Next week in Emmerdale (May 26–30), life in the village is anything but peaceful, as four major storylines explode with drama, heartbreak, and impossible decisions. A wedding hangs in the balance, a decades-old murder threatens to resurface, a young woman faces devastating medical news, and family tensions stretch to the breaking point.
At the center of the chaos are Aaron and John Sugden, whose wedding is fast approaching. But this romantic milestone is clouded by John’s growing panic over the secrets he’s been keeping—secrets that could not only destroy his relationship but potentially put him behind bars. Ever since the suspicion around Nate’s disappearance started to resurface, John’s been plagued with terrifying dreams, each one more vivid and damning than the last. In one particularly harrowing nightmare, he imagines being arrested for Nate’s murder—fears that aren’t as irrational as they seem.
As the local authorities prepare to dredge the lake, presumably searching for clues about Nate’s vanishing, John spirals. Overwhelmed with guilt and terror, he makes a rash decision: he packs up and attempts to flee the village. But Aaron catches him in the act. Quick on his feet, John claims it’s nothing more than a case of last-minute wedding jitters. Aaron, trusting but suspicious, leaves him be—but John doesn’t stick around. He drives off and hides near the very lake that could hold the key to his darkest secret.
Just when it seems like he’s gone for good, John receives a message from Aaron. On top of that, he learns that the lake dredging has been called off. Relieved and reinvigorated, he decides to return and go through with the wedding. But fate isn’t done testing him yet. Cathleen delivers chilling news—Aidan is awake and speaking. For John, this means that the truth could finally be exposed.
Panicked again, he visits Aidan, but Aaron secretly follows him. What he sees convinces him that John still harbors feelings for Aidan. Heartbroken and feeling betrayed, Aaron calls off the wedding. This emotional blow hits John hard. That night, another nightmare strikes: he imagines Aaron rejecting him at the altar, reinforcing his fears of loss and punishment.
Determined to make things right, John goes after Aaron, desperate to explain and prove that it’s Aaron he truly wants. The two engage in a tense and emotional confrontation. After baring their souls and working through the heartache, they decide to go ahead with the wedding. But even as they stand at the edge of a new beginning, ominous questions remain. What else could go wrong—and is John really in the clear?
Elsewhere in the village, another secret from the past is threatening to erupt with devastating consequences. Moira is increasingly nervous as Lewis begins snooping too close to a deadly truth. Ross, trying to help Mack steal cannabis from Lewis, sets up a distraction while Mack sneaks into Lewis’s home. But the plan goes sideways when Mack struggles to move the large stash and ends up stuck in the attic.
Lewis receives an intruder alert on his phone and rushes back, quickly realizing Mack is the one trapped in his house. Putting the pieces together, he confronts Ross, who has no choice but to confess to the whole operation. In exchange for letting Mack go, Lewis demands that Ross tells him everything about Emma’s death—Moira’s long-buried secret. Is Moira about to be exposed for her role in Emma’s demise? And could this cost her not just her freedom, but everything she’s built?
Meanwhile, Sarah Sugden’s world comes crashing down after a hospital appointment takes an unexpected turn. Hoping to move forward with her plans to become a mother through IVF, Sarah is instead dealt a cruel blow: she has been diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer. Though the doctor leaves a sliver of hope, telling her she might still be able to conceive in the future, Sarah is left reeling.
Struggling to process the news, she runs into Jacob and confides in him. At first, he offers comfort, but the mood quickly turns when Sarah mentions her determination to go ahead with motherhood despite the diagnosis. Jacob, overwhelmed and perhaps scared himself, lashes out, calling her selfish for planning to have a child knowing her life expectancy could be limited. His harsh words cut deep, and Sarah is left more alone than ever. As of now, Jacob is the only one who knows both about her cancer and her IVF plans—so the question remains: will he ultimately become her source of support, or will he keep his distance?
And finally, over at Home Farm, Dawn is caught in the middle of a power struggle between her husband Billy and Joe. A social worker makes an unexpected visit due to a safeguarding concern, but after an interview with the family, it’s confirmed that no further action is necessary. Still, the pressure on Dawn is mounting. Billy wants her and the kids to cut ties with Joe and leave Home Farm, seeing him as a toxic influence. But Joe, determined to prove himself, devises a new plan—though it’s unclear whether it’s a genuine attempt to make peace or just another manipulative scheme.
With all these emotional storms brewing, Emmerdale is set for one of its most explosive weeks yet. Weddings threatened by lies, past crimes coming back to haunt the present, and life-altering health news—nothing will be the same after this week in the Dales. The question isn’t just who will survive the week, but who will be left standing when the truth comes out?
