Jacob and Maya Stepney in Emmerdale: A history

When Jacob in Emmerdale was 15 he became infatuated with his teacher Maya Stepney – who also happened to be his dad David Metcalfe’s girlfriend. Jacob...
Carena Crawford
By Carena Crawford

When Jacob in Emmerdale was 15 he became infatuated with his teacher Maya Stepney – who also happened to be his dad David Metcalfe’s girlfriend.

Jacob started dating Liv Flaherty who was really into him. But it was just as a cover to keep his feelings for Maya a secret.

In reality, Maya was grooming Jacob. She convinced him that they were in love and that they were meant to be.

Maya convinced Jacob they were in love (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Maya convinced Jacob they were in love (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Maya and Jacob found out in Emmerdale

Maya resisted having sex with him, despite his desperate badgering. But when Jacob turned 16, the pair slept together for the first time.

Liv walked in on them having sex and blackmailed them for £10,000. But eventually she decided against taking the money and instead decided to report Maya for what she was going to Jacob. However Maya threatened her into keeping quiet.

Meanwhile Maya’s relationship with David was in a state and when she caught him kissing his ex-wife Tracy, she called Jacob to meet her. They kissed, but it was witnessed by Priya, who told Leyla, Jacob’s mum, and Tracy.

Together, during the Big Night Out episodes, they forced Maya into a car. She insisted Jacob had sexually assaulted her, but they knew she was lying. After she got out of the car, they tracked to a shed and she admitted to having sex with him, but said it was consensual.

Leyla chased after her and attacked her with a rock, believing she had killed her. But Maya had survived and run off to a hotel with Jacob.

Maya was sent down (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Maya was sent down (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Maya arrested and sent down

Maya was finally arrested for abusing Jacob and broke things off with Jacob. But he refused to accept it. It took him a while to realise that their relationship was based on Maya’s manipulation and he struggled to get over it.

Maya was later jailed for exchanging inappropriate text messages with Jacob and sent down for 12 months.

In November 2019 Maya was released from prison early and was revealed to be pregnant. She gave birth at Christmas and left the baby on David’s doorstep. A DNA test then confirmed David was the dad, not Jacob.