Emmerdale fans were left in tears after last night's episodes.
Viewers watched as Arthur Thomas, played by Alfie Clarke, bravely came out as gay. Arthur has been struggling to deal with his father's death but it was clear to fans there was more on his mind than grief.
During Monday night's trip to the fictional Yorkshire village, the troubled teen visited his dad's grave and was soon joined by the village's vicar Charles - played by Kevin Mathurin - who opened up an emotional conversation that left Arthur on the verge of tears. The schoolboy revealed how he feared his dad, Ashley, who was also a vicar, would be disappointed in him for not following the same career path as him.
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In a later scene, Arthur’s erratic behaviour continued as he snapped at April (Amelia Flanagan) and told her she should fancy someone her own age as he wasn’t interested. The clash was watched by Nicola (Nicola Wheeler) who later advised Arthur to make things right with April. Wanting to get to the bottom of his outburst, Nicola supported Arthur during a game of Hangman.
As Nicola continued to offer up letters for the game, Arthur’s phrase became clearer. Once Nicola caught on to what Arthur was saying she helped him complete the sentence with the final letter - ‘I Am Gay'.
The schoolboy proceeded to break down in Nicola’s arms and it wasn't only Nicola and Arthur who had tears in their eyes as viewers took to social media to share their thoughts.
Ide McAuliffe said: “so beautifully done tonight with Arthur on #emmerdale he's a great young fella and I cried for him. I didn't like the way though that Elliot found the sheet. Hope now this storyline is done properly, no bullying, please. So impressed with Nicola. Great acting by Arthur.”
Hayden added: “When I came out, I didn't have the control I so wanted. It was all shouted out, all rushed. I'm so glad that Arthur had control of the situation over what he wanted to say - even if it wasn't verbally.”
@radievdb wrote: "Knew it. And THANK you Emmerdale for this beautiful, amazing coming-out scene between Arthur and Nicola. Wow. Just beautifully done."
Nicola told Arthur she was proud of him but viewers were left wondering where the storyline will go as Arthur begged Nicola not to tell his mum, Laura, about his sexuality. He declared: “I’m not ready.”
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