Emmerdale favourite isolated and alone at Christmas
TIMES have been hard for Leyla Cavanagh and have been made more difficult by her separation from her husband Liam.
The Emmerdale wedding planner, played by Roxy Shahidi, is facing a lonely Christmas in upcoming scenes of the ITV soap.
Leyla has gone through an intense year during which she has had more than one run-in with death.
After being shot by serial killer Meena Jutla, Leyla suffered an overdose as a result of her addiction to cocaine.
But while she managed to survive, showing her demons who was boss, her marriage with Liam (Jonny McPherson) couldn't be saved.
This leaves the fan-favourite character heartbroken and alone, with the reality of her situation hitting her hard during the festive season.
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As she closes the door behind her in Tug Ghyll, she overhears the sounds of a party nearby... before tucking into a tragic Christmas meal for one.
Meanwhile, Liam is far from lonely in the eponymous village.
On Christmas Day, the GP starts his first visit at the Dingles and is automatically treated to a copious amount of food.
Knowing he has more trips to make, he tries to turn down a plate of food, to no avail.
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Stuffed from the food at the Dingle household, Liam arrives at Holdgate for his second visit and is met with piles of food.
Hauling himself down the street after eating and drinking too much at Rishi's, Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) tells him they've saved him some food - and he lets her lead the way.
Later on at Brook Cottage, Liam and Bernice share a charged moment which ends in a kiss.
As mentioned above, Leyla and Liam gave up on their marriage, which was plagued by tragedy and deception.
Liam most notably struggled to cope with Leyla's cocaine addiction and her stay in a rehab centre.
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While she was able to return to Emmerdale after several months away, things between her and Liam could never get back on track.
Does this mean Liam could return to his former partner Bernice?
Or will he realise he still loves Leyla?
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Will she remain alone over the festive period?
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV.
