James Barton DIES in Emmerdale after deranged ex Emma tries to kill him in the hospital

JAMES Barton is dead in Emmerdale.

The kidnapped farmer - survived being kidnapped, drugged, pushed off a bridge, landing on a car, and being crashed into - only to die in hospital as the doctors battled to save him in Friday night's dramatic episode of the soap.

His recovery wasn't helped by a deranged Emma doing all she could to stop his fight for life - even going as far as trying to kill him while he lay helplessly on life support.

"I just wanted you to love me, I loved you with everything I had," the mad one said as she leered over his hospital bed.

"I gave you three beautiful children. Why couldn't you just love me? And marry me and grow old with me and the boys?"

But then apparently changing her mind, she said: "Please don't go. Please don't die., Please forgive me."

James then began shaking as the nurses rushed in but it was too much for his body to take and he died.

The Sun revealed his shocking death months ago as actor Bill Ward became the third star to leave the soap in quick succession.

However, the soap kept viewers guessing right up until the last minute with Aaron Dingle and Rhona Goskirk's lives also hanging in the balance after the horror smash from Thursday's episodes.

But it did provide some joy in the episode as Aaron finally answered Robert's marriage proposal.

"Yeah. No, I mean yeah," he said after waking up, confirming Robron's eagerly wanted engagement.

But after Robert put the ring on his finger and the pair smiled, and Aaron's life support machines promptly began beeping as he slipped out of consciousness and his family began screaming for help.

Rhona was also left in a terrible way as the doctors had to shock her back to life.

But in the closing minutes, the soap cut back to the funeral scene and revealed Aaron to have survived.

As the shot panned down the line, Rhona was eventually revealed as being alive, but suffering the effects of the crash.

"Rhona's unfortunately suffered a post-operative haemorrhage and we had to rush her back to surgery to stop it."

It was then James' final moments played out with his family begging him to keep fighting.

Will Emma escape justice for causing James' death and the rest of the carnage?

• Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV

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