Kammy Hadiq has certainly brightened up Emmerdale village, making us smile with his energy and penchant for mischief.

Since he was introduced in March, Kammy has mainly featured alongside brief love interest Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill), and troubled Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson), both as a partner in crime and a listening ear.

Thanks to Shebz Miah’s charming portrayal, I’ve grown to love Kammy already, and he has huge potential as a permanent fixture – so long as the ITV soap can learn from recent misfires.

Ella Forster left our screens just over a year after her disturbing entrance as a child killer, superbly played by former Coronation Street star Paula Lane. Unfortunately, Ella’s story descended into a love triangle, ending in revenge and her ultimately being framed by John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), her fate left unclear.

Then we bid farewell to daft but lovable Gail Loman, in a low-key exit after a lengthy stint on the sidelines. I’ve been missing Rachael Gill-Davis’s cracking one-liners behind the bar at the Woolpack ever since.

Both Ella and Gail deserved more from the material they were given, and I can only hope that Kammy, who has so far been an utter joy to watch, fares much better and subsequently avoids an early departure.

While we were privy to Gail and Ella’s pasts, just as we were for Suni Sharma’s (Brahmdeo Shannon Raman) before his untimely disappearing act last year, the problem for all of the above was that they never got to be lasting main characters within their own storylines.

It’s essential, then, that Kammy takes his place in the spotlight and gets a real shot to stay there.

Even stealing an expensive phone from Home Farm, a gift intended for youngster Clemmie Reed (Mabel Addison), didn’t turn fans against Kammy. That’s because, despite his antics, his kind heart is always on show and we know he’s one of the good guys – a character to root for.

With that in mind, here’s how I believe Emmerdale can keep the momentum going for one of its best castings of the year.

Set for romance with newly-divorced Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper), one might say the future is looking promising for Kammy. I just hope that, like Ella, he doesn’t end up being a casualty of those disastrous entanglements soaps are so famous for.

And, for someone who originally came in as a contender for Sarah’s heart, I want to see more than just Kammy’s love life explored.

What would the dynamic be between Kammy and members of his own family, who we are yet to meet? I want us to get to know him beyond his confident exterior, learning what shaped his happy-go-lucky demeanour and perhaps seeing an entirely different side to him in the process.

After all, a backstory can go a long way. Just look at how Emmerdale has done wonders for Ruby Miligan (Beth Cordingly) since her barnstorming debut in 2024.

After winning viewers over with Ruby’s outrageous behaviour and blunt delivery, Beth’s stellar performance of her alter ego’s devastating historic abuse earned her a place in our hearts as we uncovered what made her who she is today.

It was a perfect example of how issue-led storytelling can make great strides in character development if executed properly. The show also made us fall for Ruby and husband Caleb (William Ash) as a power couple, without neglecting them as individuals, and that’s the route that should be taken for Kammy and Belle if they go the distance.

The dedication shown to arcs like Ruby’s trauma and Belle’s fight against domestic abuse has been seamless. Fuelling the same level of focus into Kammy, whatever he’s up to, could be key to securing his place as a firm favourite.

If not granted a showstopping story of his own just yet, he should have plenty of screentime in the long-term. I need to see a direct contrast to Gail’s treatment, as she was largely left manning the pub in the background, any hint of ambition saved up solely to facilitate her leaving.

It’s also worth mentioning that vibrant, light-hearted personas like Kammy’s are just as important as big, central plots like John’s sinister misdeeds, Sarah’s cancer and surrogacy journey and Vinny’s sexuality crisis.

Kammy is also spending time with Belle Dingle, who is thinking about the world of romance again (Picture: ITV)

Kammy’s friendships with Vinny and Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant), as well as his cheeky banter with ever-irritable boss Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) are a real highlight, providing much-needed entertainment relief while these darker, slow-burning sagas are bubbling away.

Right up until the moment she moved on, Gail’s naivety was the gift that kept on giving, and it’s a great shame this wasn’t nurtured. Emmerdale couldn’t thrive without its flair for comedy, and now there’s a chance to put right past wrongs with Kammy’s unique flavour in the mix.

Through engaging writing and a consistently delightful performance from Shebz, there’s a winning combination in Kammy, and it simply must not be wasted.