Emmerdale fans have been left reeling after a stunning behind-the-scenes revelation about one of the soap’s most beloved couples — Charity Dingle and Vanessa Woodfield, known affectionately as Vanity. In a twist few saw coming, it’s been revealed that the pair were originally set to tie the knot, in what would have been one of the show’s most iconic weddings — but the ceremony never happened. Why? A global pandemic crushed it before it ever had the chance.

Soap queen Sharon Marshall, a former Emmerdale writer and now key voice on EastEnders, stunned fans during an appearance on This Morning when she casually dropped a bombshell that Vanity almost walked down the aisle. “There was actually a wedding, once, that was written,” she revealed, sending the fandom into a frenzy. “But it all got axed in COVID.”

For fans who have followed Charity and Vanessa’s turbulent journey — from their fiery beginnings to heartbreaking betrayals — this news lands like a gut-punch. There was going to be a wedding. But thanks to the pandemic’s production shutdowns and strict social distancing rules, the nuptials were permanently shelved, leaving viewers with only “what could have been.”

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A Wedding Lost to Time: What COVID Took From Emmerdale

Back in 2020, the world stood still — and so did Emmerdale. Like most productions, filming was suspended as the UK went into lockdown. When the soap finally returned, it did so under strict safety measures. Large group scenes were scrapped, fight scenes became heated arguments at a safe distance, and moments like weddings — typically grand, emotional spectacles — were simply off the table.

Charity and Vanessa’s relationship had already been a rollercoaster of love, betrayal, and redemption. They got engaged in January 2019, and fans were expecting big things — a countryside ceremony, Dingle chaos, and heartfelt vows. But fate had other plans. Just as their story was building toward its romantic peak, Charity’s infidelity with Mackenzie Boyd shattered everything.

The wedding never aired — because it was never filmed.

And now, fans are left wondering: what if? What could have been if the pandemic hadn’t gotten in the way?

Behind the Scenes: The Story We Never Got

According to Sharon Marshall, the wedding was already written and ready to go before COVID derailed everything. While she didn’t reveal the full script or setting, one can imagine what it might’ve looked like: Charity, bold and glamorous in true Dingle style, standing opposite the calm, steady Vanessa in a rustic barn decked in wildflowers. Cain and Chas watching with wary smiles. Noah, nervous but supportive. And little Johnny possibly holding the rings.

But the romance of that day will now only exist in scripts that never made it to screen.

For long-time Vanity fans, this revelation stings. The couple had already overcome so much — Vanessa’s cancer battle, Charity’s troubled past, and the day-to-day chaos of Dingle life. A wedding was supposed to be their reward, their symbol of enduring love.

Instead, reality got in the way.

A Possible Reunion on the Horizon?

But all hope is not lost.

Marshall hinted that Charity and Vanessa aren’t done sharing the screen. In fact, upcoming scenes suggest that their story is far from over. With Charity now offering to be a surrogate for Sarah Sugden — despite previously telling Mackenzie she didn’t want more children — tensions between Charity and Mack are set to boil over.

Could Charity’s sudden change of heart be less about Sarah and more about unresolved feelings for Vanessa?

It’s a question Mackenzie might soon be forced to confront.

Vanessa, who returned to the village not long ago, is once again circling in Charity’s orbit. And although things between them are currently complicated and platonic at best, Emmerdale is no stranger to reigniting old flames. The chemistry, the history, the heartbreak — it’s all still there. Simmering. Waiting.

And for fans who still carry a torch for Vanity, the dream isn’t over just yet.

Charity’s Dilemma: Torn Between Two Futures

Charity Dingle has always been a character of contradictions — fierce but vulnerable, reckless yet loyal, flawed but deeply loving. Her romantic history is a mess of passion and pain, and her relationship with Vanessa was one of the few that truly brought out her softer side.

Her marriage to Mackenzie, by contrast, has been stormy from the start. Though there’s affection, there’s also a sense that Charity has been forcing herself into a version of life that doesn’t quite fit. And with her sudden willingness to carry a baby for someone else — just months after claiming she wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment — Mack is right to feel confused. Maybe even betrayed.

Is Charity sabotaging her marriage? Or is she finally waking up to what — and who — she really wants?

What Comes Next for Vanity?

As speculation mounts, Emmerdale spoilers are teasing major developments for Charity and Vanessa. While nothing is confirmed, the pieces are starting to align:

• Vanessa is firmly back in the village, and her scenes with Charity are increasing.

• Mackenzie’s jealousy and suspicions are on the rise.

• Charity’s emotional decisions are spiraling out of control.

All of this could be laying the groundwork for a Vanity reunion — and, perhaps, the wedding fans were denied years ago.

Could Emmerdale be preparing to give Vanity the second chance they deserve?

Fans React: “We Were Robbed!”

The fandom’s reaction has been explosive. Social media lit up after Marshall’s comments aired, with fans expressing everything from heartbreak to outrage to cautious hope.

“WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALL!” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“They wrote a WEDDING and we never got it?! COVID really robbed us,” another said.

Others are more optimistic:

“If they wrote it once, they can write it again. Let’s make it happen in 2025. #VanityWedding”

The revelation has reignited the Vanity fandom, and calls for a redemption arc — complete with a wedding — are getting louder.

The Future of Vanity and the Dingles

Whether or not Vanity gets their long-awaited wedding remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the story isn’t over.

Charity and Vanessa’s dynamic is too rich, too complicated, too real to leave in the past. And with Mackenzie increasingly isolated and on edge, the door is wide open for change.

Could Emmerdale rewrite the wedding storyline for 2025? Could fans finally see Charity Dingle walking down the aisle for real, this time beside the woman she was always meant to be with?

If Sharon Marshall’s comments are any indication, the story has been waiting in the wings — just waiting for the right time.

And that time might be coming sooner than we think.