Emmerdale fans are worried that the end could be near for Mackenzie Boyd and Charity Dingle as a new Sugden arrives in the Dales.
ITV have announced that West End star Casey Al-Shaqsy will be joining the cast of Emmerdale as Serena Sugden, the newest member of the legendary Sugden clan.
The arrival of Serena marks an exciting new chapter for the iconic Emmerdale family, as the show looks to strengthen the dynasty's presence in the village. Casey began filming in April, with her character set to arrive on screens later this month.
Serena will find herself at the heart of the drama when she is drawn into the aftermath of a character's traumatic situation, finding herself conflicted about what she has become involved in. Soon, her presence raises questions about her true motivations for settling in the Dales and where her loyalties ultimately lie.
Casey is best known for her roles in Once on This Island (Concert- Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Hamilton (UK Tour), Wicked (UK Tour), Six: The Musical (UK Tour), Bonnie & Clyde (Concert-Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre), Rumi: The Musical (London Coliseum).
Emmerdale Producer, Laura Shaw, said: "The Sugdens are a core part of the Emmerdale fabric, and we are thrilled to welcome Casey to the family. Her character will be at the heart of some extremely gripping and unexpected storylines, forcing her to make difficult choices that will have dramatic consequences for some of the village's biggest names."
Casey shared her excitement about joining the show: "I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining such an iconic show and playing a Sugden! Serena is a fantastic character with so much going on beneath the surface. I can't wait for the audience to see the drama unfold."
Since the announcement was made, viewers have been trying to work out how Serena will be involved in upcoming storylines, and how she's related to the Sugden family.
The actress took to her Instagram and celebrated the good news, as she teased: "I hope you're all on the edge of your seats for what's to come".
It was then that some viewers became intrigued over Mackenzie Boyd's potential involvement in her story, as actor Lawrence Robb commented: "Not bad, not bad at all" adding a smirking face.
Lawrence celebrated his fifth anniversary on the ITV soap in style, with him coming under the fire of killer John Sugden. As viewers will recall, Mackenzie Boyd learned that John was responsible for the murder of Nate Robinson last year after attempting to "save" him.
He tried to run away from the villain, but John used a crossbow to shoot him before using a rock to break his leg. After being held captive for weeks in an old underground war bunker, Mack learned all of John's harrowing crimes as he confessed them all one by one.
Since then Mack has supported Charity Dingle over her surrogacy, unaware that the baby isn't Jacob and Sarah Sugden's, but a result of Charity's one night stand with ex Ross Barton.
Now, some viewers think something could happen between Mack and Serena. Underneath Lawrence's comment, @marcanayafroud051179 wrote: "don't tell me ur gonna cheat on Charity then".
Elsewhere, @saving_larry theorised: "A new girl for Mackenzie? Storyline: Mack and Serena get together when Chloe turns up with Reuben and Macks little girl she was pregnant with when she left leaving Mack to choose - Serena or Chloe."
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX and YouTube from 7am.
