Jacob Gallagher in Emmerdale: Secret identity, abuse horror, and a forbidden romance
Joe-Warren Plant has played Jacob for 14 years
Jacob Gallagher in Emmerdale has been part of village life since he was young lad.
Having grown up before viewers eyes, Jacob‘s had an eventful life. He’s endured family dramas, been groomed by his teacher and had an affair with his dad’s ex-girlfriend.
Born on February 28, 2003, Jacob is the biological son of Leyla Harding and Justin Gallagher. Jacob was conceived after Leyla had an affair with Justin, who was her sister Alicia’s husband.
He was adopted by Alicia who, unable to conceive, raised him as her own.
Jacob considers Alicia’s former husband, David Metcalfe, to be his dad, and refers to him as that.
He has two half-siblings, Amba and Theo Metcalfe, who no longer live in the Dales.
Jacob excelled at school and is currently in higher education studying to be a doctor.
Who plays Jacob Gallagher in Emmerdale?
Jacob Gallagher in Emmerdale is played by British actor Joe-Warren Plant. He was born on April 12, 2002, and raised in Poulton-le-Fylde by parents Warren and Steph Plant.
Joe-Warren became a student at Blackpool’s Scream Theatre School when he was four-years-old. The actor then joined the Emmerdale cast aged eight and was introduced as part of a new family.
As a youngster, Joe-Warren balanced his filming commitments with studying at Baines School in his home town.
In 2021, Joe-Warren took a six month break from Emmerdale to appear on Dancing on Ice.
Jacob’s arrival in Emmerdale
Jacob and Alicia arrived in the village in 2010. He was seven-years-old, but still had no idea his Auntie Leyla was actually his mum.
Alicia began dating David Metcalfe, who Jacob grew to love like a real father. In 2013, Jacob discovered Alicia wasn’t his birth mum and ran away for the night.
The truth about Leyla left Jacob angry and confused with the world, but he eventually adapted.
Bullying hell
Jacob has had an on/off friendship with local lad Noah Dingle. Noah made Jacob’s life hell in 2014 by waging a bullying campaign against him.
The nasty lad forced Jacob to vandalise Bernice Blackstock’s beauty salon and steal money from the church. Jacob got caught red-handed, but admitted to Alicia and David that Noah had forced him to do it.
The couple informed Noah’s mum, Charity Dingle, who punished her son. Jacob and Noah eventually made up and continued to be mates.
Jacob’s dramatic exit
Jacob’s world was turned upside down in 2015 after learning Alicia had been sexually assaulted by unhinged Lachlan White. In an act of revenge, Jacob trashed Home Farm.
Traumatised Alicia decided to leave the village and took Jacob to live with her in Portugal. David stayed put, and he and Jacob lost touch for a while.
A year later, Jacob sneaked back to Emmerdale without telling Alicia, but David and Leyla convinced her to let him stay.
Everything was rosy until David discovered he had testicular cancer. Too scared to tell Jacob the truth, he banished the teen back to Portugal.
Jacob was back again soon enough and was hurt to discover David had lied to him about his illness. However, he was persuaded by David’s girlfriend Tracy Shankley to stick around and help his dad. David went on to make a full recovery.
Abuse hell
Another dark period in Jacob’s life was when he fell victim to predatory Maya Stepney. She was one of his secondary school teachers and they began dating. Maya also happened to be in a relationship with David by this point.
Maya groomed Jacob and they began a secret relationship, at her request. When Jacob turned 16, Maya took his virginity.
Their affair was rumbled by Jacob’s ex Liv Flaherty, who tried to blackmail Maya for £10,000.
The truth all came out when Priya Sharma spied Jacob and Maya kissing outside a nightclub in Hotten and informed Leyla. Maya and Jacob ran away, but the police caught up with her and arrested her.
Still believing the love he and Maya had was real, it took Jacob a long while to realise he’d been abused.
Another shock was in store when Jacob and David found a baby boy on their doorstep on Christmas Day 2019. A note revealed the tot was Maya’s son, and Jacob feared he could be the father.
A DNA test later confirmed the child was David’s, and he was named Theo.
A messy love triangle
After Maya, Jacob had a one-night stand with classmate Leanna Cavanagh. He was devastated when she was murdered by Meena Jutla.
Jacob’s next romantic interest caused a storm in the village. He fell in love with Victoria Sugden, who happened to be his dad’s ex-girlfriend and nine years his senior.
After confessing their feelings for one another, the unlikely couple began a secret affair. But to make matters even more complicated, David had decided he still loved Vic and wanted her back.
When David discovered Jacob had won her heart he was sickened. Unable to forgive what he perceived to be a massive betrayal, David fled the village, leaving Jacob wracked with guilt.
Sadly the romance with Victoria wasn’t to be and she dumped him, leaving Jacob heartbroken.
Jacob Gallagher takes centre stage in Emmerdale this New Year
The medical student will play a key role in storylines for 2025 as he is the focus of a special standalone episode on Thursday January 2.
It is Jacob’s first day on his student placement at A&E and he struggles when it all goes rather wrong and he’s reprimanded. Will Jacob question his abilities?
He is stressed when a stab victim comes in and he worries it might be April. He calls Marlon who rushes to the hospital and Jacob’s supervisor is not happy with Jacob at all.
Then Charity arrives with drunk Sarah, who Jacob is in the beginnings of a romance with.
Jacob then bonds with an elderly patient who offers comfort to Jacob over his situation. Will it give him the courage to carry on?
Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale? All the cast exits, arrivals and returns
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
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