Emmerdale couple April Windsor and Dylan Penders are facing an uncertain future as April's academic success triggers a downturn in their relationship.
The teenagers, played by Amelia Flanagan and Fred Kettle, met when April was living on the streets. Dylan took her under his wing, helped her survive, supported her through a stillbirth, and eventually helped her get home. He later arrived in the village and their romance blossomed, but he brought trouble with him.
A dark history
Dylan introduced Ray Walters (Joe Absolom), the leader of a drugs racket and modern slavery ring, into their lives. The pair were groomed, April faced sexual assault, and Dylan was run over by Ray. Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) was also pulled into the ordeal and ultimately murdered Ray after being brainwashed. Dylan then served a prison stint for his involvement in Ray's murder, but justice was served and everyone was set free.
Months later, April and Dylan have been stronger than ever until now. The latest strain on their relationship comes from an unexpected source: April's success. After a rocky year, April sorted her GCSEs and moved on to A-Levels, which sparks the downturn.
Insecurities surface
Their relationship comes under serious strain. While April is bettering herself with education, Dylan is lagging behind. He finds himself swamped with insecurities and begins to feel completely inferior to April once again.
As his thoughts spiral, the question is whether this will be the thing to break them. There is a glimmer of hope that it may not. Actress Amelia recently said: 'After all the horribleness that went on, she can improve and live her life and go on to do amazing things.' She added: 'She's been doing really well, focusing on her education, trying to get somewhere in life and I think we will see much more positivity in the future which I am really excited for.'
Whether April moves on from Dylan and leaves him behind remains to be seen.
