Tragedy was on the cards for both of them.

By Stefania Sarrubba

Published: Wednesday, 05 April 2023 at 12:00 am


Emmerdale fans may recall one of the village’s couples that raised eyebrows back in the early 2000s: Dawn and Terry Woods.

Arriving in the Dales in 1995, Terry (played by Billy Hartman) was the manager of the Woolpack together with his first wife Britt (Michelle Holmes).

After the two parted ways later that year, Terry didn’t find happiness until he got engaged to Dawn (Julia Mallam). The couple met in Spain while he was recovering from more heartache after Louise Appleton’s (Emily Symons) rejection.

Terry and Dawn hit it off right away and he brought her back to Emmerdale as his fiancée. But what happened to the pair? Here’s all you need to know.

Who was Dawn Woods in Emmerdale and how did she die?

Dawn was Jean (played by Julie Higginson until 2004, then by Susan Penhaligon) and Bob Hope’s (Tony Audenshaw) daughter and Jamie’s (Alex Carter) sister.

Introduced to the soap in 2003, the character got engaged to Terry, who was 27 years her senior. Their relationship caused concern in the village, with her father Bob being particularly unhappy about the union.

Despite most people’s opinions being negative, Dawn and Terry went through with the marriage and had a son shortly afterwards. Not long after the birth of TJ, Terry suffered a stroke. Dawn then realised she was unable to cope with being married at a young age and having a small child and decided to call it quits.

She had other relationships following their separation but never settled down with anyone else. Taking the odd jobs to support TJ, Dawn even landed in prison when her ex Scott Windsor (Benedict Freeman) reported her for benefit fraud.

Upon her release, Dawn discovered Terry and her mother had started seeing each other and demanded they broke up.

When they refused, Dawn went on holiday to Cornwall with TJ. Once she returned, she said she had met someone there and would be moving to Newquay, bringing TJ with her.

While getting ready to relocate to the coast, Dawn and TJ missed their flights when Terry was late in returning the child. Looking for something to do while waiting for her ex-husband, Dawn went with Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock), his wife and her stepsister to view their new house, where she met a tragic, untimely death.

The house exploded due to a gas leak. Dawn seemed fine at first, but died of internal injuries just a few days later.

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Emmerdale: Dawn and Terry get married

Who was Terry Woods in Emmerdale and how did he die?

Terry didn’t have it easy before meeting Dawn.

In a doting marriage to Britt, Terry was hurt when she decided to take on her own bar in New York alone. On top of that, he also discovered she had been having an affair, which ultimately ended their relationship.

After his divorce, he had a short-lived affair with his best friend’s wife Viv Windsor (Deena Payne). His stint as the manager of the Woolpack ended when he publicly insulted owner Alan Turner’s (Richard Thorpe) granddaughter Tricia Stokes (Sheree Murphy) upon discovering she had been cheating on him.

Alan didn’t like Terry exposing Tricia in front of the whole pub and fired him, but not before punching him.

He later got infatuated with Woolpack barmaid Louise who rejected him. As a cure for his broken heart, Terry went to Spain on holiday, staying in a hotel owned and run by Bob Hope’s ex-wife, Jean. That’s where he and Dawn met for the first time.

After Dawn left him, Terry embarked on a relationship with her mother Jean. Following Dawn’s death, however, Jean decided to move to Morocco for a fresh start, bringing TJ with her.

Much like his second wife Dawn, Terry, too, died under terrible circumstances.

Before his death, Terry was in a relationship with Brenda Walker (Lesley Dunlop). He remained close to Viv, who had left Bob in the meantime and still harboured feelings for Terry. He explained, however, that they could only be friends as he was with Brenda.

During the village’s devastating fire in 2011, Terry rushed to save Viv who was trapped in her shop with her twins. While Bob rescued the children, Terry never got back. The building exploded and both he and Viv died.

What happened to Dawn and Terry in Emmerdale?

Dawn and Terry met in Spain as he was seeking some solace following Louise’s rejection.

The budding couple returned to Emmerdale as fiancés. In the village, they were met with backlash over their age-gap relationship, but decided to go ahead with the nuptials. They had a baby, TJ, and Terry suffered a stroke only a few days after he was born.

Overwhelmed at being married and having to take care of a newborn, Dawn changed her mind and left Terry. The two entered a custody battle which was quickly resolved, allowing their relationship as co-parents to gradually improve.

Their family’s happiness was forever altered by Dawn’s sudden death. Terry, who was with Dawn’s mother Jean at the time, was left alone once more when Jean moved away from the village with TJ.

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Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Soaps hub.

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