Emmerdale bosses announce special episode for International Women's Day
Here come the girls!
Author: Emma DoddsPublished 4th Oct 2018 Last updated 4th Oct 2018
Emmerdale have never shied away from addressing delicate subjects and including topical storylines - just this year, they've introduced Emmerdale's first-ever transgender actor in Ash Palmisciano, who plays Matty Barton.
They also dedicated an episode two years ago to beloved character Ashley Thomas' dementia, which showed how things were happening from his perspective and was considered to be a groundbreaking piece of work.
So the news that the soap are planning a special episode for next year's International Women's Day won't be a huge shock to fans of the soap.
Show boss Jane Hudson, who took over from Iain MacLeod earlier this year after he left to join Coronation Street, confirmed at a press event that the entire cast of that episode will be made up only of women.
Not only that, but the show will also be written, produced and directed by women for the one-off episode which will air on the day itself - Friday 8th March 2019.
Swipe through for all the Emmerdale spoilers you need to know for next week...
Joe arrives at the hospital looking agitated and asks to speak to Debbie alone.
Emmerdale bosses announce special episode for International Women's Day
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The police tell them all to stay put so that they can begin questioning. Will justice be served?
Joe arrives at the hospital looking agitated and asks to speak to Debbie alone.
He takes her into the hospital chapel and Debbie is astonished when Joe tells her they're going to get married that day.
BUT Graham and a familiar face returning to the village may get in the way of Joe's plans.
Graham heads to the prison and is greeted by a newly-freed Kim Tate
Graham fills her in on the latest news regarding Joe, but is left filled with dread when Kim tells him he needs to get rid of Joe.
Cain arrives at the hospital and, at first, Debbie tries to cover up her plans to marry Joe. But soon comes clean, warning her dad she'll never forgive him if he interferes.
All dressed and ready for her big day, Debbie desperately tries to get hold of Joe when he fails to turn up.
Graham heads to Home Farm and leaves Joe ashen when he reveals he knows all about Joe's plans for Home Farm and the wedding.
But breaking his promise to Kim he produces a bag containing ÂŁ100,000 and tells Joe he needs to leave and soon. Will he take the money and leave?
Meanwhile, after scoring drugs from Gaz and packing a holdall with with duct tape, rope and plastic ties, Ross makes his way up to Home Farm on his revenge mission.
However, Ross is left stunned and frustrated when he's confronted by a suspicious Moira.
Moira has worked out Ross' plan and attempts to talk him out of it. It looks like Moira's attempt to calm Ross down doesn't go too well.
Ross puts Moira off the scent but after spotting Simon, and when the two man are finally alone, they face up to one another.
Ross manages to drag Simon to the water's edge and forcefully tries to get some answers out of him.
How will this end? Will Ross get the truth he deserves from Simon? Is Moira able to make Ross see sense? We have SO many questions.
Meanwhile, Kim makes a shock entrance at the masquerade ball.
The guests are shocked when she arrives in the sports car prize from the raffle and declares herself the true owner of Home Farm.
Kim proceeds to invite everyone back inside but she soon offends each and everyone of her guests thanks to her sharp tongue.
Within just a matter of minutes, Kim has made a number of solid enemies.
Later, Kim heads up stairs but guests are left shocked and terrified when they hear a piercing scream.
Kim is pushed over the balcony and left tumbling down stairs.
She's sent crashing into the extravagant champagne fountain.
Who pushed Kim and will she live to reveal ALL. The party draws to an inevitable close but guests are greeted by police officers as they try to leave.
The police tell them all to stay put so that they can begin questioning. Will justice be served?
Joe arrives at the hospital looking agitated and asks to speak to Debbie alone.
He takes her into the hospital chapel and Debbie is astonished when Joe tells her they're going to get married that day.
BUT Graham and a familiar face returning to the village may get in the way of Joe's plans.
Graham heads to the prison and is greeted by a newly-freed Kim Tate
Graham fills her in on the latest news regarding Joe, but is left filled with dread when Kim tells him he needs to get rid of Joe.
Cain arrives at the hospital and, at first, Debbie tries to cover up her plans to marry Joe. But soon comes clean, warning her dad she'll never forgive him if he interferes.
All dressed and ready for her big day, Debbie desperately tries to get hold of Joe when he fails to turn up.
Graham heads to Home Farm and leaves Joe ashen when he reveals he knows all about Joe's plans for Home Farm and the wedding.
But breaking his promise to Kim he produces a bag containing ÂŁ100,000 and tells Joe he needs to leave and soon. Will he take the money and leave?
Meanwhile, after scoring drugs from Gaz and packing a holdall with with duct tape, rope and plastic ties, Ross makes his way up to Home Farm on his revenge mission.
However, Ross is left stunned and frustrated when he's confronted by a suspicious Moira.
Moira has worked out Ross' plan and attempts to talk him out of it. It looks like Moira's attempt to calm Ross down doesn't go too well.
Ross puts Moira off the scent but after spotting Simon, and when the two man are finally alone, they face up to one another.
Ross manages to drag Simon to the water's edge and forcefully tries to get some answers out of him.
How will this end? Will Ross get the truth he deserves from Simon? Is Moira able to make Ross see sense? We have SO many questions.
Meanwhile, Kim makes a shock entrance at the masquerade ball.
The guests are shocked when she arrives in the sports car prize from the raffle and declares herself the true owner of Home Farm.
Kim proceeds to invite everyone back inside but she soon offends each and everyone of her guests thanks to her sharp tongue.
Within just a matter of minutes, Kim has made a number of solid enemies.
Later, Kim heads up stairs but guests are left shocked and terrified when they hear a piercing scream.
Kim is pushed over the balcony and left tumbling down stairs.
She's sent crashing into the extravagant champagne fountain.
Who pushed Kim and will she live to reveal ALL. The party draws to an inevitable close but guests are greeted by police officers as they try to leave.
The police tell them all to stay put so that they can begin questioning. Will justice be served?
Jane said of the episode, "We're doing something rather special on March 8, International Women's Day. Now, we've got two female producers and a female executive producer – which is the first time a soap has had an all-female team.
"We are going to have an episode that is produced by a female, directed by a female and written by a female. The entire cast will be female including all the background artists and we will have almost an entire female crew."
But that's not all - Jane added that the male crew members will take on the 'traditional female roles' for the day, and that they'll be in charge of things like childcare.
"What they don't realise," she continued, "Is that we'll be giving some of the men the traditional female roles for the day so we'll all be bringing our kids in for them to look after. We're really excited to be doing it, to be recognising IWD and do our bit for it."
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