

With Bear having been missing for several months up to that point, Paddy attempted to keep Bear hidden to divert any suspicion from falling on him.

But it wasn’t long before Bear was found wandering Moira’s (Natalie J Robb) fields by Ruby (Beth Cordingly) and Caleb (Will Ash), and the police came calling following the subsequent discovery of Celia and Anya’s bodies.

With Moira imprisoned on suspicion of killing Celia and Anya, Bear has seen pressure from Cain (Jeff Hordley) to speak up and prove that Moira wasn’t involved, all while dealing with his own guilt about Ray’s death.

Still clinging to the belief that Ray had been a friend, Bear struggled when April (Amelia Flanagan) confronted him with the reality of who Ray truly was. The emotional strain proved overwhelming, triggering another breakdown and forcing Paddy to accept that his father needed professional support.

Attending a session with counsellor Lucy (Sally Frith), a survivor of modern slavery herself, finally brought Bear some clarity over the situation.

“It was finally Bear having the ability to talk to somebody who actually had been in a similar situation to himself,” Joshua Richards recently told EverySoap and other press. “Somebody with a shared experience.”

However, it also led Bear to the conclusion that he needed to be held culpable for Ray’s death, and he called the police to hand himself in. Paddy was horrified as he stepped outside to find Bear being bundled into a police car.

“I think he has this mistaken sense of honour, and that he’s got to own up to what he did, even though he was totally unaware of what he did at the time he was doing it,” Joshua continued. “It’s misguided and wrong, but he firmly believes that that’s the honourable thing to do.”

Next week, as Bear is interviewed by DS Walsh (Amanda Ryan) with Lucy at his side, he confirms on record that he killed Ray—maintaining that it was accidental and that he acted alone, as he attempts to stick to the cover story to protect Paddy and Dylan.

However, as DS Walsh’s questioning continues, she’s quick to pull Bear up on a careless slip of the tongue that gives her pause.

When the focus turns to Moira, Bear mentions that Cain had urged him to tell police he never saw her at Celia’s farm—information that only deepens Walsh’s scrutiny on the Dingles.

“She’s a total bitch, there’s no quarter taken or given,” Joshua tells us. “I think Walsh is particularly ruthless and obviously wants to get this crime sorted, but also wants to nail as many people as possible. I mean, her remit seems to be quite wide with Moira after Cain and after Paddy, after Dylan, after me. She doesn’t want one person, she wants everybody.”

“He knows damn well that Moira had nothing to do with anything, because he never really saw her at the farm. And he tries to make this case to the police, but he actually says to Paddy, ‘I think I’ve made it worse.’”

2) Suspicion falls on Paddy and Dylan

Back at home, the reality of Bear’s situation overwhelms Paddy. Fearing that he, Bear and Dylan could all end up in prison, he breaks down, only for Marlon (Mark Charnock) to urge him not to lose sight of the possibility that Bear’s actions may yet be recognised as self-defence.

The following day, Mandy (Lisa Riley) returns home from Ireland unexpectedly and is shocked to find police at the house. As Paddy is forced to leave—to accompany Bear during further questioning—he instructs Dylan and Marlon to explain everything to her.

In his interview, a confused Bear is challenged over the contradictions in his account, with Paddy repeatedly stepping in to reinforce his father’s version of events. The interruptions prompt DS Walsh to question whether Paddy himself could be implicated, and when officers cast doubt on Bear’s ability to have moved Ray’s body alone, Paddy’s panic deepens.

Later, after relaying the details of the interview to Mandy, Marlon and Rhona (Zoe Henry), Paddy’s anxiety resurfaces when DC Chen arrives with another development—both he and Dylan are to present themselves at the station the following morning.

Later in the week, Bear is charged with manslaughter. While his solicitor, Zara (Frog Stone), points to the strong possibility of a self-defence argument and the chance of bail, Bear’s focus lies elsewhere. As discussions turn to strategy, he makes it clear he intends to admit his guilt, convinced that accepting punishment is the only way forward for him!

3) Cain feels betrayed

Meanwhile, after Liam (Jonny McPherson) informs him that Bear has confessed to killing Ray, Cain allows himself to believe the development could strengthen Moira’s case. He visits her in prison intending to tell her the truth about his recent cancer diagnosis, but just as he is about to, a scuffle breaks out between prisoners.

Thrown by the interruption, Cain loses his bottle. Instead, he tells Moira about Bear’s confession, arguing that it could help prove her innocence. Moira can see it’s a long shot, but at least it’s more than they had before.

The following day, she learns that Cain had been pressuring Bear to speak to the police and that the confession has not improved her legal position. Frustrated, she questions Cain about what else is clearly troubling him, but he remains determined not to reveal his diagnosis.

Back at home, Cain’s anger surfaces when he finds Joe (Ned Porteous) sitting on his sofa. Knowing that Joe’s circling in an attempt to buy the remaining share of their farm, Cain attempts to grab him by the collar before Matty (Ash Palmisciano) intervenes, revealing that he allowed Joe in the house. Matty urges Cain to stop fighting everyone and focus on supporting Moira instead.

Returning to Home Farm, Joe makes a phone call to Kim (Claire King), assuring her that it won’t be long before Butlers is in their hands.

There’s another blow when Cain’s sister-in-law Ruby admits that she was the one who contacted police about Anya’s body, not knowing that the land belonged to Moira. Cain reacts furiously, accusing Ruby and Caleb of worsening Moira’s situation and suggesting Caleb’s offer to fund a lawyer was motivated by guilt. He orders them to leave.

As tensions continue to build, Sarah (Katie Hill) urges Cain to stop pushing away those who are trying to help him. But with Moira still in custody and his own diagnosis still a secret to all but Sarah and Liam, Cain remains focused solely on Moira’s predicament.

4) Arthur makes a big announcement

Elsewhere in the village, Arthur’s (Alfie Clarke) behaviour continues to cause concern from his family.

Things have been fragile between Arthur and mum Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) since the horrific truth about Ray, who Laurel had begun a romance with, finally came out. Things were complicated when Arthur confronted Ray and stole his backpack. Before Laurel discovered the bag, full of drugs, Arthur had removed a large amount of money.

The money has since been burning a hole in Arthur’s pocket, after he momentarily considered giving it to Marlon and Rhona, who Ray had bled dry before his death.

Next week, struggling to concentrate at The Hide, Arthur earns a telling-off from Gabby before an explosive row leads him to quit his job altogether. The fallout leaves Laurel uneasy about the instability she has caused in her son’s life.

Her suspicions pique when she later finds Arthur rummaging for his passport. Pressed on what he’s planning, Arthur reveals he intends to move to Australia. The question of how he’ll afford it leads Laurel to discover an envelope—inside which is a significant amount of cash.

Arthur admits the money was taken from Ray’s bag. The revelation sparks a heated confrontation, during which Arthur lashes out and threatens to tell people about how Laurel had hit him.

The exchange leaves Laurel shaken at how far their relationship has deteriorated, and she bursts into tears.

The following day, she catches Arthur looking for the envelope that she’s hidden away. This time he apologises for holding the money over her and pleads with her to let him use it to leave the village and travel, but Laurel refuses. After he leaves, she retrieves the envelope from its hiding place and places it in her own bag for safekeeping.

Later, when Laurel overhears Marlon and Rhona in The Woolpack discussing their mounting debts, she makes a quick decision.

5) Is Dawn pregnant?

Up at Home Farm, Joe’s in for a shock when girlfriend Dawn (Olivia Wheeler) reveals that she thinks she may be pregnant. Whilst the house is hardly short on space, Dawn is already mum to 11-year-old Lucas (Noah Ryan Aspinall), 2-year-old Evan (Malachi McKenzie), and guardian to Lucas’s 10-year-old half-sister Clemmie (Mabel Addison).

But how will Joe take the news? And after everything she endured alongside ex-husband Billy (Jay Kontzle) during baby Evan’s Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia battle, is Dawn ready to face the prospect of another child so soon? 

6) Ross and Kammy play matchmaker

Also next week, Ross (Michael Parr) and Kammy (Shebz Miah) turn their attention to Vinny (Bradley Johnson) and Lewis (Bradley Riches). Convinced the pair would make a good match, they take it upon themselves to nudge things along.

Whilst it’s clear that there’s some chemistry with openly gay Lewis, Vinny has only started to recognise his bisexuality over the past few months, all stemming from when he attempted to kiss Kammy last June.

Since then, Vinny has faced being terrorised by blackmailer Mike (Macaulay Cooper) after seeking support online, whilst also entering into a marriage with Gabby (Rosie Bentham) that only lasted a matter of weeks.

As Kammy and Ross observe the pair chatting in the cafe, will a little push provide the step forward that Vinny and Lewis need?

7) A DeLorean causes a stir!

Whilst dealing with potential romance, there’s something else that has caught Vinny’s eye, as a DMC DeLorean turns up in the village.

Though our lips are sealed as to who the iconic car belongs to, Vinny, Kammy and Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker) all take a keen interest when they find it parked up outside the shop.

However, it’s not long before the car mysteriously disappears… who has taken it?