ITV viewers took to social media in shock during Emmerdale's latest episode, which saw a major plot twist in Charity Dingle's (played by Emma Atkins) quest to help her granddaughter Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) become a mother. In the weeks after Charity agreed to become a surrogate, she faced a scare where she was bleeding and fearing an unsuccessful embryo transfer. But Charity returned to the fertility clinic and learned she was pregnant. This sparked major excitement in her own relationship with Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) as well as the newly expectant parents, Sarah and Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant).

However, as the family were celebrating the news at The Woolpack, Charity ran into her ex, Ross Barton (Michael Parr), who saw the celebrations, which prompted a flashback of the two kissing. As Charity was drunk and unsure of how the night ended, Ross confirmed they had a one-night stand. He questioned the baby's paternity and sternly asked her, "Is it mine?" This sparked a major reaction from astounded fans, including one who questioned: "It might be Ross, not Jacob & Sarah's baby????"

A second penned: "Omg it's Ross's baby, we all should've known he'll get someone pregnant how many people he slept with."

One shocked fan commented: " It might be Ross not Jacob & Sarah's baby????" As a fourth admitted: "Never saw that coming."

A viewer remarked: "Well well well quite the plot twist. Once a tart always a tart eh Charity." (sic)

While many were gobsmacked by the new DNA scandal threatening to turn Charity and Sarah's lives upside down, other viewers were unimpressed by the dramatic shocker and expressed their frustration.

"The writers only know how to do a few things, ruin character development (Joe & Ross), kill everyone, and make Charity the local bike when all else fails," complained a viewer.

Another blasted: "Such a stupid storyline. Could they really not have just let this be a happy surrogacy storyline? Why bring a possible Ross/Charity baby scandal into it?? We already had this with Moses."

After Ross raised his concerns to Charity, she quickly shut him down and claimed that she was already pregnant during their one-night stand.

Ahead of the dramatic twist, actress Emma Atkins, who stars as the expectant grandmother, opened up about the dramatic twist and stated: "This has created a huge element of conflict for her [Charity] and as an actor you can't hope for a better storyline.

"When you're just in the midst of chaos, dilemma and moral questioning of your own character. It makes you go, 'How are you going to get yourself out of this one?' And I know the audience will just be like, 'Oh my God, what will she do? Who can she tell?' Because I think they all are going to immediately jump to the idea of, hang on, then it's not Sarah and Jacob's baby."

"I think it is just a jaw dropping moment for those that have followed the storyline. Because it just ups the stakes with everything. Sarah's just got this desperate need to be a mum, Charity's so desperate to please Sarah in that, she feels her vocation is being this vessel to carry this child."

She teased: "There's so much at stake for them and the audience finding this out, is just that amazing moment. It's a good soap moment, a gift."