If the ambush of Robert made the audience shiver, the next confrontation between John and Caleb Milligan really shook Emmerdale.

No longer hiding, John bluntly mentioned the horrifying secret: Anthony Fox’s death.

Anthony was a cruel abuser, murdered by Ruby – Caleb’s wife – in a fit of despair.

But it was John who hid the body and kept the whole truth in his hands.

For months, he kept silent, but now that secret became a blackmail card.

In a tense scene, John confronted Caleb at the warehouse. He said bluntly: “If you don’t help me get out of here, I will let the whole village know who really killed Anthony Fox.” John’s cold tone and sharp eyes made Caleb speechless.

Caleb knew that if the truth was revealed, not only Ruby but also Cain, Chas, Aaron – those who had participated in the cover-up – would be dragged down the cliff. John cleverly weighed the entire Dingle family, forcing Caleb to choose between compromising with the enemy or letting the family fall apart.

The audience witnessed a completely different Caleb than usual. He was no longer a strong, confident man, but someone who was cornered, his eyes filled with conflict. Caleb’s silence in the final scene said it all: he was truly held back by John with a noose called “secret”.