Emmerdale icon Lisa Riley has teased that the soap’s upcoming Christmas episodes will be packed with high-stakes drama, missing characters, and one seriously “evil” villager.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star in collaboration with Betway, the Mandy Dingle actress revealed that fans should brace for a sinister twist involving Celia Daniels.

“The big drama is where is my father-in-law, and what is this link with Celia?” Lisa teased. “We can see she is a nasty pasty, but as we grow towards Christmas, we are going to realise just how evil that woman is; she has evil running through her spine. God help her when the Dingles get hold of her!”

But that’s not all that’s brewing in the village. Lisa hinted that the festive season will also feature gripping storylines and missing characters.

“The biggest mystery is ‘Where is Bear?’, my father-in-law,” she said. “The press release teased that, but what I can promise the audience is, the drama is high-end. They’re filming special episodes with only a bundle of characters which grip the audience.”

The actress revealed that fans are already desperate for answers while she’s out and about. “Josh, who plays Bear, has been off-screen for three months. The viewers are desperate to know where he is. I was in Waitrose the other day and people were saying, ‘Where is Bear?’ Of course, I know, but that would ruin the drama.”

Lisa says the upcoming episodes will deliver a mix of Emmerdale ’s trademark emotional storytelling alongside the dark, twisty drama that keeps viewers glued to the screen.

With Bear’s mysterious disappearance, Celia’s sinister secrets, and the Dingles ready to take matters into their own hands, Christmas in the Dales is shaping up to be anything but peaceful.

Fans will have to tune in to see whether the Dingles get justice and what horrors Celia has in store, as Lisa confirms that this year’s special episodes will leave viewers on the edge of their seats.