Emmerdale fans are convinced that fan favourites Moira and Cain Dingle are set to orchestrate the dramatic downfall of villainous farmer Celia Daniels, following a fiery confrontation that aired on ITV on Thursday, 18th December 2025.
The Slap Heard Around the Woolpack
In a scene that left the Woolpack's patrons stunned, Moira Dingle (played by Natalie J. Robb) delivered a resounding slap across Celia Daniels' face. The explosive moment came after Celia cruelly suggested that Moira's brain tumour, which she bravely faced at the end of last year, might have returned. This callous remark proved to be the final straw for Moira, who had already begun to unravel Celia's web of deceit.
Moira's suspicions were first raised when she received a complaint from a customer about their turkey order. Investigating Celia's farm for the first time, she discovered a filthy house and, crucially, a pile of invoices bearing her own forged signature. Back at the pub, Moira confronted Celia, accusing her of doctoring the documents and demanding to know where the turkeys were actually being produced.
"You know damn well what this looks like, Celia," Moira raged, dismissing her business partner's fumbled excuses. "You are the sharpest, savviest, most sharp-nosed woman I have ever met. Stop this performance... I'm not buying it for a second!"
A Sinister Plot Unravels
Celia's treachery extends far beyond conning Moira. For months, she has been running a sinister slavery ring on her farm with the help of her foster son, Ray Walters. Their victims include Bear Wolf, and they oversaw the death of another worker, Anya, whose body is buried on Moira's land.
Unfazed by the public slap, Celia saw it as another opportunity to frame Moira. She later told Ray to "start wrapping things up" and cynically remarked on the "juicy narrative" emerging: Moira now had a dead body on her land, her signature on fraudulent paperwork, and had assaulted Celia in front of witnesses.
Meanwhile, Celia continued her manipulative ways, feeding lies to Ray's girlfriend Lauren to break them up, though Ray later attempted to apologise.
Fans Rejoice as Dingles Unite
The episode's final scene saw Moira and Cain Dingle vowing to take action. They pledged to interrogate Celia and Ray at the earliest opportunity. "I don't take kindly to conniving, two-faced losers," Moira stated ominously. "You'd better brace yourself, Celia."
Viewers quickly took to social media to celebrate the potential end of Celia's reign of terror. One fan wrote, "Great to see them putting the pieces together, go Moira!" while another joked, "I bet the round of applause after Moira hit Celia could be heard from space!" Many found the slap deeply satisfying, with comments like "So deserved!!" flooding online forums.
The storyline coincides with actress Jaye Griffiths announcing her planned departure from Emmerdale, having always known her role as Celia was for a "finite" period. Griffiths praised the show as "one of the nicest places I've ever worked."
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.
