When they go big, they go big in soap land, don't they? Emmerdale may be filmed in a country village but that hasn't made them any less prone to drama and tragedy down the years, and an upcoming storyline is said to be up there with the soap's plane crash of 1993. (A plane crashed into the village, hey it happens.)

In a bid to shake things up, the soap is planning one hell of a story that will see some favourites killed off. A source told The Sun; "Bosses are planning a clear-out of characters. No one knows if they will be axed."

Bookies have already placed odds on who it will be, with Robert Sugden, played by Ryan Hawley, the favourite to go. Followed by Chastity Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) at 4/1 with screen niece Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb) at 8/1.

It's not certain yet what this storyline will entail, although it's thought to be a car crash or a fire.

This source added; "Only a few people at senior levels know what they are plotting until this trickles down to the cast and crew. There's been lots of speculation. When you want a big ratings spike, killing off some big names is the way to go."

Aw, we don't want any of them to die! Well, accept Robert, he's a bad egg that fella.