Carl King in Emmerdale: His love life and was Chas The One?

Carl King in Emmerdale left quite a mark on the village – and he had quite the reputation with the ladies. But was Chas Dingle his one true love? Or was Carl unable to love anyone except himself?

Played by Tom Lister for eight years, Carl was the third son of four. He was a womaniser, commitment-phobe and a killer – responsible, but never properly punished, for two village deaths. He died himself in 2012 at the hands of serial killer Cameron Murray.

But his legacy lives on – and his temper tantrums certainly live on in son Tom King, currently terrorising estranged wife Belle Dingle. So let’s take a look at Carl and his ladies’ man past.

Carl King looks annoyed at his wife Colleen in Emmerdale — Colleen was Carl’s first wife (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Carl King arrives in Emmerdale

Even from the off, Carl was a womaniser. He arrived in the village as a spy at Tate Haulage, going by the name Carl McKenzie. His first flirt was with Louise Appleton, who he asked on a date.

However, Carl’s wife, Colleen soon arrived and revealed who she was. Louise slapped Carl and Colleen told him not to come home.

After moving into Holdgate with the King family, Carl was doing some roof repairs with local postman Paul Marsden. As Paul was teasing him about his fear of heights, he fell off the roof and died. Carl and his brothers Jimmy and Matthew moved the body so it looked like Paul had fallen off his own roof. Carl never paid for his death.

Carl and Chas Dingle, take 1

It wasn’t long before Carl started bonding with Chas Dingle over both feeling like they were bad parents. He confided in her over Paul’s death and they started dating.

But things were tricky and they took a break – during which he slept with Chloe Atkinson. He got back together with Chas, but things took a dark turn…

Chloe Atkinson looks sultry in a pink top — Ms Atkinson wanted her man! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Chloe Atkinson’s campaign of terror

Chloe decided to split Chas and Carl up so she could have him all to herself. She started writing poison pen letters and eventually Chas stopped trusting Carl.

So with Chas and Carl over, Chloe moved in for the kill and Carl was only too happy to oblige. However, he soon grew bored of her and tried to end it.

But crazy Chloe wasn’t giving up that easily and told him she was pregnant. She then tried to get pregnant before he found out she was lying. Chas discovered the truth and forced Chloe to ‘fess up. She did and left the village, but not before telling him she could be pregnant as they weren’t using precautions. Is there another spawn of Carl King out there somewhere?

Carl and Delilah dressed for the beach cuddle up and pose — This match didn’t last long (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Delilah Dingle

Carl tried to win Chas back, but she wasn’t interested and left to join the army. So he turned his attention to her cousin Delilah Dingle instead. We’d say talk about keeping it in the family, but there are so many Dingles in Emmerdale it’d be hard not to!

They grew closer as he tried to put Chas behind him. He even introduced her to his dad, Tom, but Tom wasn’t impressed he was dating another Dingle. However Del managed to win Tom round and it looked like things were going well.

Not for long! Del soon realised Carl still had feelings for Chas and encouraged him to fight for her. He tracked Chas down and confessed. He then accidentally broke her leg, meaning she was discharged from the army on medical grounds.

Chas grimaces as guilty Carl grabs her leg in Emmerdale — A broken leg didn’t dampen their romance (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Carl King and Chas Dingle, take 2

With Chas back in town, Carl was so overexcited at their reconciliation he proposed. Chas turned him down, so he did a wing walk to conquer his vertigo and she was so impressed she accepted.

They moved into Home Farm together and Chas got a job as Jimmy’s personal assistant.

Things turned sour when Matthew and Sadie King started a rival company. With the family at war, the discovery Chas was passing information on the Kings to Jamie Hope, whose sister Dawn had died thanks to the Kings battle, Tom let rip. He insisted Chas wasn’t good enough for Carl and then bribed her to end things.

But Chas fought back and told Carl everything on Tom’s wedding day to Rosemary Sinclair. Tom was then murdered when he was hit over the head and pushed from his bedroom window. It was later revealed Carl had a confrontation with his father about Chas and hit him when Tom called Chas nasty names. Carl then pushed Tom away and he fell out of the window.

In the midst of all this, Carl started dating DCI Grace Barraclough, who was investigating Tom’s murder! So that soon got complicated and Jimmy whisked his brother out of the country to clear his head. But Carl decided to confess anyway and told Grace everything. She took him to the police station, but was hit by a lorry as she was walking across the road. Carl then got away with murder – and things ended with Grace, pretty badly!

Carl looks at Lexi as their wedding as Scarlet looks a little worried — Carl never really loved Lexi (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Lexi Nicholls

After Tom’s death, his former lover Carrie Nicholls turned up. She had nursed Tom’s first wife during cancer and she and Tom had had a fling. But it turned out she and Carl had also had a fling!

So when Carrie’s sister, Lexi, came to town he kept it in the family again and became romantically involved with her. Before too long he got bored again, but Lexi blackmailed him to stay with her by revealing she knew he killed Tom. Lexi later proposed to Carl and he accepted.

However, he was still in love with Chas and told her as much on his wedding day. She insisted she had moved on so he married Lexi. He even (reluctantly) agreed to have a baby with her. Lexi lost a baby due to ectopic pregnancy and then wanted to try IVF, but Carl wasn’t keen.

Lexi then took premature baby Angelica from Nicola up to the hospital roof. Carl talked her down, but then admitted he didn’t love her and only married her because she knew his secret. Lexi left to live in Canada, Carl just a painful memory.

Carl and Chas at the altar - he looks nervous, she looks smug — Chas blew up Carl’s life on their wedding day! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Carl King and Chas Dingle in Emmerdale, take 3

It seemed Carl finally got what he wanted after that when he and Chas got back together. They were happy, but once again, Carl started to get bored. Quelle surprise.

He started an affair with Eve Jenson. Chas found out and cooked up a plan to ruin Carl.

She proposed, pretended to be pregnant and then took all his money to pay for the wedding. At the altar, Chas exposed his affair with Eve to the village and humiliated him. It turned out she’d stolen all the money and only paid for a budget wedding. Carl was bitter and twisted and things only got worse…

Carl grabs Chas in Emmerdale — Carl seemed to think blackmail was the way to get Chas back (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

The end for Carl in Emmerdale

After discovering Chas was having an affair with Cameron Murray, Carl started blackmailing her for his £30K back. The blackmail turned into an obsession with getting Chas back for himself. He asked her to run away with him and she agreed in order to keep him quiet over her affair.

She went on to marry Dan Spencer, but planned to flee Emmerdale after the ceremony. However Carl caught her and stood in front of the camper van to stop her.

He invited her into the bed and he started kissing her and pulling at her dress. Terrified he was going to rape her, Chas managed to get out, but Carl caught her and slammed her to the ground. He confessed he had killed his dad for her and scared Chas grabbed a brick and hit Carl over the head with it.

She fled and spent many months thinking she’d killed him. She even stood trial for it. But in reality, her lover Cameron Murray had finished the job with the same brick.