Emmerdale has given us another year of fantastic drama with dark twists, killer secrets, explosive stunts and steamy affairs, but which were the top episodes of 2024?
With hundreds of episodes to choose from, it was almost impossible to select our favourites from 2024. But we’ve managed to narrow it down to 14.
So here are our top picks from this year…
Best 2024 Emmerdale episodes: Belle and Tom’s wedding day
Belle’s year from hell began with her nightmare wedding to Tom.
Fans were desperate for Belle to call the whole thing off after witnessing her then-fiancé’s controlling behaviour. And even on the morning of the wedding, Belle was having doubts. But a last-minute text from Tom convinced her to go ahead with the marriage.
The actual ceremony ran fairly smoothly, but the same couldn’t be said for the reception. The event descended in chaos after vengeful Ruby decided to expose Caleb and Tracy’s affair in front of all the guests. Tom did not approve of Ruby’s floor show, nor was he a fan of the Dingles’ quirky wedding traditions – which included supping ale from a welly.
Later, the newlyweds returned home to consummate their marriage. But when Belle asked if she could read a letter from her late mum Lisa, jealous Tom exploded – launching a tirade of cruel abuse against his wife and new in-laws.
Claiming he’d made a terrible mistake by marrying her, Tom stormed upstairs to bed, leaving Belle to spend her wedding night on the sofa.
Belle’s holiday from hell
At the height of Tom’s reign of terror he took Belle and their pet pooch Piper for a ‘romantic’ getaway to a remote cottage in Wales. His motive, of course, was to isolate Belle from her loved ones. Cain and Charity realised Belle was in danger and dashed to Wales. They discovered the cottage had been trashed, with blood stains on the wall and Belle nowhere to be seen.
The shock discovery led fans to fear Belle had been murdered by her evil husband.
Her fate was finally confirmed in a tense two-hander. It flashbacked to four days earlier and showed how the trip away had spiraled into the holiday from hell. Behind closed doors, Tom continually terrorised Belle and Piper. He made the defenseless dog sleep outside in the cold, and attacked Belle over her decision to have an abortion.
Pushed to her limits, Belle eventually snapped. She took Piper and made a break for it, locking Tom inside the cottage – which he then turned over in anger.
As the episode ended, Belle and Piper were seen driving off in a bus as Tom chased behind. If only that had been the last we’d seen of him.
Best 2024 Emmerdale episodes: Rhona takes down Gus in court
We love a good courtroom drama – and Rhona served us up a right treat back in April.
Earlier that month Rhona had been acquitted of kidnapping baby Ivy. Next it was Gus’s turn to stand trial for stealing Rhona’s embryos, which were used to impregnant his late wife Lucy – the result of which was little Ivy.
Despite all he had put her through, Rhona had agreed to read out a statement of support for her ex-husband.
However, Rhona made a snap decision to expose Gus’s crimes and told the courtroom he was planning to flee to France with Ivy. Justice prevailed and the judge handed down an eight-year prison sentence on Gus.
Marlon was mad with his wife for not telling him what she was going to do. But we don’t think Rhona owed anyone an explanation.
Belle’s imagined futures
In September, Emmerdale took Belle’s abuse storyline in a new direction with an inspired ‘imagined futures’ episode.
By this point Belle was a shell of her former self, completely broken by Tom’s sustained campaign of terror. And as she wandered around the village in a dazed state, she envisioned three possible ways her life could end up.
In her first future, Belle pretended to take Tom back in order to stop his new girlfriend Amelia from suffering the same fate. Belle then told Tom it was all a trick, but as the clock went forward to Christmas – she was five months pregnant and still under his control.
The second imagining saw Belle expose Tom in the middle of The Woolpack. Cain overheard and beat Tom to near death. He was arrested for attempted murder, but to Belle’s horror all the locals believed Tom was the victim – not her.
Finally, the third scenario saw Belle getting on with her life while Tom made Amelia’s a misery. In the end, Amelia was carried out of Dale Head in a body bag, with Tom claiming she’d fallen down the stairs. The truth, of course, was more chilling.
The episode ended with the return to present day, as Belle found the courage to confide in Charity about Tom’s true nature.
Best 2024 Emmerdale episodes: Ella is outed as a killer
One of the most shocking twists of 2024 was the revelation that Ella Forster was a convicted child killer.
Viewers had already worked out Ella was harbouring a secret from her past. First came the cagey, strange behaviour then there were the mysterious trips to an elderly lady called June, who was in a care home in the late stages of dementia.
All was revealed in May at June’s funeral when one of the mourners branded Ella a ‘killer’.
It transpired that on her 11th birthday, Ella murdered her childhood best friend Joanne (and June’s daughter) in a jealous rage. She had spent years in prison for the crime and was given a new identity after her release.
The chilling revelation marked the end of Ella’s romance with Dr Liam Cavanagh and made her the outcast of the village.
The Butler’s barn explosion
Emmerdale always delivers with their stunts and the explosion at Butlers was another triumph!
Moira Barton started the blaze by accident while in the grips of a psychotic episode (which viewers later learnt was caused by a brain tumour). In her confused state, the farmer was haunted by visions of her late nemesis Emma Barton.
After threatening Ruby Fox-Miligan with a shotgun, a tussle ensued and the weapon went off. The bullet hit a lightbulb and sparked an inferno that quickly engulfed the barn. Moira and Ruby were trapped with no way out, so Mackenzie Boyd and John Sugden risked their own lives in order to rescue them.
Cain also tried to get inside the barn, but was knocked back by a huge fireball. By some miracle everyone lived to tell the tale.
Best 2024 Emmerdale episodes: Emmerdale’s 10,000th episode
On May 22, 2024, Emmerdale aired its 10,000th episode and marked the milestone celebration in style. It had a bit of everything – a near-fatal hit and run, one couple getting caught in the act, a sweet nod to the past and a missing lamb.
The locals were brought together for a big village fete, which was organised by Nicola King. But danger was lurking when vengeful Ruby Fox-Miligan decided to punish Ethan Anderson for the car crash that almost killed her son Nicky. She mowed Ethan down then drove away!
Meanwhile, the villagers got involved with a scarecrow making competition – with ones made in tribute to former residents Seth Armstrong, Betty Eagleton and Edna Birch.
Over in one of the local barns, Charity and Mackenzie were enjoying a roll around in the hay when they were interrupted by the arrival of folk looking for Isaac Dingle’s pet lamb, Minty. Awkward!
But the day ended on a high when Minty was discovered alive and well by unlikely saviour Kim Tate. Hurrah!
Cain cheats with Ruby while Moira undergoes brain surgery
In November, Emmerdale aired an emotional installment which followed Moira as she underwent life-saving surgery to remove a tumour from her brain.
It was an episode full of surprises, and the first one came when viewers got a glimpse into Moira’s dreams. As she slipped into unconsciousness, Moira returned to her happy place at Butlers Farm with Isaac and Kyle. Moira sat down in the sunshine and turned to see her late daughter Holly – who died from a heroin overdose – was by her side.
The heartfelt reunion was an acting masterclass from Natalie J Robb and Sophie Powles, who were last seen on screen together in 2016. Moira and Holly exchanged heartfelt words and hugged, before Moira’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her surgeon’s voice.
Meanwhile back in the village, Cain was in bits over the prospect of losing his wife on the operating table. But that didn’t stop him screwing sister-in-law Ruby in the garage.
Fans flocked to social media to express their disgust at the pair’s shock betrayal, with some saying it the worst thing Cain has ever done.
Best 2024 Emmerdale episodes: Zak’s final farewell
There wasn’t a dry eye in the Dales as the locals gathered to say a final, poignant farewell to Zak Dingle. The Emmerdale icon was written out of the show 10 months after the real-life passing of actor Steve Halliwell.
Zak’s family planned his funeral according to his last wishes. The patriarch wanted to be buried in the Dingle land within 48 hours of his death and take one last journey through the village.
Cain, Sam and the rest of the clan took Zak’s coffin to The Woolpack and raised a toast to him. After a good old sing song it was time for Zak to be drummed up the road to be buried alongside his late wife Lisa.
There were moments of high drama – Tina’s rowdy arrival – and unexpected tenderness – Cain getting too emosh to deliver his eulogy. But mainly the episode left fans asking one question: where were all the other Dingles?
Kim is Will’s blackmailer
2024 marked the welcome return of Queen Kim, as she was unveiled as Will’s mystery blackmailer. After discovering her husband had cheated with ex-wife Rose, Kim plotted a revenge scheme reminiscent of her glory days.
For weeks, she tormented Will with anonymous messages, threatening to expose his betrayal unless he paid up. He was forced to sign over his shares in the haulage yard to Caleb, unaware that he was handing money over to his wife.
Viewers were also kept in the dark about the identity of Will’s blackmailer, even though we all knew in our hearts it had to be Kim.
For her final act, Kim faked her own kidnap then lured Will into the woods. There, he discovered a creepy mannequin lying on the ground with his wife’s face on it.
The big (or not so big) reveal came after Will had dug up a coffin, and was then whacked over the head with a shovel. As he lay unconscious in the ground, Kim stood over with a look of pure satisfaction on her face. A lesson to cheating fellas everywhere!
Best 2024 Emmerdale episodes: Mandy and Paddy say I do
These two gave us a rare moment of joy when they became husband and wife (again!) in August. But the wedding very nearly didn’t go ahead.
Just hours before they were meant to exchange vows Bear informed Paddy his bride-to-be had been secretly working as a financial dominatrix called Madame Diamante Dales. Bear was adamant his son couldn’t go through with marrying a liar, but Marlon thought Mandy deserved a chance to explain herself. Thankfully Paddy agreed to hear her out.
During an emotional heart-to-heart, Mandy revealed she’d turned to findom as a way of fixing her debt problems. Paddy was hurt she hadn’t been honest but conceded they’d both made silly mistakes.
There was just about enough time left for the couple to dash to the church and exchange vows in front of their loved ones. Afterwards, in The Woolpack, Paddy held his new wife and told her: “This time it’s forever.”
We’d like to believe him, but this is Soapland…
Ross Barton returns
The return of fan favourite Ross Barton was a real autumn highlight. After a six years absence, we wondered how the Emmerdale writers would reintroduce Ross to the soap. And they definitely didn’t disappoint.
Ross was unveiled as Billy Fletcher’s ‘beast’ of a competitor in a bare-knuckle brawl organised by dodgy promotor Jade. All rippling muscle and with a lust for danger, we are delighted to see Ross hadn’t lost any of his old charm.
It transpired Ross had been making a name for himself in the underground boxing world. He also proved he was more than a match for Billy. Post-fight, Ross paid a visit to the village to catch up with old friends and family.
Since his comeback at the end of October, Ross has been busy making new enemies and adding more notches to his bedpost. We can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store for him.
April nearly suffered the same fate as Donna (Credit: ITV)
Best 2024 Emmerdale episodes: April’s kidnap terror
December 5, 2024 is a day poor April Windsor would rather forget. In the space of a few hours she was kidnapped, held over the roof of a multistory carpark and discovered the truth about her mum’s suicide.
As Ross arrived on the scene he discovered April being held over the edge by Jade’s henchmen. The terrified lass nearly went over, but was saved when Mackenzie and Aaron coughed up £7000 of Jade’s missing £10k. Ross was told he had to pay the rest.
Sadly April’s distress didn’t end there. Ross then revealed Donna’s death that day was avoidable and she’d thrown herself over the car park on purpose in order to bring criminal Gary North to justice.
Is it any wonder April’s going off the rails after hearing news like that?
Ruby’s past is revealed
Our award for best newcomer of 2024 goes to Ruby Fox-Miligan. Less than 12 months in and she’s already an Emmerdale icon thanks to actress Beth Cordingly’s knockout performances.
Like all great characters, Ruby has a complex backstory. As a pregnant teen, she was disowned by her parents and subsequently had a troubled relationship with daughter Steph. But the arrival of Ruby’s estranged father Anthony also hinted there was a dark secret lurking in their past. One which was finally revealed during a special flashback episode.
Viewers were transported back to the day of Ruby’s 16th birthday. They watched in horror as the defenceless teen was sexually assaulted by Anthony in her bedroom. They also learnt this wasn’t the first time it had happened.
The shock flashbacks were interspersed with scenes from the present day as Ruby sat in The Woolpack frozen in fear and unable to tell Caleb what happened all those years ago. It’s also raised questions as to whether Steph could be Anthony’s daughter. How much longer before this ticking timebomb explodes?
Read more: Fans predict Ruby will kill her dadÂ
[boxout]
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter @emmerdaleinside
