Emmerdale viewers were left fearing for April Windsor after the teenager’s dad Marlon Dingle and step-mum Rhona Goskirk were faced with the unthinkable over the festive period

Emmerdale viewers have been left on edge as teenager April Windsor vanished from her home on Christmas Day, leaving her family in a state of despair and frantically searching for her.

April, portrayed by Amelia Flanagan, has been grappling with the harsh reality of how her mother Donna Windsor (Verity Rushworth) met her end, and the fact that her father Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) had lied about the circumstances. The troubled teen has also started drinking.

In the episode aired on Christmas Day, audiences saw Marlon in a state of panic upon discovering that his daughter was not in her bed on Christmas morning. A worried Marlon tried to figure out where his daughter could be, his anxiety heightened due to a recent kidnapping incident involving ruthless boxing promoter Jade (Twinnie-Lee Moore).

The following day, Marlon rallied the villagers to aid in the search for April. However, as time wore on, Marlon and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) were confronted with the horrifying possibility that they may never see their daughter again.

The police were soon called in as the gravity of April’s disappearance became apparent. But, in a twist at the end of the episode, April is shown alive and well, reports Leeds Live.

April was seen getting into a car at the end of the episode(Image: ITV)

Perched on a wooden fence, her face hidden by her hood, April is seen patiently waiting for an unknown individual to show up.

Then, a car rolls up, and without a word uttered, April hops into the back seat before the vehicle speeds off – leaving viewers gobsmacked. But some fans reckon they’ve sussed out who’s behind the wheel – Anthony Fox (Nicholas Day).

Anthony has been revealed as someone to steer clear of, having abused his own daughter Ruby (Beth Cordingly) – it was all laid bare in a shiver-inducing flashback.

Now, punters are piecing together the puzzle and they’re fearing for April, speculating she might be getting groomed by the sinister Anthony.

Was Anthony Fox the one behind the wheel?(Image: ITV)

On Facebook, one switched-on viewer speculated: “I’m wondering if April accepted a lift from a stranger or did she know the person, I thought it looked like Ruby’s dad from behind.”

Another agreed: “Yeah it deffo looked like Ruby dad…”, and a third added their two pence, saying: “Oh I do hope it wasn’t Ruby’s dad for obvious reasons.”

Another fan couldn’t shake an uneasy hunch, blurting out: “Why do I have a feeling Ruby’s dad is involved in April disappearance”. Echoing that sentiment, another fan pointed out: “It did look like Ruby’s dad from the back.”

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.