Emmerdale actress Emma Atkins spoke about harrowing ITV scene
12:38, 09 Jun 2026Updated 12:45, 09 Jun 2026
Emma has played Charity Dingle since 2000(Image: emmerdale/Instagram)
Emmerdale’s Emma Atkins has addressed viewers following a “sickening” sexual assault scene that aired on the ITV soap. The 51 year old actress, who has portrayed Charity Dingle in the beloved Yorkshire drama since 2000, saw her character subjected to a harrowing attack by Dr Caitlin Todd during Sunday night’s episode, which had been rescheduled from its regular time slot due to football coverage.
The distressing sequence showed Todd climbing on top of Charity while she slept, with the sound of a zip being undone audible. Charity woke in terror, realising what was happening and pleading with her attacker to stop. She sat up abruptly as Todd calmly gathered her belongings and departed.
Following the broadcast, Emma appeared in a video shared on the show’s official Instagram account, saying: “In tonight’s episode of Emmerdale, my character Charity was sexually assaulted my Dr Todd. These storylines can be extremely triggering, so please, if anyone needs help or support, visit itv.com/advice.”
The scenes proved challenging viewing for numerous audience members and, while programme makers ensured a content warning preceded the television broadcast, some followers were dismayed to find it had been omitted from the YouTube version. Taking to X, one viewer commented: “Bloody hell #emmerdalemaybe you should put a trigger warning on for those who may been affected by this in the past.” Another viewer raged: “I hope #Emmerdale gets a fine and or massive warning, there’s doing a storyline and there is a storyline that makes many women feel physically sick and shaking, disgusting behaviour from TV!”
Emmerdale aired a ‘horrendous’ scene involving sexual assault at the end of Sunday night’s episode(Image: ITV)
A third said: “heads up to anyone who hasn’t watched today’s #emmerdale ep on youtube – there is no prior warning of the content the episode contains, I think @emmerdale really should have done more here and it can be rectified with a suitable warning in the description.”, reports the Mirror.
Many viewers claimed the show had gone “too far” with the scene, as reactions flooded social media in the immediate aftermath. Taking to X, one user wrote: “The SA scene in #Emmerdale is horrendous, please take care of yourselves, very difficult watch. Charity [crying emoji].I can’t post the clip its so disturbing.”
Further responses included: “Did #emmerdale have a warning for tonight’s episode? They should have done because that was grim,” while another commented: “I can’t watch I think the writers have gone too far,” and a fourth added: “I didn’t see the warning. I’m physically ill.”
Nevertheless, a number of viewers were swift to commend the soap for addressing such a sensitive subject, with one writing: “Tonight’s #emmerdale is an extremely difficult watch but it was handled absolutely perfectly. Amazing performances from Emm Aatkins and Caroline Harker and the directing of the end scene by Yvonne Wells and Haley Muraleedharan was outstanding. please take care when watching.” A further viewer commented: “This storyline WILL help so many people. it doesn’t matter the gender, SA happens. lets open that conversation and get victims justice.”
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