‘Emmerdale’: David’s biggest dating disasters ahead of shock proposal

This week on Emmerdale, the hapless David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) will pop the question to partner Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins). With the pair having only been a couple for a matter of months, David’s father Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell) has urged caution.

But taking things slowly has never been David’s strong point. And viewers will recall that the character has an impulsive history when it comes to romance.

While we wait to find out how his latest grand gesture will be received, here’s a look at David’s most memorable dating disasters…

Double-crossed by Delilah

When David arrived in the village in 2006, he struck up a friendship with Del (Hayley Tamaddon) that always seemed like it would lead to more. When he confided that he planned to con long-lost dad Pollard out of £20K after he did the same to David’s mother, the pair teamed up.

But when Del discovered that David had slept with her friend Katie (Sammy Winward), she was furious and took the ultimate revenge by convincing an unaware David to transfer the cash into her account. She then fled the country.

Cheating on Jasmine

David’s blossoming relationship with Jasmine (Jenna Coleman) took a turn when she learned that Pollard was swindling villager Pearl (Meg Johnson) out of her money and that David knew all about it. Jasmine reacted by revealing all to Pearl, and charming David into buying her a car so she could give it to the wronged pensioner.

Read more: Next week on Emmerdale

Later, Nicola (Nicola Wheeler) returned to the Dales and seduced David. They were caught out by Jasmine herself, and although David and Nicola embarked on a real relationship, he found himself embroiled in the latter’s attempts to kill her wealthy older husband.

Leaving Nicola behind, David turned back first to Katie, and then Jasmine, who unsurprisingly wasn’t interested. And there was plenty more heartbreak ahead…

Dumped by Leyla

David’s next big romance was with Leyla (Roxy Shahidi). The couple were preparing to tie the knot when Leyla explained that young Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) was actually her biological son, not her nephew.

Read more: Emmerdale: David's surprise proposal

After much drama, Leyla felt unable to handle seeing the boy every day and walked away from the village, leaving a heartbroken David behind.

He responded by getting drunk and storming into The Woolpack wearing Leyla’s wedding dress.

Sham marriage to Alicia

In the aftermath, David grew closer to Leyla’s sister Alicia (Natalie Anderson). When Alicia was arrested for assault after a bust-up with Val (Charlie Hardwick), David offered to marry Alicia in order to legally look after Jacob.

By the time Alicia returned from prison, she and David were secretly pining for each other — but each began dating someone else.

Falling for Alicia while engaged to Priya

David’s nuptials to Priya (Fiona Wade) were in full planning mode as he kept quiet about his feelings for Alicia. But when Alicia was shot by killer Cameron (Dominic Power), David split from a devastated Priya, who later found out she was pregnant with David’s baby. He and Alicia formed a strong unit against the odds, and married for the second time.

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The pair were happy for a while, but a move to Portugal was derailed when Pollard’s wife Val was killed and David couldn’t bear to leave him and daughter Amba behind. He and Alicia sadly ended their marriage as she left to pursue her dream.

Proposing to Tracy until she said yes

David had been dating Tracy (Amy Walsh) for hardly any time at all when he decided to get down on one knee - we’re getting déjà vu, here! Amid his battle with testicular cancer, David’s outlandish attempts to persuade her to be his wife knew no bounds as he asked again and again.

They sealed the deal a few months later, but unfortunately this was another union that went downhill after David reacted poorly to Tracy’s past as a sex worker and had a fling with ex Leyla.

Close call with Murderous Meena

David’s relationship with Meena (Paige Sandhu), who he had never been madly in love with, ended when he dumped her for Victoria. He later discovered Meena was a psychotic serial killer; so frankly David was, for once, lucky to have escaped her wrath.

One would think he would embrace the quiet life after that bombshell. But while Vic is content with their cosy routine, David has decided it’s time to spice things up with yet another engagement.

What could possibly go wrong?

Revisit the time murderous Meena targeted David in Emmerdale