Lydia Dingle (Karen Blick) has made huge progress in her relationship with Sam (James Hooton) following her rape in Emmerdale, but an upsetting moment in Thursday’s (February 1) episode of the ITV soap saw her realise the difficult journey isn’t over yet.
After Lydia told her family that she had been raped, Sam realised their relationship had changed. Intimacy wasn’t going to come as naturally as what it used to, and Sam needed to be patient and give Lydia space until she was ready to move forward.
The beloved character made a massive step at the start of the episode by hugging Sam. Afterwards, Lydia looked at her husband and tried to kiss him, but Sam sensed what was going on and moved away.
As Lydia headed to the salon, she told Mandy (Lisa Riley) about the moment and revealed she was ready to be intimate with Sam again. Mandy was thrilled and so proud of Lydia, and agreed it was best to have a conversation with Sam about it.
The couple are on a long journey
Later, as Mandy and Paddy (Dominic Brunt) headed to the pub, they bumped into Sam, who wanted a private chat with Paddy.
He expressed his concerns when it comes to intimacy with Lydia, and said he doesn’t want to pressure her into doing something if she isn’t ready.
Paddy told Sam that he can only move forward in this situation if he has an honest chat with Lydia about what’s on his mind.
Returning home, Sam was surprised to find the house quiet and Lydia dressed up. She revealed everyone had gone out, so they can have some alone time.
As Sam realised what was going on, he started to panic. He ended up telling Lydia that he doesn’t want sex, which left her terribly upset.
Despite his good intentions, Sam could’ve approached this conversation a different way.
He meant well, but the comments have left Lydia wondering if things will ever be the same again in her marriage.