Who is Carl’s mum in Emmerdale? Nicola and Jimmy’s son’s parentage explained

Nicola told Carl that she will always be his mum (Picture: ITV / Metro) Emmerdale revisits who Carl Holliday’s (Charlie Joyce) biological mum is following the death of tragic death of his dad Jimmy King (Nick Miles). Jimmy, as viewers know, met a devastating end last month after his car crashed through the marquee where Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley) was set to wed Joe Tate (Ned Porteous). Nicola was by his side as he took his last breath and subsequently shared the heartbreaking news with children Carl, Angelica (Rebecca Bakes) and Elliot (Luca Hoyle), telling them that their dad had passed away. Elliot has been conflicted about going to uni in the wake of Jimmy’s death – knowing that his father wanted him to take over the haulage company – while Angelia has been so devastated that she cannot get out bed. Carl, meanwhile, did the odd jobs around the house, made his mum a cuppa and went to school like normal, making it clear that he didn’t want to be any trouble. The emotion got too much for Carl and he requested that Nicola take him home from school and when he got back to the house, he revealed that he wanted Nico to not have to worry about him. ‘If I cause you any trouble, you might not want me anymore’, he said in emotional scenes, stating that he’s not Nicola’s ‘real son’. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Devastated, Nico made it clear that Carl will always be her son as she gave him the biggest hug. No, you’re crying. If the conversation left you scratching your head over Carl’s backstory and who his biological mum is, we’ve got all the details below. Who is Carl’s mum in Emmerdale? Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. While Nicola has looked after and raised Carl as part of her family for much of his life, she’s not his birth mother. Carl’s mum is actually Juliette Holliday (Amelia Curtis). In 2014, Juliette was involved in a muddle up at a fertility clinic that left her impregnated with Jimmy’s sperm rather than that of her agreed donor. Later, she turned up in the village with the intention of getting Jimmy to waive rights to their unborn baby – and she ended up giving birth at Mill Cottage. Juliette was played by Amelia Curtis (Picture: ITV) The newborn was named Carl. Jimmy was initially given permission to have contact with the baby. Juliette’s ex Greg, however, complicated matters and thus Jimmy was restricted from having any access to his child. Nicola absconded with Carl in subsequent scenes but Jimmy ensured the boy was returned to Juliette, who ultimately agreed to not getting the police involved. When things ended between her and Greg, Juliette didn’t quite know how she could care for Carl on her own, which led to him coming to live with Jimmy. Juliette granted Jimmy parental responsibility in exchange for cash and left the village in 2016. She turned up five years later, however, wanting a relationship with her son, much to the shock of Jimmy and Nicola. At this stage, Carl thought of Nicola as his mum and thus Juliette’s comeback proved difficult for both Nic and Carl, especially when she began to rent a flat nearby. Nicola has raised Carl for most of his life – she’s his mum (Picture: ITV) When Jimmy was later involved in the crash that led to Paul Ashdale’s (Reece Dinsdale) demise, Juliette began using this as leverage in a bid to spend more time with Carl. However, in an unexpected turn of events Juliette decided that she wanted to move to New York with her boyfriend, who wasn’t keen on children and thus she cut all ties with her Carl – and hasn’t been seen since. Deals of the Day The viral LED face mask with over 350 lights that's currently discounted by £100 A friend said I looked 'snatched' – I credit this new Charlotte Tilbury powder Shop MySweetSmile's biggest Bank Holiday offers before they end Back-to-school shopping just got a lot cheaper thanks to Primark The back-to-school essential parents forget every year – and it could cost them Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 or stream from 7am on ITVX and YouTube. If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. Arrow MORE: Who’s died in Emmerdale in 2026 so far? Full list of departed characters Arrow MORE: Emmerdale’s Nicola left hating Jimmy after discovering gobsmacking secret that will stun fans Arrow MORE: Why Emmerdale’s Dawn Taylor and Jimmy King died revealed The Soaps Newsletter – Weekly Sign up for exclusive spoilers and interviews, handpicked by our Soaps Editor.