‘Gruesome’ Emmerdale branded too dark with viewers left suffering anxiety

| Freelance Soaps Reporter Published September 23, 2026 11:20am Updated September 23, 2026 11:25am Joe’s storyline took an incredibly dark twist (Picture: ITV) Emmerdale became ‘Horrordale’ this week, with the ITV soap airing genuinely terrifying scenes of Ruby Miligan (Beth Cordingly) waking up in a coffin, having been buried alive on the orders of Joe Tate (Ned Porteous). Now, I’d say it’s a pretty fair bet that if you asked a large group of people what their biggest fears are, you’d hear ‘being buried alive’ more than once; in fact, it even has a name: taphophobia. It’s a genuinely terrifying prospect and something that’s the stuff of people’s worst nightmares. I know. I’ve had that nightmare! Being trapped in a tiny, confined, claustrophobic space with a rapidly dwindling air supply, knowing nobody can hear your cries for help and that there’s likely no way out… Emmerdale viewers who tuned in to find Ruby experiencing the living nightmare were equally disturbed, and flocked to Metro Soaps Facebook page to make their feelings known and, it’s safe to say, our readers were horrified. Ruby’s fate sickened viewers (Picture: Mark Bruce/ITV) Brian Manning said: ‘Could have done this a bit differently, do the producers realise how many people are absolutely terrified of being buried alive? They will cause a lot of anxiety amongst some viewers, it’s something you expect in a horror movie not a soap’. Carol Ann Wood replied: ‘Think this is a horrible story line making me feel quite anxious’ Elaine Stevens also agreed with Brian: ‘I agree, I felt physically sick and panicky seeing Ruby in the coffin. I know she was perfectly safe and it’s all pretend. I can’t watch I’m a celebrity when they put people in ‘coffins”. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Marion Nolan replied: ‘Thank you for saying that, I couldn’t get the image out of my mind, terrifying particularly at night time’, while John Moulton said: ‘It’s all getting a bit too dark for a soap.’ Joe’s revenge was chilling (Picture: ITV) Joe’s seemingly unquenchable thirst for vengeance comes after the loss of his beloved Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley), who died on their wedding day after a cataclysmic car crash destroyed their big day. Prior to the wedding, Caleb Miligan (William Ash) and Ruby had conspired with Dawn’s ex, Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle), to rip her and Joe apart, a plot that would see Dawn and Billy flee with their children and Caleb revel in the destruction of Joe’s life. With what little humanity that remained in Joe having been snuffed out by Dawn’s death, he buried Ruby alive, before taunting Caleb with the incredibly grisly fate that awaited his wife. The intervention of Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) saw Joe relent and reveal where Ruby was buried, with her life being saved in the nick of time. Did Emmerdale go to far with the 'buried alive' twist? Sign up to Metro's GameCentral newsletter for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content Caleb was horrified when he learned what Joe had done (Picture: ITV) John Collins wasn’t impressed with the dark twist: ‘This soap is getting more like the House of Hammer films gruesome to say the least’, with Maria Sharpe echoing his sentiments: ‘I couldn’t watch it, I have a absolute terror of being buried alive after watching a film years ago. It’s a soap not a horror movie’. Mary O’Callaghan agreed: ‘It’s a soap not a horror ,so don’t make it one’ and Glenda Baker was similarly unimpressed: ‘Yes i agree it’s much too dark for an early evening show, no wonder there is a lot of mental health issues nowadays especially with children, it’s a step too far pack it in’. While burying someone alive is certainly an extreme act, it does go to show just how warped Joe has become by his grief and pain, though was it simply too gruesome to show in an evening timeslot? According to our readers, yes! Deals of the Day Save over £700 on Simba's top-rated mattresses in this limited-time sale An Instagram mattress left me with back pain – this one completely changed my mind Book Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Tignes for less in Club Med's ski sale From £700 MacBooks to discounted iPhones, the best Apple tech for studentsb Save 25% on red light therapy masks, sauna blankets and sleep gadgets in Bon Charge sale Arrow MORE: Ruby and Joe aftermath and new killer emerges as Emmerdale spoilers confirm what happens next Arrow MORE: Emmerdale ‘monster’ Kim left ‘bereaved’ after triple loss – and now she’s alone Arrow MORE: How did Dawn die in Emmerdale? Who she was and tragic death explained GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.