Emmerdale fans have a lot to look forward to over the next few months, with everything from a shock death to the return of fan favourite Mandy Dingle – played by Lisa Riley. And on Tuesday, producers revealed that it won't just be Mandy and her son Vinny joining the iconic soap family in the near future, but that Paddy and Chas's baby will be arriving in upcoming weeks. A spokesperson for the soap said: "We do ever so often have happiness in soap, and this comes in the form of a new little Dingle into the village. Paddy and Chas will have their baby, it will be a happy, joyous occasion."
Emmerdale's Paddy and Chas will welcome their child in the next few months
However, there is also promise of lots of comedy moments in the lead-up to the baby's arrival. The producer added: "But obviously this being a soap, it won't go according to plan. There will be a lot of comedy to get to that point, but it will bring a new lease of life into the family. There's been a lot of darkness at the moment and this really lifts them and injects that new life. It's going to be very lovely to watch after the really heartbreaking storyline we had with Paddy and Chas last year, it will be a very much welcome addition to their family."
The happy news follows after the death of Paddy and Chas's baby daughter Grace shortly after she was born last year. Chas had discovered during a check up that their baby was suffering from a condition called Bi-lateral Renal Agenesis, and that their daughter's kidneys hadn't developed and that there were also issues with her lungs. She was then given the devastating news that there was no chance of her baby surviving for more than a few moments outside of the womb. In shock, Chas kept the news a secret from Paddy for a few weeks, convinced that the doctors had made a mistake.
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The happy news follows after the death of their baby daughter Grace
After eventually telling Paddy, Chas admitted that she couldn't bring herself to terminate the pregnancy, and they made the decision to give her the best life possible in her short time, as it was the only one she would know. The couple went on to donate their daughter's organs after she died.
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Actress Lucy Pargeter – who plays Chas – was named Best Actress at the British Soap Awards for her performance as the grieving mum. Lucy went on to dedicate the award to all the families who have lost their babies. She said in her acceptance speech: "This award is for all the families out there who have lost their beautiful babies, I really hope we've done them justice."
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