Emmerdale Drops Heartbreaking Twist as Bear Wolf Is Found in Dark Early ITVX Episode
Emmerdale fans watching the ITVX early release were stunned and heartbroken as the truth about Bear Wolf finally came to light. The storyline has been brewing quietly for months, but the reveal proved far darker than many expected.
Eve’s Innocent Moment Leads to a Horrifying Discovery
In the early-access episode, young Eve Dingle once again showed that children hear far more than adults think. While spending the day with Matty and Isaac, Eve wandered off in frustration — and stumbled upon something devastating.
Across Celia Daniels’ farmland, Eve spotted a group of exhausted workers… and among them was her Granddad Bear, bruised, fragile, and barely recognisable.
She shouted his name, but he didn’t hear her. By the time Matty followed her back to the spot, the van carrying the workers had fled. Eve’s account was dismissed as childish confusion, leaving her frustrated — and the truth terrifyingly close but still out of reach.
Paddy and Mandy Search in the Wrong Places
Meanwhile, Paddy and Mandy continued desperately trying to trace Bear. Their latest lead was a hire car Bear had borrowed before leaving the village. Mandy learned the car had been returned in terrible condition — with the keys simply posted through a letterbox. Even worse, the woman at the desk handed Mandy a photo of Eve found inside, showing just how vulnerable Bear must have been.
But neither Mandy nor Paddy had any idea how close Bear really was.
The Truth of Bear’s Disappearance: Modern Slavery
The episode revealed the grim truth viewers had feared. After leaving the village feeling isolated and unwanted, Bear was targeted by manipulative criminal Ray Walters and his powerful mother, Celia Daniels.
Ray lured Bear onto Celia’s farm with promises of food, shelter, and work — then trapped him there under the guise of “help.” Injured, confused, and emotionally fragile, Bear has been groomed into believing this miserable existence is permanent.
The sight of Bear working as a slave, thin and defeated, was one of the most harrowing scenes Emmerdale has aired this year.
Joshua Richards: “It will be harrowing, but there is light ahead.”
Actor Joshua Richards confirmed the storyline is only beginning to unravel:
“The seedy underbelly of this exploitative business will be peeled back for all to see. It will be revealed in all of its vileness… It will be harrowing, but of course there’s always light at the end of every tunnel.”
Fans can expect the truth about Celia and Ray’s trafficking operation to come crashing into the village soon — and Bear’s rescue will not be straightforward.
A Race Against Time
With Eve’s sighting dismissed and the villains one step ahead, the emotional toll on Paddy is set to grow. Bear is only a field away, yet completely out of reach. As the story deepens, viewers will watch the Dingles unknowingly circle closer to the truth.
But the bigger question is how far Ray and Celia will go to keep their crimes buried — and who will pay the price before the truth comes out?