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Emmerdale viewers are worried that a soap icon might be leaving the soap after more than two decades. Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) has been a mainstay on the show since her first appearance in 2002 and has become one of the most loved characters on the soap. She's been involved in numerous major storylines, from battling addiction to dealing with her husband Ashley's (John Middleton) vascular dementia and subsequent death. There's never a dull moment for Laurel in the Dales. Currently, Laurel is getting close to newcomer Ray Walters (Joe Absolom), unaware of his true, sinister nature. Ray, along with his adoptive mother Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths), have been manipulating young April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) and Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle), drawing them into a dangerous world of crime and drugs, reports the Daily Star . Despite his dark side being unknown to the other villagers, Ray has caught Laurel's eye - and she's caught his. In the episode aired on 6th November, Ray visited Laurel's house and they spent time getting to know each other. Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) also arrived, turning the afternoon into a double date. During a private conversation with Marlon, Ray confessed his feelings for Laurel, and it was evident that she was equally smitten. However, as he bid his farewells, mum Celia rang him up and demanded to know his whereabouts. Ray fibbed, stating he was out on a job, oblivious that Celia was observing. Ray hopped into his car and drove away, with an irate Celia watching. But now, viewers are speculating that Celia might be plotting to murder Laurel as she grows closer to her son Ray. On an Emmerdale Facebook fan page, one person warned: "Oh no Laurel needs to be careful. Celia won't approve of her and Ray." Another fan added their thoughts: "I can see Celia trying (or even killing) Laurel. No one is safe." A third concurred: "Yeah Celia is going to do something to Laurel I'm sure." Meanwhile, discussing Ray and Laurel, actor Joe previously shared: "I think when he meets Laurel, there's something that brings a side out to him that he didn't know he was going to have, but the writers did. I like it because it has a different side of it. It's more human. "I think he sees a family. Sees her with her kids and sees a family life that he never had because he was adopted very early on by Celia when he was eight." Joe continued: "So we see in episodes later, not flashbacks, but little hints of what his life has been like. So I think to me, Laurel is this kind of woman who has a business and a family and children are kind of, you know, interesting." Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm
