fans are abuzz with speculation that Manpreet Sharma could be at the centre of a scandalous new affair.

The character, portrayed by Rebecca Sarker, made her entrance into the Dales back in 2018 and swiftly won over viewers to become a fan-favourite. Throughout her eventful stay, from tumultuous relationships to intense panic attacks, drama has never been far from Manpreet's door.

Presently, the plot thickens as it seems she's concealing an explosive secret, with her phone incessantly alerting her of texts from an enigmatic contact. In the previous episode, Paddy (Dominic Brunt) was seen prying into her private messages, yet Manpreet deftly concealed her phone.

On Wednesday's instalment (March 5), another surreptitious message arrived just as Manpreet joined local residents Tracy (Amy Walsh), Kerry (Laura Norton), Vanessa (Michelle Hardwick), and Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) at the pub.

There they commemorated Suzy (Martelle Edinborough), Amy (Natalie Ann Jamieson), and Leyla's (Roxy Shahidi) untimely deaths.

However, after receiving the alert, Manpreet excused herself with a knowing smirk on her face, fuelling rampant gossip among the fans.

They have taken to an Emmerdale Facebook fan page to conjecture about the messenger's identity, leading one member to post: "Who is messaging Manpreet.."

In the comments section, fans speculated that it's Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle) - whose own wife Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley) is currently entangled in an affair with Joe Tate (Ned Porteous).

One fan mused, "Wonder if Billy and Manpreet carry on from before after he finds out," while another chimed in with, "Yes I think Billy is messaging Manpreet.", reports Leicestershire Live.

A third person concurred, adding, "Billy and Manpreet get it on."

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm