If Anya’s funeral was the start of a tragic opening, the twist in which Celia staged the crime scene to blame someone else was what really shook Emmerdale.

ITVX released the shocking episode early, confirming that Celia was hatching a dark plan to shift the blame for the death onto an innocent character.

The incident began when the police found some inconsistent evidence at the scene of Anya’s death.

Celia immediately showed “excessive concern”, appearing at the right time, saying the right words, crying in the right places – making some softened characters believe she was truly in pain.

But Bear Wolf, who has witnessed some of Celia’s suspicious behavior, begins to take notice.

Celia secretly collects some of Anya’s belongings, alters her schedule, hides a bracelet – and uses them to create a “motif” for another suspect. Who is targeted? Leaks suggest it could be someone who has argued with Anya, or someone who is vulnerable and unable to defend themselves against Celia’s manipulations.

The most chilling scene is when Celia meets with Ray Walters to discuss “quitting those who can talk but can’t keep quiet.” Ray, as usual, plays the role of henchman: removing evidence, intimidating witnesses, and even following a female character on a rainy night just to see if she has any connection to Anya.

Meanwhile, the villagers begin to split: those who believe in the suspect’s innocence, those who are being manipulated by Celia. This psychological warfare is so intense that if just one witness says one wrong thing, everything will collapse.

Celia appears too smart, too in control, too lucky – making the audience exclaim: “This woman is the type of villain born to manipulate the universe!”.

But the scariest thing is – Celia truly believes that she will never be caught.