Emmerdale will air a surprising move for Jacob Sugden next week, as he decides to confront Dr Todd. The youngster finally stands up to his bully in the hospital, but will there be consequences?

Viewers have seen Jacob struggling at work in recent weeks as he became Dr Todd’s punching bag. The senior consultant has been taking every opportunity to berate and belittle Jacob, under the guise of ‘teaching’.

In another controlling move, Dr Todd recruited Jacob to her prestigious mentorship programme, after hearing him venting about her to his family. Her brutal feedback, combined with the mounting pressure of the job, has left Jacob questioning his career.

In next week’s episodes, Jacob is shocked to see his mentor manhandling and shouting at a patient. He decides to call Dr Todd out over her nasty and unprofessional behaviour.

Despite fearing her reaction, the trainee doctor is determined to advocate for the elderly patient, and makes his feelings known. But will his bold decision put him back in the firing line?

“Jacob only wants the best for the patients at the hospital,” explains our Emmerdale source. “He hasn’t stood up to Dr Todd when she’s criticised his work, even though she’s been really harsh towards him.

“In Jacob’s eyes, mistreating a patient is another matter altogether and he feels compelled to step in. Could this make him more of a target for Dr Todd’s bullying?”

The character, who is played by Caroline Harker, first appeared on the soap last year, helping to train Jacob as he began his placement. Last month, it was announced that Harker would be reprising her role for a new storyline exploring workplace bullying.

“I’m delighted to be back at Emmerdale for a longer stint playing Doctor Todd. She’s a complex character and from what I’ve been told so far, quite a tricky one for Jacob to navigate,” the actor previously said.

“Workplace bullying is commonplace, and it will be interesting to see it brought to our screens in a serial drama such as Emmerdale.”