Arthur Thomas (Alfie Clarke) was left heartbroken in tonight’s Emmerdale (6th January), as his classmate Marshall used him for a cruel bet.
Before Christmas, Arthur came out to his friends and family in heartwarming scenes, and the performance from star Clarke and all involved was so touching that the story made our list of the best soap moments of 2022.
After confiding in Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler), and sharing a sweet heart-to-heart with mum Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy), Arthur was bolstered by the support of pals like April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan).
In more recent scenes, he developed a crush on Marshall, and was thrilled when the other boy wanted to meet up and spend time together.
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But it was when a rebellious April threw a party to wind up her parents that the situation spiralled.
Marshall seemed genuine, but two other boys arrived and began drinking beer and poking fun at poor Arthur.
He and Marshall headed outside to chat instead, and shy Arthur couldn’t believe it when Marshall began to ask whether Arthur liked him.
Arthur replied that he did, but was tentative with his responses as he tried to work out what Marshall really wanted to say.
But just as it seemed that Marshall might be about to kiss him, the other lads began heckling from an upstairs window. They threw down some money at Marshall, revealing their shock that he had gone through with the plan.
Marshall played along and laughed, as it dawned on Arthur that he had been the target of a nasty prank. For his part, Marshall had the grace to look guilty as he mumbled a quiet apology, while April emerged from the house and asked what he had done to Arthur.
Arthur ran off, and sobbed to himself over what he had just been subjected to. Will Marshall put things right?
Well, we know that next week will see April confront Marshall herself, while Arthur forms a plan to deal with the situation. Will this help?
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Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV 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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