The superfans made their own storyline on the popular set tour

Lifelong ITV Emmerdale fanatics made their trip to the iconic village even more memorable by getting engaged after meeting one of their favourite stars.

Emmerdale fan Debbie Cunningham, 54, got more than what she bargained for on the village tour when her partner Steve O’Donnell, 57, from Newton-Le-Willows, proposed on the steps of The Woolpack pub. It was even a surprise to Steve, as he hadn’t been planned to propose until later in October but fate urged him to scrap his plans after meeting Leyla Harding, played by actress Roxy Shahidi, who is the village’s wedding planner and owns the fictional Take a Vow business.

Steve felt like it was the perfect moment and an opportunity not to be missed, so he changed his plans and popped the question there and then.

Recounting their day and what led to the proposal, he said: “We have been avid Emmerdale fans for as long as we can remember and Debs has always told me that a tour of the village is on her bucket list. The day was just meant to be a nice day out for us learning about the show and meeting one of the stars but it took a surprise turn I couldn’t possibly have seen coming.

“Initially, I had planned to ask for her hand in marriage over a family dinner at the end of October but when it was revealed that Leyla from Take a Vow was our mystery cast member, it felt as if fate was giving me a nudge.”

The couple met two years ago during a night out in Warrington. After briefly crossing paths on the street, fate brought them together again later in the evening when they agreed to meet for a date the next day. And the rest is history.

Describing their chance encounter during a night out in which Debbie was with a friend and Steve was with his son and a friend, he said: “After a little while in a bar, my son said, ‘dad that lady at the bar is looking at you, proper looking at you’. I turned around and our eyes met. I loved the way she was looking at me.

“I waved her over and we began talking. Bravado had set in after a few drinks so I plucked up the courage to ask her out. She responded by asking me to wait until I was sober, with a cheeky smile.

I texted her the next day and we arranged to meet up near where she worked. We couldn’t stop looking at each other and chatting. We’ve never looked back.”

With their wedding set for next autumn, Steve and Debbie’s journey adds the latest chapter to Emmerdale’s storied history of romance and showcases Emmerdale Village Tour’s ability to create unforgettable moments for fans of the show.