Emmerdale has revealed who has bought The Woolpack...
And it turns out the village boozer has not one but two new owners - mother and son Charity Dingle and Ryan Stocks!
In tonight’s double bill, the pub went under the hammer.
Al Chapman - who currently co-owns The Woolpack with Chas and Marlon Dingle - arrived at the auction with brewery employer Natasha, and smugly announced that she was intending to purchase the watering hole and he had been offered the job of manager.
Determined to stop Al from running the place, Cain went up against Natasha and outbid her - much to the fury of wife Moira. But Cain, himself, was then outbid by a mystery person online.
Faith tried to find out the name of the new owner, but was left disappointed. However, the auctioneer told Chas and Marlon that ‘she’ would like to meet them outside the pub.
The duo later turned up with Paddy and Al in tow. Chas assumed Kim was the new owner as she arrived in her sports car, but as she argued with the village villainess, Charity arrived.
“I’m trying to find out who bought the pub!” barked Chas to her cousin, who responded “It’s me, you daft cow!”
Ryan then joined his mum, and Charity said “Sorry, we are the new owners of the Woolpack… surprise!”
Chas’s response was somewhat muted, having previously asked Charity for a loan to help her refurbish the pub when it was torched by Al at Christmas, and the insurance company failed to pay out.
And both she and Marlon were horrified when Charity later announced that they would need to apply for their old jobs.
Charity, you may recall, had cash in the bank after selling her share of the pub to Marlon last year. Ryan, meanwhile, recently inherited money from his late mum, Irene.
Speaking of his character’s new venture, actor James Moore, who plays Ryan, says: "I was excited to hear Ryan would be one of the new owners of the pub.
"It’s a big step for him as a character, especially after losing his mother, and it cements his part in 'Emmerdale' history.
"I think Ryan may want to modernise the Woolpack and create more of a youthful vibe to the pub.
"As we know, he is a computer wiz, and I expect he will have good ideas for promoting the pub on social media. The pub is undergoing a large refurbishment at the moment, and I can’t wait to see the changes they make."
But who else has owned The Woolpack pub?
Amos Brearly was the very first landlord, from 1948–1973, and went on to co-run it from 1973 to 1991 with Henry Wilks.
Subsequent owners have included Alan Turner, Diane Sugden, and Jimmy and Nicola King.
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays - see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on ITV Hub now.
