Emmerdale airs game-changing Sarah and Jacob Sugden twist in early ITVX release

Jacob Sugden (Joe-Warren Plant) has made a startling suggestion to wife Sarah (Katie Hill) in Emmerdale – just moments before a major twist.

Earlier this week, he discovered that Sarah had murdered his workplace bully Dr Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker). For months, the surgeon had blackmailed Sarah's gran Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins), before sexually assaulting her and then returning to the village for one final showdown.

Sarah interrupted the argument and pushed the abuser away, causing her to sustain a head injury and die.

Jacob was stunned, but a far greater secret was about to be exposed. Sarah revealed that the reason both he and Charity were tormented by Todd was because she was aware of their daughter Leyla's true parentage.

While trying to act as surrogate for the couple, Charity had fallen pregnant with Ross Barton's (Michael Parr) child instead, and they allowed Sarah and Jacob to believe that baby Leyla was their own.

Upon learning this revelation herself, Sarah changed her statement that implied the incident happened in self-defence and claimed that Charity had purposely sought to attack Todd.

In today's episode, sickened by what he'd learnt, Jacob went AWOL.

A search party tried to locate him, with the worst possible villager finally tracking him down to the cricket pavilion – Ross.

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The men argued – despite Ross's insistence that he and Charity had no intentions of trying to gain custody for Leyla – and Jacob branded him "disgusting".

He couldn't believe that they'd sat back and allowed Sarah to take drugs to help her to breastfeed a child that wasn't even hers.

Later, Jacob called by at Wishing Well Cottage with a proposal for Sarah. He said that they'd never be able to trust Charity again, and as a result, should move away.

She was alarmed by the suggestion, but it started to make sense. They wouldn't have to worry about Charity or Ross taking Leyla away, and there wouldn't be any awkward questions as Leyla grew up.

However, the plan to flee has already been stopped in its tracks.

Sarah went to the police station to retract her statement about Charity, with fearsome DS Thea Ramsden (Chelsea Edge) explaining that she'd perverted the course of justice and would now be held in custody until they could decipher the true story.

What will Sarah say?

Read more:

• Emmerdale star teases "rocky road" for Sarah Sugden - and reveals hopes for Debbie Dingle return
• Emmerdale airs dangerous Sadie King and Robert Sugden alliance in early ITVX release
• Emmerdale legend confirms clashes between Cain Dingle and Sadie King amid dramatic comeback

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.

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Authors

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.