Emmerdale fans were given a heartbreaking insight into Charity Dingle's past this evening (May 29) in the soap's long-awaited flashback episode.
Fans watched as Emma Atkins and Mica Proctor – who played a 14-year-old Charity – retold the traumatic backstory of Charity involving DI Bails, who groomed and raped her.
In emotional scenes, Charity remembered her ordeal with the police when she was just a teenager as well as the difficult birth of her son, who she believed had passed away.
Related: Emmerdale's young Charity speaks out on flashback special: 'Viewers will be shocked'
(Something we now know didn't happen.)
Viewers were full of praise for both Emma Atkins and Emmerdale itself, singling out Emma's "amazing" performance and the editing of the special episode.
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The only complaint? That it wasn't an hour long!
Something else that was picked up on by viewers was Mica Proctor's uncanny resemblance to not one but two other Dingle family member
It didn't take long for fans on social media to notice just how similar Mica's Charity and Belle Dingle are, with a bit of Debbie thrown in. So, yeah, kudos to the casting department.
It's not just those watching at home who enjoyed tonight's look into Charity's past – Emma Atkins recently admitted that she was "blown away" by the story.
"When I read the script, I saw how beautifully executed it was in the writing. What a gift. I feel so lucky," she said.
"Mica, who plays Charity in the flashbacks, is insanely brilliant and clever. She doesn't have to speak and her eyes say it all. She's a very clever and talented actress...
"I went to watch some of the filming and we connected very briefly. What I saw of her, I was blown away by. I must text her and tell her how brilliant she was!"
Emmerdale airs at 7pm all this week on ITV.
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Digital Spy Soap Scoop video – hit play below for all the latest Emmerdale spoilers, as Charity's special flashback episode airs and Brenda's revenge continues.
