Emmerdale's Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) is rushed to hospital after collapsing in the Hide, as her orthorexia takes a dangerous turn. Manpreet Jutla (Rebecca Sarker) has realised the truth about Gabby's condition, but Gabby remains in denial.
Gabby's struggles escalate
Gabby has been unwell for months, but her food struggles have been eclipsed by her involvement in Jimmy's death. Her orthorexia began after a series of rejections from men, leading her to overhaul the Hide's menu in favour of clean, organic food and deny her son simple pleasures. It escalated to her passing out in the kitchen and refusing medication for a serious illness because she believes pharmaceuticals are unclean.
Now that the world is against her for keeping secret that Vinny (Bradley Johnson) caused Jimmy's death, her obsession and need for control has multiplied, intensifying her feelings of rejection. Kim Tate (Claire King) has kicked her out in favour of supporting Joe (Ned Porteous), and Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) is uncomfortable having her stay due to her friendship with Nicola (Nicola Wheeler).
Manpreet's diagnosis
Manpreet recently diagnosed Gabby with a respiratory condition, but Gabby refused to take the medicine. Manpreet realised what was going on after overhearing Gabby's concerning thoughts about drugs and noticing her Instagram algorithm was showing damaging posts.
Gabby is not on the road to recovery yet. 'She's not actually fuelling herself with a balanced diet, which is what she needs', star Rosie Bentham told Metro. 'She has taken the control way too far and restricting herself from the food groups that would heal her from this.'
'Digging a little bit deeper, it's actually because she has demonised certain food groups and been completely way too restrictive, which has meant she can't recover properly. Then there's the mention of antibiotics when she gets more ill, which come into the equation.'
A race against time
Manpreet shares her worries with Liam (Jonny McPherson) and her theory that Gabby might be suffering from orthorexia. She is determined to get Gabby help, even if she's the only one who wants to help her.
Manpreet has a careful word with Laurel and clues her in on Gabby's social media posts. Laurel goes to find Gabby, but she's missing. Laurel finds her on the floor of the Hide having a panic attack, and before she can get much sense, Gabby collapses. She is rushed to hospital, where she wakes up in Hotton General. She's fragile but ready to face the issue, telling Manpreet she can tell Laurel what's been going on.
Billy (Jay Kontzle) hears about Gabby and feels guilty for not realising she needed help sooner. Robert (Ryan Hawley), meanwhile, is dining out on all of this. Having overheard that the Hide is in trouble, he starts to think his plan to take over is a shoo-in.
