Liam Cavanagh and his chequered love life: marriage to Maya, romance with Chas and who he should really be with
Liam is planning to propose to Chas
As Dr Liam Cavanagh plans to propose to Chas Dingle in Emmerdale, disaster is set to strike when the limo they are in crashes. Will Liam get the answer he’s after before everything changes?
It isn’t the first time things have gone wrong for Liam, in fact he’s had quite the chequered love life. But who was his worst mistake – the paedophile or the child killer? And is Chas really the one for him?
The romantic history of Liam Cavanagh in Emmerdale
Liam’s first wife, Lara
The first wife of Dr Liam was called Lara. She was the mother of his daughter Leanna, who was born in 2003.
Before Liam and Leanna came to Emmerdale, Lara had died due to an allergic reaction. Leanna was just six years old at the time.
Second wife, paedophile Maya Stepney
By 2013, four years after Lara’s death, Liam married Maya Stepney. Maya and Leanna did not get along and by 2018 things were at breaking point for Liam and Maya and she began an affair with David Metcalfe.
Furious Liam ended their marriage when he found out and threw her out. This was all quite fortuitous for Liam as it turned out Maya was a groomer who targeted Jacob Gallagher, David’s son. Maya was eventually caught and sent to prison for 12 months.
Having served just five months of her sentence Maya was seen leaving prison, pregnant. The baby turned out to be David’s and she abandoned little Theo on the doorstop on Christmas Day.
Liam had a lucky escape with this one.
Bernice Blackstock and Liam Cavanagh in Emmerdale – almost made it
Liam then began an affair with Bernice Blackstock, who was dating Daz Spencer at the time. They eventually went public with their relationship, breaking Daz’s heart and Liam proposed in July 2019.
However, on the eve of their wedding Bernice received a call to say her ex, and father of her daughter Dee-Dee, had been involved in a car accident in Australia. He was in a critical condition and would need constant care if he survived.
Bernice knew she had to go straight to Oz to support Dee-Dee and look after Charlie. She was due to come home in a few weeks. However, Liam was left heartbroken when she decided not to return after he confessed he had kissed Leyla Harding.
Third wife – Leyla Harding
After an illicit kiss with Leyla, Liam at first tried to win Bernice back, but she wasn’t having any of it. By February 2020, he and Leyla were in a relationship.
They married, despite Bernice’s return and attempts to stop it, but the honeymoon period was very much over when Leanna was murdered by Meena Jutla. Liam sunk into a depression, he at first blamed Leyla for Leanna’s death because she had given Leanna the heels she supposedly tripped over in.
Leyla then fell pregnant, but suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage – and Liam was not there for her at all. Meena later shot Leyla and it all got too much for her so she turned to drugs to cope.
When Liam found out his wife was an addict it was the end of their marriage. Though they have remained on friendly terms.
Criminal affair – Wendy Posner
Liam’s affair with Wendy Posner has only one word that can describe it: ick. They bonded over Liam’s secret pastime as a crime fiction writer. As Wendy helped him craft his stories, literature turned to passion and the two embarked on an illicit affair.
Wendy decided to end it when she realised how much she loved Bob, but the image of Wendy and Liam going at it will forever remain with us.
Dating Charity Dingle
When Mack left Charity for teenager Chloe, Charity decided to prove she was over him by dating Liam. They went on a few nights out and seemed to hit it off. But alas, she was still in love with Mack and ended up back with him.
Liam and Chas Dingle in Emmerdale – over before it began
Keeping it in the family, Liam next had a dalliance with Chas after helping her make cupcakes. But things took a turn when he discovered a lump in her breast during their sexual encounter.
Chas was then diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite Liam supporting her and them both clearly having feelings for each other, their romance never got off the ground. And when she saw him kissing Ella she decided to set him free and told him she wasn’t interested even though she clearly was.
After Ella’s big revelation, Chas and Liam hinted they would like to try again, but then Ella announced she was pregnant.
However, now she’s not pregnant, there’s still a flickering of something with Chas. Will they go the distance this time? Or even get off the start line?
Child-killer Ella Forster
In 2024 Liam sort of fell into a relationship with Ella Forster. She seemed nice enough and when Chas rejected him, the dishy doc decided to throw himself head first into things with his receptionist.
He moved her in, they got close and then it was revealed she had killed a child. Liam couldn’t deal – especially given his own child had been murdered. He told Ella to leave town and never darken his door again.
But some months later she returned and was revealed to be pregnant. Liam didn’t want the baby and told her to have an abortion. But then he had a change of heart and just as he was getting excited, a scan revealed there was no baby. So Liam accused Ella of lying.
In fact, she’d had a silent miscarriage and had been pregnant. When Liam found out the truth, he apologised and they started to grow close again. They gave their relationship another shot – but his feelings for Chas just wouldn’t go away.
Liam and Chas in Emmerdale – the real deal?
It was Halloween 2024 when Liam couldn’t resist Chas any longer. They both confessed their feelings for each other and shared a kiss behind Ella’s back.
Chas refused to be the other woman and Liam agreed he would dump Ella. He took his time, but eventually managed to let her down gently. However he denied there was anyone else.
He and Chas agreed they would keep things quiet for a while to save Ella’s feelings. But she caught them out and was devastated.
Chas and Liam then went public with their relationship and everyone was happy for them. But Liam appears to be rushing things as he is planning to pop the question.
With his chequered history, is another marriage proposal really a good idea?
If Liam wants to be with someone, the Emmerdale Insider team has definitely got their opinions over who it should be!
Who should Liam be with in Emmerdale?
Kaggie Hyland – Editor-in-Chief
“Definitely Ella. Chas is awful. Liam’s too clever for her and she’ll mess him up, like she has every bloke she’s ever been with. Him and Ella are far better suited.”
Carena Crawford – Editor
“I think Liam and Chas make a good couple. He needs a feisty woman to spice him up a bit. I did like him with Charity, but now she’s back with Mack, I think Chas is the right fit. Have I forgiven her for her affair with Al? No. Do I think she deserves to have a good man by her side? Probably not. But I do think she and Liam have a chemistry he just doesn’t have with child-killer Ella.”
Tamzin Meyer- Assistant Soap Editor
“Liam needs to be with Manpreet. They’ve been friends for ages and both of them were victimised by Meena, plus they also do the same job. They’ve got a lot in common and would be perfect together.”
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