Chas Dingle, on the other hand, is the type of strong but damaged woman who hides her true feelings behind a sharp exterior.

But these two – who seem to be compatible in a complementary way – are entering the darkest phase of their relationship as each is keeping a secret that, if revealed, will cost them both dearly.

Spoilers suggest Liam is covering up something big.

Viewers speculate it could be a professional error, a wrong decision in a treatment, or a lie about his past. Liam is becoming more and more erratic. Sometimes he avoids Chas, other times he seems overly concerned – typical of someone who is afraid of being exposed.

Chas keeps the opposite secret: a secret about her health or mental state. Signs of painkiller addiction, or a progressive illness, are slowly emerging. Chas avoids questions, hides the bottle, and has moments when she leans against a wall to stay steady. But instead of seeking support, Chas chooses silence – a kind of silence that every Dingle understands: silence because she is afraid of becoming a burden.

The danger is that these two secrets run parallel, causing the relationship to fall into a state of “both think they are protecting the other by hiding”. In fact, they are pushing each other further apart. Liam wants to maintain a strong image for Chas to lean on, but his awkwardness makes Chas suspicious. Chas wants to appear okay so Liam doesn’t worry, but the moments when she trembles make Liam feel that something is wrong.

One scene in particular gives the audience goosebumps: Chas stands in the room, her hands shaking as she opens the bottle of medicine, and Liam watches from afar through the crack in the door. They both know “something is wrong”, but neither dares to say it. It’s that quintessential Emmerdale moment: when the truth is just a word away, but neither has the courage to say it.

Drama is likely to explode when a third person intervenes – maybe Cain, maybe Paddy, or maybe Aaron – who is very sensitive to Chas’s changes. If just one person sees Chas losing control, the secret will be brought to the surface, and from there, the relationship between Chas and Liam is in danger of collapsing.

This is the kind of storyline that Emmerdale does very deeply: when secrets are not betrayals, but fears that make people destroy what they are trying to protect.