Time’s up for evil Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) in Emmerdale.
For months, she posed a tough but seemingly upstanding farmer, all the while secretly keeping scared vulnerable people trapped in modern slavery. With the help of her drug-dealing son Ray (Joe Absolom), Celia runs an empire of misery and exploitation from Butler’s farm.
But that empire is about to crumble. The net is closing and the police are on their tail, so Celia needs to come up with a new plan before this becomes her last Christmas…
Actor Jaye Griffiths announced her departure from Emmerdale earlier this year after joining the soap in late June 2025, so we already know Celia’s not long for the Dales.
Will she make it out with her life and freedom intact? Jaye Griffiths shares insight on her character’s headspace in the run up to Christmas. ‘Celia doesn’t mark Christmas.’ She insists. And this year she is planning on them leaving the area. As it has all got too complicated, April’s family are an irritant to her and things are also getting complicated business wise as Moira (Natalie J Robb) is becoming troublesome by asking too many questions.’
Moira has already grown suspicious of Celia when she discovered her fraudulent invoices, and Marlon will not stop until he’s safely freed April from the county lines drug dealing that Ray groomed her into.
It’s only a matter of time before Paddy discovers that they’ve keeping his father Bear (Joshua Richards) as a slave on Butler’s farm.
Fleeing the village for pastures new may be the criminal duo’s only option to escape an angry mob. Unfortunately for Celia, the biggest threat to her plans comes from the only person she trusts.
‘Ray has gone and fallen in love. So she’s extricating them to another area. It is clear that this is something they have done before – find another farm in another location and set up their enterprise again.’
The only redeeming feature Ray possesses is his emotional connection with the sweetest person in the village, Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy).
Whilst they’ve only been dating a short time, Ray’s feelings for her are genuine and have enabled viewers to see the cold-hearted criminal’s softer side – and Celia does not do soft. We’re talking about a woman who shot her own dog with a smile on her face.
With a gripping fight to the death already confirmed for the New Year, it doesn’t take much imagination to believe Celia would sacrifice her own son to protect herself.
Will Celia’s great escape go to plan?
