EMMERDALE TURNS 50!

New's Olivia Wheeler heads to the Yorkshire Dales to get the gossip on the soap's milestone birthday

ITV soap Emmerdale is known for its explosive October stunt weeks, with previous twists including a maze fire and a terrifying rope bridge collapse. So it comes as no surprise that it's pulling out all the stops for its 50th anniversary, which takes place on 16 October.

To celebrate the incredible milestone, I was lucky enough to travel to the Yorkshire Dales to learn everything about the big birthday, as well as have a sneak peek at Marlon Dingle and Rhona Goskirk's emotional wedding.

After arriving at Leeds train station, a coach led us to acres of green sprawling fields and it was soon clear to see why Kim Tate resides at Home Farm.

Excitement grew among the group as we spotted the Dingles' battered van, shortly followed by a sign for the fictional market town of Hotten.

We were dropped off at the iconic St Mary's Church in the village, where we were soon greeted by a sign celebrating Marlon and Rhona's wedding.

It felt surreal to be sitting inside the life-size replica space, which had been decorated with flowers and candles. I was fascinated by the attention to detail, including the stainedglass windows and pew-style seats.

After we were given a sneak peek of the wedding scenes, which air on Thursday, soap stars Zoe Henry and Mark Charnock discussed the storyline.

"The emotion just came naturally for both of us when it was needed," Zoe, who plays Rhona, tells us.

"When I read [the script], I found it relentlessly moving all the way through," Mark, who plays Marlon, explains.

And it appears that the episode was celebratory in more ways than one, as Zoe tells us that the scenes had the biggest number of cast and crew members on set for two-and-a-half years.

But when it comes to Rhona marrying into the famous Dingle family, fans may be surprised to learn that Zoe wants her character to keep her own surname.