Emmerdale relationships that turned toxic: Robron’s bad romance and Charity Dingle’s dangerous marriage

Relationships in Emmerdale rarely run smoothly, and often they can turn toxic. We’re not referring to the usual ups and downs every couple experiences, but rather romances that have gone bad. Really bad.

Take the affair between Dawn Taylor and Joe Tate. It’s all thrill of the chase right now, but both characters have a dark and destructive side and we can see it all turning very toxic.

Here are 8 other pairings that were both passionate and poisonous…

Emmerdale toxic relationships: Robron

They may have been adored by millions, but Aaron and Robert’s relationship was toxic from the start.

Robert was engaged to Home Farm heiress Chrissie White when his affair with Aaron began, and he wasn’t prepared to give that all up. He pushed Katie Sugden to her death when she threatened to expose his infidelity, and forced Aaron to help him cover up the crime. Paddy was next to rumble Robron, so Robert tried to bury the vet alive in a grain machine. He then held Aaron hostage, and threatened him with a gun.

The abuse and manipulation carried on even after the couple got together. Aaron always refused to seek help for his demons and was prone to violent outbursts. While Robert ended up in bed with Rebecca White and got her pregnant.

Despite their obvious love for one another, neither Robert or Aaron seemed capable of having a proper grown up relationship.

Kim Tate and Frank Tate

The Tates’ stormy marriage was littered with lies and deceit, on both sides. Kim had worked as Frank’s secretary before she found her way into his bed. Theirs was a marriage of convenience – Kim was young and sexy, and Frank was filthy rich. But it wasn’t long before the cracks started to show.

Bored of her older husband, Kim had affairs with Neil Kincaid and Dave Glover. She fell hard for Dave, and tried to induce Frank into having a heart attack in the hope of getting rid of him. Kim then found out she was pregnant, but didn’t know who the daddy was.

When Frank got wind of the betrayal he played dirty by offering Kim a million pounds to dump Dave and name him as the father. Baby James was born and Kim was left heartbroken when Dave died in a fire at Home Farm.

Wanting to hurt Frank, Kim vanished and paid a lookalike to drive her car around. When that woman was found dead in mysterious circumstances, Frank was arrested for murder. Kim then rose from the dead for one final – fatal – showdown with Frank.

The shock of seeing her again caused Frank to suffer a heart attack and Kim took delight in standing over and watching him die.

Emmerdale toxic relationships: Chas Dingle and Carl King

Chas has bedded some rouges in her time, but no man quite got under her skin like Carl King. These two fell hard and fast for one another, but their families didn’t approve.

Tom King Senior bribed Chas to end things with his son, and when Carl found out he murdered his father. Chas realised her boyfriend was a killer, but that didn’t seem to bother her much. What she did object to was the fact Carl couldn’t keep it in his pants.

After finding out her boyfriend was sleeping with barmaid Eve Jenson, Chas took her revenge. She faked a pregnancy then jilted him at the altar.  Carl was humiliated, but he couldn’t let Chas go. After discovering she was having an affair with Cameron Murray he developed he blackmailed her into coming back to him.

Their love affair came to a grisly end when Carl attempted to rape Chas and she attacked him with a brick. Chas spent months thinking she’d murdered Carl, but Cameron was the real killer. Maybe he did Chas a favour by getting that monster out of her life.

Moira Dingle and Nate Robinson

Moira and Cain’s marriage has been scarred by numerous infidelities, and let’s not forget their love story actually started as an affair. But the fling that did most damage was the toxic one between her and Nate Robinson.

The pair started sleeping together in 2019, and Moira couldn’t keep her hands off the handsome farmhand. But what she – and no one else – knew was that Nate was actually Cain’s long-lost son. He believed his father had abandoned him as a baby and seducing Moira was part of his revenge plan.

The truth was revealed during a dramatic showdown on a boat, which ended up exploding. Everyone made it off alive, but Moira and Nate were finished after she realised what he’d done.

Ashamed that she’d been taken in by Nate, Moira turned to drink to numb her pain.

Emmerdale toxic relationships: Belle Dingle and Jermaine Bailey

Belle was only 17 when she fell head over heels for married GP Jermaine. They embarked on a risky affair, but when Cain and co got wind of it they were baying for blood. Instead of owning up, Jermaine made out Belle was his stalker. Yikes!

The pair resumed their fling, but Belle soon grew sick of being the other woman. She told Jermaine’s missus Angie everything and he was fired from the job at the surgery.

Jermaine decided he was done with the Dales, but Belle wasn’t done with him. In a desperate bid to make him stay she faked a pregnancy. Belle, who was in the grips of schizophrenia at the time, went to great lengths to keep up the charade. She even doctored an ultrasound scan.

Belle carried on pretending she was with child until Angie realised what was happening and outed her secret. Jermaine left the village and Belle ended up suffering a nervous breakdown.

Harriet Finch and DI Malone

Harriet first became involved with DI Mark Malone when she was working as an undercover cop, going by the name ‘Michelle’.

Their past was revealed when Malone came to the village in 2020 to investigate the shooting of Nate Robinson. Harriet, now a village vicar, knew what kind a dangerous man Malone was, but that didn’t stop her going back for more.

After breaking off her relationship with Will Taylor, Harriet ended up sleeping with the bent copper in the church. The affair didn’t last long as Malone began to terrorise Dawn Taylor. Harriet caught Malone trying to force Dawn to take a fatal overdose and she attacked him with an ornament.

Dawn finished the villain off with three bullets, and Harriet helped bury his body in the cemetery.

Emmerdale toxic relationships: Cain Dingle and Charity Dingle

Emmerdale’s answer to Bonnie and Clyde have a long and dysfunctional past. Charity and Cain first started sleeping together as underage teens, which resulted in her falling pregnant with Debbie.

Since then there have been countless make ups and break ups. Cain and Charity’s chemistry is pure dynamite, but every time they get together it seems to do them more harm than good. The closest they got to making it was in 2009 when Cain popped the question. Charity accepted, but when he sprang a surprise wedding on her she decided she wasn’t ready for such a commitment.

They finally called it quits after Cain slept with Faye Lamb and Charity left him for Jai Sharma. Those flames of passion have never really been extinguished though. They had a brief affair in 2016 when Cain was married to Moira, but all that succeeded in doing was causing grief.

These days Charity and Cain are definitely more friends than lovers, but there’s always a sense the cousins could start up again. In fact, a lot of Emmerdale fans think they’re true soulmates.

Charity Dingle and Declan Macey

Charity’s marriage to Home Farm owner Declan Macey was one big ugly mess. They got together when Charity was on the rebound from Jai Sharma, and she was seduced by Declan’s smooth charm and bulging bank balance.

They became husband and wife and Charity reveled in her new role as lady of the manor. She fell pregnant but decided to have an abortion behind Declan’s back. Charity then made out she’d suffered a miscarriage during a scrap with Declan’s sister Megan.

When Declan discovered his wife’s betrayal he decided Charity had to die. He attempted to shoot her with a flare gun, but his nephew Robbie was caught in the crossfire. Charity fought back and thought Declan had drowned, but he survived.

In a final act of revenge, Declan returned to the village and drugged Charity. He then told the police how they’d framed innocent Rachel Breckle for starting a fire at Home Farm. Charity was sentenced to two years in prison.

Read more: Charity Dingle’s greatest moments

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