Mic. Drop. Moment. Last night, Emmerdale viewers learned that shady Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) is but a mere player in the drug running operation he’s trapped April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) and Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle) in, while the real Empress is none other than Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths)…who’s also his adoptive mum!

Emmerdale fans saw drug dealer Ray emerge when Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) contacted him regarding Lewis Barton’s (Bradley Riches) enormous stash of marijuana plants.

Hoping to make a sale and use the cash to save Moira Dingle’s (Natalie J Robb) farm, they were ultimately usurped by Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley), who sold the stash and pocketed the proceeds.

Later, Dylan returned to the village following a stint in rehab and reunited with April, whom he’d lived rough alongside. It became quickly apparent, though, that Dylan was well and truly under Ray’s control, when he was ordered to do over Moira’s farm in order to confirm that there were no more drugs.

Although Dylan swore to leave dealing behind him after he and April declared their love for one another, when the wider community learned that he was behind the attack on Butler’s farm, he was ostracised. Jobless, homeless and desperate, April gave him the green light to return to Ray’s employ.

When she took over one of his jobs, April found herself being mugged for an enormous stash of drugs, landing both her and Dylan in massive debt. As it turned out, Ray organised the mugging in order to bring the hapless teens further under his control.

As April tried to keep her two lives from colliding, she made a potentially fatal error when she dropped some pills at home prior to a drop, leading her younger brother, Leo Goskirk (Harvey Rogerson) taking one and falling dangerously ill.

As the heat intensified and the police circled, April prepared to tell all about the absolute hell she’s found herself in.

Enter Celia.

The feisty, acid-tongued newcomer appeared at a similar time to Ray, though they initially appeared to be unconnected, instead, Celia involved herself in Kim Tate’s (Claire King) plot to expand her empire by scamming land out of Moira. Celia seemingly had a change of heart, though, turning against the Tates and allying herself with her former target, while also embroiling her in a dodgy scheme.

It’s apparent now, however, that her chicken plot is certainly the least dodgy part of Celia’s portfolio of operations.

Intercepting April before she could spill her guts, Celia unveiled herself as the true power of the drug operation and made it abundantly clear that if April spoke to the police, her family would never find her, ‘not all of her’, anyway, in truly chilling scenes.

When a usually ice cold and intimidating Ray practically fell at her feet in repentance for his ‘mistakes’, addressing her as ‘mum’, while Celia viciously unleashed on him, it became clear the level of power that Celia commands.

In fact, she looks set to become one of Emmerdale’s most terrifying villains ever, and Metro readers are lapping it up.

‘She scares the life out of me, plays the part so well, really enjoying her in the show’ Jill Buttery commented on Facebook.

‘Guessed she was Ray’s boss, when she started talking to April… Didn’t expect Ray to call her ‘Mum’ though…Sense a whole lot of shizzle is now coming April (& Dylan’s) way … And Ray’s obviously going to get nasty…’ Nigel Simmonds added, while Wendy Spence posted: ‘Knew she was the boss!’

Helen Mullen commented: ‘Well that was an eye opener. Oh please someone get April out of this.. and bring them all down’