Emmerdale die-hards were on fire, understandably so, when Maya Stepney’s dirty secret came to light. It was all sighs of relief when she was finally sent to jail but we were utterly shocked by that unforgettable scene where we see her out of prison, after just five months, clutching onto her humongous baby belly!
Then, after that brief but outrageous reappearance, we didn’t see her again. So, just what happened to Maya?
Recap of Maya’s Dirty Little Secret
During her time as a history teacher, Maya groomed and eventually had an illicit sexual affair with the young, impressionable Jacob. Her secret affair with the teenager continued for months before Priya, Leyla, and Tracy busted her and accosted her during a girls’ night out.
Maya was finally put behind bars for inappropriate contact with a minor, essentially getting away with a slight sentence of just 12 months. This was thanks to her smitten lover, Jacob, refusing to testify against her.
Just when we thought we could surely do away with wicked Maya, an explosive plot twist lay in the waiting. During the November 19, hour-long episode, Maya was shown standing by the prison gate, and what was even more shocking was that she was pregnant.
We see her receiving a voicemail from love-stricken Jacob who had continued to keep in touch with his former teacher while she was in prison. Maya coldly deletes his number before walking away to an unknown destination.
Is Maya Coming Back To Emmerdale?
Understandably, fans were left reeling yet wondering whether Maya’s release from prison meant that she would be returning to the Dales. After that stunning prison scene, Maya kept away from our screens but her presence was still felt after dropping off baby Theo at David Metcalfe’s doorstep and Social Services subsequently contacting her.
Asked whether the disgraced schoolteacher would be making a return, show executives said they don’t really foresee Louisa Clein, who plays Maya, returning to the show. It turns out that sending Maya to prison was a way to end that particular storyline altogether and to move on to a new chapter.
However, Matt Woldfenden, who portrays David Metcalfe, Maya’s ex-fiancé is more optimistic. In an interview, he hinted that with the coming of baby Theo, it is likely that Maya will return to David and Jacob’s lives at some point. Whoa! That would be a huge comeback and we cannot wait to witness the drama of it all.
Louisa Clein is also not ruling out the possibility of reprising her role as Maya. In a separate interview during the Inside Soap Awards, she said that chances are good that the grooming storyline will continue with viewers being brought along Jacob’s journey toward healing.
Well, it’s definitely hard to predict how Maya’s return would look like and what that would mean not just for Jacob and David but for the rest of the family including Leyla and her new love interest, Liam Cavanagh, Maya’s ex-husband.
For now, Maya and indeed Louisa are on a hiatus. We don’t know of Maya’s whereabouts and what she’s up to but we hope that she is spending her time away being remorseful for what she did.
Yet, in the true spirit of Emmerdale buffs, we honestly wouldn’t mind seeing the scandalous ex-history teacher on our screen again. For now, we can only keep our fingers crossed.
