A diehard Emmerdale viewer shared an absolutely bonkers theory which could explain the insidious Doctor Todd’s (Caroline Harker) hatred for Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant). This author is dying for it to be true.

I usually take fan theories with a pinch of salt. It’s easy to disappear down a conspiracy-filled rabbit hole of long lost siblings and resurrected villains.

However, sometimes a theory surfaces on the socials that is so delightfully mad, so wildly outside the box, that it’s just begging to be explored.

Few stories invite more speculation that Emmerdale’s new workplace bullying story. Since joining Hotten General Hospital as a medical student, Jacob’s enthusiasm and eagerness to learn has been constantly worn down by Doctor Todd.

Nothing is ever good enough for this strict authoritarian, who seems to take delight in criticising every Jacob does.

She forces him to take on gigantic workloads to impossible deadlines, then tears his efforts to shreds for being sloppy. She even advised Kim Tate (Claire King) to make an official complaint about Jacob when he seemingly misdiagnosed her with mushroom poisoning.

While the devious Doctor claims that she’s just hard on her students because medicine is a tough profession, her relentless targeting of Jacob have left fans wondering what her issue is with the poor lad.

It’s tough to guess, as Doctor Todd’s personal life has been shrouded in mystery…

… until recently. When Jacob saw Todd manhandling and shouting at an elderly patient, he intervened and accused her of abusing someone vulnerable under her care. To Jacob’s shock, Todd revealed that the elderly patient was her father.

In a surprising heart-to-heart, Jacob saw a more human side to his stern mentor as she opened up about her father, a former surgeon stricken with dementia, and her wife, who has never been mentioned before.

Todd’s mysterious ‘wife’ has set the Soapland rumour mill ablaze.

The newfound ‘understanding’ between teacher and student did not last long. When Todd reverted to her toxic old ways, Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton) notice how exhausted Jacob was looking and stormed into Hotten General to confront the Demon Doctor for giving her step-grandson such a hard time.

Manpreet blabbed to Doctor Todd about Jacob’s traumatic past.

Afterwards in the Woolpack, Todd vented to her friend Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker) about her encounter with Kerry over a drink.

While gently defending Kerry, Manpreet inadvertently let slip a key detail about Jacob’s traumatic past that intrigued Doctor Todd – how he was groomed as a teenager by his sexually abusive teacher Maya Stepney (Louise Clein).

You don’t have to be Emmerdale’s finest sleuth DS Walsh to guess where this is going.

Yesterday, a fan by the name of Emmerdale2dae took to X to share a creative way of explaining Todd’s fixation on Jacob which links her to Maya.

The user wrote ‘If the theories are true that Dr. Todd’s wife is Maya, I think I would genuinely freak out!!? What a twist this would be. Why else would Todd be so set on bullying and ruining Jacob? It’s all pointing in that direction. The symbolism would be CRAZY!’

Indeed it would be. The last time we saw Maya was in court, where a judge gave her a twelve month sentence for grooming Jacob. After being released, she gave birth to a baby boy, believed to be the son of her ex David Metcalfe, abandoned the child outside David and Jacob Gallagher’s house on Christmas Day 2019 before fleeing the country.

Conceivably, she could have found time to marry Doctor Todd in the five years she’s been off-screen. Although Emmerdale never gave fans any reason to suspect that Maya is a member of the LGBTQ community.

Then again, if Todd’s wife is not relevant to the story, which mention her sexuality at all? Why have her move in with Emmerdale’s sassiest vet and Charity Dingle’s ex girlfriend, Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick)?

Let’s be real. This is an outlandish suggestion. As a story, it is an outrageously camp and theatrical twist that may be glorious the first time you hear it, but not something you need in a serious issue story like Jacob’s toxic work place bullying ordeal.

has almost no chance of happening. It would be lame storytelling and what message does that send to abuse victims? Watch out one day someone connected to your abuser will try to get revenge on you? Dr Todd is just a manipulative bully.’

Another fan seemed to agree, citing the fact that there are few people in the village left with connections to Maya to make a return worthwhile.

‘Maya being back would be wild considering David ain’t around. Layla died and Tracey left who all 3 supported and fought against Maya to help Jacob. i guess Kerry was there as well, but having maya back would be kinda pointless no?’

Not entirely. Maya’s ex Liam Cavanagh is still living in the village. He’d certainly have something to say about her shock return to the Dales.

Another viewer was slightly more optimistic at the prospect of Maya’s comeback, posting ‘I thought this was a bit of a wild idea at first but was just beginning to think it might be something (ridiculous) that ED might do, but then there was a little something in today’s episode that means it shouldn’t really be a goer (though I know that doesn’t mean it won’t!!)

It won’t be a goer. Probably. This is a workplace bullying story, not a mad revenge quest. Occam’s Razor, people. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the correct one.

Doctor Todd is an insecure bully in a stressful job who takes out her frustrations by picking on her students. Oldest story in the book. Not especially soapy, but true. That’s what makes it so compelling. I doubt Emmerdale would mess with that winning formula for the sake of a jaw-dropping reveal.

Then again, I didn’t think Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) would return from the dead either, so anything is possible…