Emmerdale’s Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) and Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) seem to be one of those couples who really should be together – but there are always obstacles in the way.
Their first night of passion together turned to fear for Chas when Liam discovered she had a breast lump. Soon all thoughts of romance were over for Chas as she focused on recovering from her breast cancer treatment and dealt with the changes that a double mastectomy brought.
She and Liam agreed to keep their relationship as friends only, as she knew she had to focus on herself and her family.
Meanwhile the return of Ella Forster (Paula Lane) to the village further muddied the waters. After being hounded out of Emmerdale when the truth came out that she’d killed her best friend when they were both children, Ella returned with the shock news that she was pregnant with Liam’s baby.
This turned Liam’s world upside down, as he wanted nothing to do with someone who’d killed a child, particularly as his own daughter Leanna (Mimi Slinger) had been a murder victim herself. The thought of his child being brought up by such a person horrified him.
Eventually it was discovered that Ella had suffered a silent miscarriage. Things were tense between her and Liam for a while because he hadn’t treated her very well when she initially returned, accusing her of making up the pregnancy as a way to get him back. But gradually things between them have thawed and they’re giving their relationship another go.
The trouble is – it’s Chas who Liam really wants. That much was clear when he spent time with her and lied about it to Ella afterwards, saying that he’d been at a murder mystery event. And when Chas was upset after hearing that Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell) had died, Liam insisted on keeping her company. It was obvious he cares about her a lot.
Eventually he can’t lie to himself any more, and tells Chas he has feelings for her. She responds by saying she feels the same – and they kiss.
Steeling himself, Liam realises that he has to be honest with Ella and tell her their relationship is over and he wants to be with Chas. But we’ve seen before that, with the best intentions, Liam can often be diverted before he can say what’s on his mind. And we’ve also seen that Ella doesn’t take rejection all that well.
Will Liam manage to break up with Ella and move on with Chas?
